BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



WOMAN'S D E P A K T M E N T. 



MRil*. A. M. NOE, PRESIDENT. 



i¥»-. President: 



The year 1878 marked a new departure in the hiatory of the State Board of 

 Agriculture, in the organization of a Woman's Department. And as each succeed- 

 ing year has come and gone, greater success has crowned our efforts, until whatwas- 

 begun in a small portion of the west end of the Exposition Building, has grown 

 until one-half of the upper floor has been given to this department. Although 

 recognized in 1878 as the AVoman's Department, it still had one of the members of 

 the State Board as its Superintendent, and it was not until 1880 that entire control 

 was given to the Woman's Board. So marked has been its progress that the proph- 

 ecy made in our petition of 1879, viz.: "It will mark a new era in woman's indus- 

 trial relations," '"it will be as bread cast upon the waters, to return, not after 

 many days, but at once," " and continue returning, increased a thousand fold," has 

 more than been fulfilled. And the prediction, that it would make the State Board 

 of Agriculture known far and wide as a body of progressive, liberal-minded, 

 magnanimous men, whose epitaphs should be written on tablets more lasting than 

 marble ; the grateful hearts of the daughters of the State is also verified. 



Since the organization of this department several of the members of the State 

 Board have been called from labor to reward, and while memory lasts their names- 

 will be honored and revered by the members of the Woman's State Fair Associa- 

 tion. To-day Indiana's State Board of Agriculture stands before the world as the 

 only one showing this confidence in women. By so doing, it has given them the 

 opportunity to prove their ability to carry on such an enterprise, and to bring be- 

 fore the public the labor of their hands and brains on an equal footing with that 

 of men. The efficacy of the organization has been demonstrated in the display 

 made in the Woman's Department of the World's Industrial Exposition at New 

 Orleans. In less than two months prior to the time of the opening, it was ena- 

 bled to gather a creditable exhibit, and to place it in position before any other 

 State in the department allotted to such displays. 



The whole number of entries made in this department for the exhibit of 1884, 

 were 1,447, being 224 in excess of the preceding year. These figures, do not, by any 

 means, give a correct idea of the number of articles entered, for many of them 

 were collections of from three to ten articles under each entry. The amount 

 offered as premiums was $900. The amount paid in premiums in the Woman's 

 Department was $677, and in the Children's Department $78, making a total of 

 $755. Current expenses $569.94. The last exhibit excelled in numbers and ex- 

 cellence any former display, the Art Department alone, requiring the erection of 

 two additional booths; and if it should continue to increase in the next two years, 

 as it has in the past two, it alone will soon require the entire north side of the 

 upper floor. The attractions offered in the Old Ladies' Day, Piano Contest; and the 

 Young Ladies' Broom Drill, proved very attractive features. In a word, it can truly 

 be said, success crowned every effort in this department. 



