260 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



expenses cut and much hard work done and for 

 once the Society came out even. I was again 

 elected to the presidency but the weather being un- 

 propitious that year at fair time, the usual deficit 

 appeared. From this time on it was necessary to 

 obtain large appropriations to keep the fair going; 

 and as the legislators grew tired of these annual 

 deficits it became necessary to elect as president 

 some man who had great influence with the powers 

 at Albany. And meanwhile the permanent debt 

 steadily grew larger. 



Some time before my retirement from Cornell 

 the horsemen of the State became dominant in the 

 Society and an honest effort appears to have been 

 made to save it by repairing the old buildings, 

 adding new ones, and by making trotting and other 

 horse exhibitions the principal feature of the show. 

 Well-known and wealthy men and some strong 

 politicians took the management, fast horses be- 

 came the chief attraction and increased appropria- 

 tions were obtained from the Legislature. So far 

 as* I am able to learn the Society again became 

 strong and useful, largely through the influence of 

 Commissioner R. A. Pearson. 



The most interesting part of my connection with 

 the New York State Agricultural Society is still to 



