422 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



in so doing, for we would still be paying more than the amount appro- 

 priated to stock and articles owned in Michigan. 



Our breeders are now in shape to compete with outsiders on even 

 terms as may be seen in the awards in the open classes at the last fair. 



By extending the number of awards to fourth and fifth premiums, the 

 small exhibitors will be better cared for than they are now, as even in 

 the state classes there are state herds that take all the first premiums 

 after competing in the open class. 



I ask the committee on premium list to fully consider this matter, 

 and I recommend a change to one class for each breed. My attention 

 has been called to an infraction of a rule in the poultry department, 

 which I think works against the interests of the society and against 

 the smaller breeders of poultry. I am informed that some exhibitors 

 secure poultry in large numbers, for the express purpose of securing 

 a large bunch of premiums. Most of these exhibits are borrowed from 

 various owners, and bunched together and shipped from one fair to 

 another in car loads and in some instances these exhibitors have taken 

 hundreds of dollars in premiums. This is very discouraging and detri- 

 mental to the small breeder, and has a tendency to discourage instead 

 of encourage the breeding of good stock and should be discouraged. 

 The object of awarding premiums is to encourage the breeding of im- 

 proved varieties of fowls. This kind of an exhibit does not accomplish 

 that end. We have a rule in this department requiring that all fowls 

 must be the property of the exhibitor who must also be a breeder of 

 the variety shown by him. If this rule were enforced the injustice which 

 I mentioned would be avoided, and I recommend that the rule be en- 

 forced. 



The entrance fee should also be increased to twenty-five cents for each 

 fowl and fifty cents for breeding pen as we now feed all the fowls. 



There has been much talk about the advance sale of tickets, and a 

 careful consideration should be given this item. I believe under proper 

 restrictions this is a very successful and paying proposition. Factories 

 purchase quantities of tickets which they distribute to their employees. 

 Wholesalers buy blocks of advance tickets and sell them to their trade 

 through the state. Stores give these tickets to purchasers. All of 

 this tends to increase the attendance. Many persons who would not 

 go otherwise are induced to visit the fair. I think that plans could 

 be devised to dispose of many advance sale tickets out in the state. In 

 case of stormy weather during the fair, the advance sale tickets would 

 help very materially in keeping the ticket sales somewhere near the 

 expected fair weather sale. 



The restriction which should be placed upon this sale is that they 

 are not to be sold in small lots during the time the fair is open and 

 this can be required and rigidW insisted upon. 



In my last year's report I called attention to the abuse of free ad- 

 mission tickets. An effort was made this year to restrict ]>asses. I 

 am very glad to learn that less than one-half the number of free ad- 

 missions were presented at the 1907 fair than the one previous. Still 

 the problem has not been entirely solved and I would suggest that 

 a new plan be formulated and put into effect. I have drawn up a brief 

 draft of a suggestive scheme for this purpose and I recommend that a 

 committee be appointed to look this over, make what changes their 



