AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 449 



THE RELATION OF THE h^TATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY TO 



THE COLLEGE. 



ADDRESS OF HON. WILLIAM BALL, PRESIDENT OF THE STATE AGRICUL- 

 TURAL SOCIETY. 



The subject assigned uie for a ten minutes' talk is in the main historical 

 and not calculated to enthuse the hearer to any extent. 



The State .Vgricultural Society was organized nearl}' Mtx years ago 

 under an act of the legislature of 1849, holding its first exhibition that 

 year. The organization grew out of the necessities of agriculture. 



Thinking men saw the necessity of some concerted action in agricult- 

 ural pursuits in the State, and at that time no better system could be 

 devised to create an interest in stock breeding, general farming, and 

 kindred arts than bv the formation of such a society. That it did, and has 

 done a noble work in the direction intended by its originators is abund- 

 anth- proved by the success of its forty-seven exhibitions held in various 

 parts of the State. Early in its career the founders of tlie society, and 

 its officers subse(iuently elected, saw the necessity of something in ad- 

 vance of what the Agricultural Society could furnish if the ends sought 

 were to be realized, and the agriculture of the State placed in a position 

 which its importance demanded. 



Accordingly at the second annual meeting of the society held in the 

 city of Jackson (then a village). Mi'. Bela Hubbard offered the following 

 resolution: 



"That our legislature be requested to take such legislative action as 

 shall appear necessary or expedient for the establishment of a State 

 central agricultuial office, with ^hich shall be connected a museum of 

 agricultural products and implements, and an agricultural library, and 

 as soon as practicable, an agricultural college and a model farm.'' 



The resolution was supported by an able argument presented by the 

 maker of the resolution, but was subsequently laid upon the table. The 

 good seed had been sown, and in the year 1855 the executive com*mittee 

 took such steps as were necessary to importune the legislature to pass 

 an act establishing an agricultural school and model and experimental 

 fai'm. Its ])urpose was followed by the passage of a bill to that effect 

 and beciiuie a law February 12, 1855. I*receding the action of the 

 executive committee in 1855, it had in 1852, at its annual meeting, 

 adopted a resolution asking the legislature of 185.3 to establish an agri- 

 cultural school in connection with an experimental farm. The memorial, 

 like many other meritorious measures of later days, failed to materialize; 

 and not until 1855 did the Agriculturtil Society secure the aid it so much 

 desired in the way of agricultural education and experiments. 



I have been somewhat ])rolix on this part of the paper in order to show 

 the position of the State Agricultural Society relative to the needs of 

 agriculture, and further to show the active j)art it took in establishing an 

 institution in which all good citizens of the State take so much just 

 pride. Having been connected with the State society as an official for 

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