ANNUAL. MEETING. 67 



for present conditions. Believe me, that in the present international 

 struggle for commercial supremacy, where swift and adequate transpor- 

 tation counts for so much, a very few years will find our present roads, 

 with the present system, or want of it, of keeping them, inadequate. 



As I said a moment since, the time to begin to agitate the subject of 

 better roads better kept, is now, and the place— here. I would most re- 

 spectfully recommend to your honorable body the selection of a legis- 

 lative committee, whose province should be to secure from the Legis- 

 ture of Indiana, and through that, such national enactments as will stim- 

 ulate and foster, to a greater degree, our agricultural and commercial 

 int€Lrests and that will secure from our own Legislature such enactment 

 as that county commissioners be empowered to aid struggling agricul- 

 tural societies by purchasing of suitable lands for such societies' use. 



The next subject on the program, "Should Exhibits be Confined 

 to County; if not. Wherein Limited," was led by John Tilson, 

 who said : 



Article I of the Constitution of the Indiana State Board of Agriculture 

 states that its object is: "To promote and improve the condition of agri- 

 culture, horticulture and the mechanic, manufacturing and household 

 arts." It should have added, "and to bring about an increased interest in 

 all branches of live stock raising." In another place it says, "County 

 fairs shall conform to the rules and regulations of the State Board." 



The agriculturist while enjoying social relations sees and talks about 

 the different improvements, the different breeds of live stock shown, 

 notes the improvement in agricultural and horticultural exhibits, sees 

 new varieties of fruits and vegetables. The wide-awake farmer, the 

 one that gets there, not only wants to talk at our county fairs about 

 the different breeds of cattle, the varieties of fruits, vegetables and grain, 

 but he gets the desire to have them for his own. We believe that the 

 State and county fairs have done more to bring about the high standard 

 of the live stock in this State than any other one thing. If this is true, 

 and I think we will all admit that it is, then why confine exhibits to the 

 county? I do not think there is one county in our State that could show 

 all the different breeds of sheep or hogs, or the different breeds of beef 

 and dairy cattle, or the different varieties of vegetables and fruit. I think 

 we will agree that the exhibits should not be confined to the county; 

 but where should we place the limit? I say do not put any limit. If 

 any county in our State or any county in any other State has better 

 corn or a greater variety of corn than Johnson County, we welcome 

 them to our county fairs and will give them as good a show as possible 

 and insure them a good sale for their corn, because if it is better than 

 anything we have we want it. The same thing is true of stock of all 

 kinds. The first herd of Polled-Angus cattle and the first herd of Here- 



