MICHIGAN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 311 



There was a large display of wind mills and pumps, and wire fence was 

 a great factor in the display. In all we had between eleven and twelve 

 hundred articles on exhibition representing a capital invested of nearly 

 180,000,000 as an evidence of the enormous investments required in the 

 manufacture of farm implements and machinery. It will be worth our 

 efforts to make extraordinary inducements to have them exhibited at our 

 fairs. 



The present year our ground should be in good condition and water 

 should be on the line of engines and threshers display, so they would 

 nt)t be compelled to haul it in tanks. To my mind it will require a great 

 effort on the part of all officers and the superintendent to induce ex- 

 hibitors this year. It will require advertising and I believe that money 

 could be well invested to visit large manufacturers and officers of other 

 fairs held in advance of ours to interest them in our behalf. The time 

 to begin is from this day. 



In 1902 I asked for premiums of best display on implements in and out 

 of the State. While I think it paid us. I would not ask it for 1903, but 

 recommend that the superintendent be allowed the amount of premiums 

 namely : |200 to advertise the implement department, if in his judgment 

 it required it. I think it would do the society more good than to pay it 

 out to a few exhibitors. 



Respectfully submitted, 



JOHN A. HOFFMAN,. 



Superintendent Farm Implements and Machinery. 



MAIN BUILDING ROWLAND HALL. 



Harriette, Mich., January 27, 190S. 



Officers and Members of the Executive Committee of the Michigan St :+'' 



Agricultural Society: 



Gentlemen — As superintendent of the Howland buikung — I wish to 

 report that each department in the hall was well filled — the fruits and 

 flowers, the dairy, the needle Avork, school and the art departments will 

 each file reports showing the extensive nature of their exhibits — in the 

 general display the exhibit made by the State Fish Commission was per- 

 haps the most attractive and we should make it a certain feature of each 

 fair, if possible. 



The general public seem to enjoy a display of animal life, more than 

 some of the exhibits of manufactured products. A great feature in the 

 main building last year was the very fine exhibits made by the State in- 

 stitutions, as the Michigan Agricultural College, the Flint School for the 

 Deaf, the Adrian Industrial School for Girls, and an extraordinary effort 

 should be made to secure these again as well as the Lansing Industrial 

 School for Boys — the School for the Blind and any other public institu- 

 tion that can make a showing of its work. 



Last year in our greed of gain we allowed some privilege people to vend 

 their wares in the aisles of the buildings, and for this act we deserve 

 censure. The receipts from these people were about foOO.OO, but if fair 

 weather had favored us these small merchants would have been carried 

 out of the building by the mob — no persons should be allowed to use the 



