THE GENESEE FARMER. 



»V 



Winter Meeting of the New York State Agricultural 



Society, 



The Annual Meeting of tlie New York State Agricultural 

 Society, was lieid at Albany, February 11—13. The occa- 

 sion brought together a more general representation of the 

 farmers of the State than usual, and the discussions were 

 df an interesting character, somewhat varied from the old 

 routine, but marked by much good feeling. Being unable 

 to attend, we make the following extr'Jtts from a full 

 wport in the Country Gentleman. 



The Treasurer's Keport having been read, showing a 

 balance in the Treasury of $1,140.70, the Report of the 

 Executive Committee followed, referring to the Fair and 

 (fther proceedings of the year as very satisfactory, the 

 OOndition of agriculture, the crops and the prospects of the 

 fkrmer as cheering, and mentioning th" progress thus far 

 made in organizing and locating the " Agricultural 

 College" at Ovid — commending both it and the Society to 

 flie support and fostering care of the farmers of the State, 

 in the future, as they have enjoyed them in the past. These 

 reports having been adopted. 



On motion of Mr. Clarke, of Otsego, the rules of the 

 Assembly were taken for the government of the meeting, 

 and at the instance of Mr. Peters, of Genesee, members 

 were confined to five-minute speeches, and only one on any 

 fingle subject. 



Mr. Clarke, of Otsego, then brought forward the 

 afnendment to the Constitution, proposed by him last year, 

 ■with reference to the permanent location of the Fairs at 

 rbch points, one, two or three in number, as a majority at 

 this meeting might determine. He merely expressed a 

 rtrong desire that this question, so many years a matter of 

 discussion, should be " no longer dodged," but set at rest 

 by a final vote. He cared not what places were selected, 

 but hoped that the friends of those best adapted for the 

 purpose, would combine to support a measure which 

 ■would, he believed, be so advantageous for the Society and 

 all it8 interests. 



Mr. Burroughs, of Orleans, would be equally glad to 

 «ee the subject decided, and thought that the decision could 

 but be in the negative. He opposed the project at some 

 length, by reference to the past successes of the Society, 

 asnd various other considerations of importance to its pros- 

 perity. When he concluded, 



Mr. Richardson, of Albany, endeavored to obtain a 

 hearing for the amendment to the same purpose, as pro- 

 posed by him, — to which it is only giving justice to add, 

 that it had been carefully worded with a view to do away 

 ■»rtth many of the objections urged in respect to the 

 dj^fficulty of deciding on Permanent Locations, and to pro- 

 vide for every emergency that might ari^e in so doing. 



There seemed to be too strong a disposition to take the 

 "■^nal vote" that had been asked, directly on Mr. Clarke's 

 proposition, to pay much attention to any motion tending 

 to complicate the question, and after further remarks and 

 arguments in opposition, by Messrs. Cheever, Randall, 

 NoTT, Dickinson, Allen, Peters, and others, the roll 

 was called, showing 20 in favor and 132 against a measure 

 requiring a two-third vote to be carried. 



The Committee appointed to nominate officers, and 

 select the next place for holding the Fair reported in favor 

 of Buffalo, and nominated the following otticers for the 

 ensuing year. 



President— Ron. ALONZO S. UPHAM, of Genesee. 



Vice Presidents — Jonathan Thorne, "William C. 

 McCouN, Herman Wendell, John M. Steven.son, 



B. E. BowEN, Francis M. Rotcii, Willard Hodoes, 

 Lewis F. Allen. 



Corresponding Secretary — B. P. Johnson. 



Recording Secretary — Erastus Corning, Jb. 



Treasure^ — B. B. Kirkland. 



Executive Committee — G. W. Tifft, E. C. Dibble, 



C. S. Wainwright, Solon D. Hungehiord, C. Moi*- 



RELL. 



Mr. James Lawrence moved to amend the Report by 

 substituting Syracuse for Buffalo, but after some discussion 

 the Report of the Committee was agreed to with great 

 unanimity. 



Trials or Speed at Agricultural Fairs. — After 

 some remarks on the proclivity manifested in our State and 

 County Agricultural exhibitions to give undue and almost 

 monopolizing precedence to horses, trials of speed and 

 equestrian exercises, and showing the evil results to which 

 such customs must tend, Lewis F. Attk, of Erie, offered 

 a resolution deprecating the introduction of the system at 

 the shows of the State Society, discouraging its farther 

 extension at County Fairs, and earnestly recommending 

 that no ring be hereafter laid out at either, of a larger 

 diameter than 150 feet. He thought the race course on 

 the Show ground as demoralizing as it was elsewhere, 

 while it could but destroy the general interest in other 

 departments of exhibitions, and weaken the public regard 

 for societies permitting it. 



Judge Terrill, of Oswego, Mr. Hilton, of Albany, 

 and Mr. Burroughs, of Orleans, were among those who 

 opposed the resolution on the ground that speed ought to 

 be encouraged in horses; that, if anything, justice had not 

 yet been done them, and that it was for the interest of the 

 State to have the breeding of the best (fastest :) hoq^s 

 promoted by every possible means. 



Mr. OsBORN, of Albany, was in favor of the spirit of 

 the resolution, but didn't quite like the dictatorial tone he 

 thought it assumed towards the County Societies. 



Judge Cheever considered the size of tiie ling men- 

 tioned too small, but, without assuming to determine tlie 

 proper size, would vote to leave the whole subject with the 

 Executive Committee. 



Mr. Peters, of Genesee, asserted that the value of the 

 horso to the farmer was in reality less than that of any 

 other domestic animal, and while he looked upon these 

 trials of speed as only demoralizing in ti.eir influence, also 

 considered the prominence thus given to the horse as unjust 

 to all the other interests of Agriculture, and as anything 

 but promotive of the objects of the Societies. 



Mr. Perntice, of Albany, followed in some very "pointed 

 and effective remarks, concurring entirely with the intent 

 of the resolution, and only regretting that it had not been 

 made to cover still greater ground; he spoke of the Vermont 

 State Fairs — to which reference had been made as proving 

 that horse-racing and successful exhibitions were not 

 incompatible — as merely triak of speed; mentioned a recent 



