382 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The committee appointed at a former meeting to prepare a constitution, re- 

 ported one which was read and adopted. The meeting then proceeded to the 

 choice of oflicers, whereupon the Hon. Wm. Thompson was unanimously 

 elected President; Amos Mead, Esq., and Stephen V. E. Trowbridge, Vice 

 Piesidents; Calvin Hotchkiss, John W. Hunter, Joseph Morrison, Oliver Wil- 

 liams, Abner Davis, Ezra Rood, and Erastus Ingersoi, Directors ; and Cyrus 

 A. Chipman, Secretary and Treasurer. 



The constitution of the Agncultural Society of the county of Oakland, 

 adopted at this meeting, consists of fifteen articles, not one of which gives any 

 intimation of the objects of the society. I do not find any record of a subse- 

 quent meeting. I think Mr. Chipman, the secretary and treasurer, is still re- 

 siding in Oakland county, and if applied to could give a history of the pro- 

 ceedings of this, the first agricultural society organized in Michigan. 



1833. 

 In the Detroit Courier of March 13th, 1833, I find this : 



" At a meeting of citizens of the Territory of Michigan, convened at the house of Benja- 

 min Woodworth, Esq., in the cilj' of Detroit, pursuant to public notice, for the promotion 

 of agriculture and domestic manufactures, His Excellencj', George B. Porter, was called to 

 the chair, and Major J. Kearsley appointed secretary. A petition to the Legislative Coun- 

 cil was prepared, praying that an act of incorporation may be passed, which was signed by 

 the persons present. On motion 



Resolved, That Jonathan Kearsley, Thomas Rowland, John J. Deming, John M. Wilson 

 and Henry P. Powers, be appointed a committee to adopt such measures as they may deem 

 expedient to carry into effect the object of this meeting, and especially to use their exer- 

 tions to procure an act of incorporation ; and to report to an adjourned meeting to be holden 

 at the same place on Thursday, the 21st instant, at 6 o'clock, r. m. 



Mesolmd, That the proceedings of this meeting, signed by the chairman and secretary, be 

 published in all the newspapers of the Territory. 



Adjourned to meet again on Thursda3' evening, March 21 , 1838. 



(Signed) GEORGE B. PORTER, Chairman. 



J. Kearsley, Secretary. 



An editorial in the Courier of April 10th, 1833, says : 



AGRicnLTURAi> SOCIETY. — The bill incorporating an Agricultural Society of Michigan 

 was taken up for a second readine yesterday. Mr. Sprague moved to strike out the section 

 authorizing an appropriation to be made from the territorial treasury for the encouragement 

 of said society, on the ground that we were not yet sufficiently advanced in wealth to war- 

 rant such an appropriation. There were more pressing objects to be provided for at present. 

 He was not opposed to encouraging agricultural societies in the Territory, but it was too 

 sooQ. The bill was laid on the table. 



In the Courier of April 24th, 1833, is this item: 



Agricultural Society of Miceigan. — The bill granting a charter of incorporation to 

 this society has passed the council. 



On looking over the proceedings of the legislative council, I find that this 

 bill passed on the 20th of April, 1833. 



1849. 



I have no knowledge of what proceedings were had under this act ; hut six- 

 teen years afterward, in Febrnary, 1849, the first session of the Legislature after 

 the removal of the capital from Detroit to Lansing, the Hon. Titus Dart of 

 Dearborn was chairman of the committee on agriculture in the Senate. Being 

 well acquainted with him, and being desirous that a State agricultural society 

 should be organized in Michigan, 1 wrote to Mr. Dart that I thought it was 

 time we had a State agricultural society, and he being chairman of the com- 

 mittee on agriculture in the Senate was the one to give it a start, and as there 

 were at that time people at Lansing from all parts of the State, that was the 



