196 GENERAL HISTORY. 



ment, by its terms, continued only during that year ; but it has proved so far 

 satisfactory to both societies that, with occasional modifications, it has been 

 renewed from year to year till the present time. 



C. F. Kimball held the position of secretary for the years 1875 and 1876. 

 The annual fairs of 1874 and 1875 were held at East Saginaw, and those of 

 1876 and 1877 at Jackson. During the latter year J. P. Thompson, formerly 

 of the State Pomological Society, held the position as secretary. 



In 1878, 1879 and 1880 the annual fairs were again held at Detroit. R. F. 

 Johnstone was elected secretary in 1878, which position he retained till his 

 death, which occurred very suddenly, October 24th, 1880. J. C. Sterling 

 was appointed to fill the vacancy, and was regularly elected at the next elec- 

 tion. He has filled the position continuously till the present time. 



In 1881 and 1882 the annual fairs were again held at Jackson; in 1883 for 

 a single year at Detroit; in 1884 and 1885 the society again exhibited at 

 Kalamazoo; returning, in 1886, to Jackson. 



The last three fairs have been held at a financial loss to the society ; the 

 last one, at Jackson, probably proving such as the result of almost con- 

 tinuous stormy weather. 



As early as the year 1868 the large expense, together with the great waste 

 of labor and material, consequent upon the society's practice of itinerating 

 the annual State fairs, involving the removal of material and the reconstruc- 

 tion of buildings and other fixtures, had directed the attention of its man- 

 agers to the propriety of providing for their permanent location at some con- 

 venient and central point, and the construction of permanent buildings and 

 other fixtures for their accommodation. 



This movement had acquired so much strength that during the past year 

 a committee has had the matter in charge, with authority to receive and con- 

 sider proposals looking to this end. Such proposals are reputed to have 

 been received from parties at Detroit, Jackson, Lansing, Grand Rapids, and 

 perhaps others ; but none of these have been found so far satisfactory as to 

 receive the approval and recommendation of the committee. 



From its inception the State Agricultural Society has steadily stood as the 

 patron of horticulture, and much of the prominence and high reputation 

 acquired by the latter in our State, may reasonably be placed to its credit. 

 Still, with all the wisdom and wide experience embodied in its official board, 

 so far as agriculture is concerned, there were ever certain deficiences which 

 only horticultural experience could supply. 



In the earlier exhibitions of the society, while taste and labor were 

 expended almost without stint, in the ornamentation of Horticultural Hall, 

 the efforts of exhibitors were largely directed to the accumulation and dis- 

 play of the largest possible specimens of fruits, with no reference whatever 

 to their real value, while the names attached, if names there were, were 

 brought to no test but left to the fancy of the exhibitor. Indeed, in those 

 days it was not unusual to put upon the tables an extensive collection 

 entirely without names, depending upon other exhibitors and chance visitors 

 to supply these from time to time during the continuance of the exhibit. It 

 may naturally be supposed that the effect of such practice would be to 

 encourage the planting of many showy but worthless fruits and to beget a 

 carelessness in the employment of names highly embarrassing to those who 

 might wish to choose wisely and carefully for their own planting. 



Something like this was the condition of the pomology of the State at large 



