MICHIGAN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 409 



REPORT OF THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT AND CHAIRMAN 



OF THE BUSINESS COMMITTEE. 



To the President and Members of the Executive Committee, Michigan 

 State Agricultural Society: 



Gentlemen — As General Superintendent I beg leave to submit the fol- 

 lowing as my annual report, and as your secretary has informed me he has 

 prepared a full and detailed report of all financial transactions, I will only 

 treat of matters in a general way, without duplicating cash and figures of 

 secretary. 



Possibly one of the first great improvements at the fair grounds that 

 attracted your attention in 1906 over 1905 would be the general appearance 

 of the grounds in the w^alks, drives, trees, shrubbery, etc. I think it will 

 generally be conceded that as you enter the grounds the first impression is 

 very pleasing, for which our thanks are largely clue to Prof. L. R. Taft, as 

 the business committee placed this part of the work under his charge, and 

 he certainly made a wonderful change for the better when the amount ex- 

 pended and the short time is taken into consideration. 



WALKS AND DRIVES. 



Some thought we should have had a large number of cement walks, but 

 when we learned how much it would cost to put in the number of walks 

 necessary, we decided to get along for the present with something of a cheaper 

 nature; and in fact we practically put down the foundations, as it were, 

 for the walks, so that some time in the future, when our financial condition 

 will permit, we will go ahead and complete them in a more substantial way. 



In the fall of 1905, at the close of the Fair, as you will remember, we had 

 no roads of any kind, and we immediately set to work to grade up roads, 

 where actually needed, and did it in such a manner as to drain the grounds 

 and take the water off as well as making the roads. On account of the 

 sandy nature of the soil we had to put some covering on them. In front 

 we used gravel, which was comparatively cheap, and for the rest we used 

 cinders, as we could find nothing that would answer as well at so little cost. 



BUILDINGS. 



In starting out the year, we were confronted with the fact of having no 

 buildings, except horse barn, Michigan building and what is called the Main 

 building, and the Fair having permanent quarters and being located at 

 Detroit, we realized that the people would no longer be satisfied with a large 

 county fair, and would insist on the Michigan State Fair taking advanced 

 steps and placing itself at once in the front ranks with other State Fairs, 

 and while our buildings for cattle, sheep and swine were cheaply built, they 

 are very satisfactory and will last and be a credit to the Association for a 

 great many years. Although overcrowded this (1906), I believe they will 

 prove adequate and sufficient, and it will not be necessary to increase them; 

 but I should like to see as soon as possible a building in connection with 

 stock buildings, to be used for judging purposes, and the same is really 

 necessary, but believe that our exhibitors will be patient and wait for this. 

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