10 OBSERVATIONS ON EASTERN FARMERS AND EASTERN FAIRS. 



from the railroads, and the people attend in large numbers from all 

 parts of the State. 



It is part of the duty of the Illinois Agricultural Society to publish 

 agricultural statistics and crop reports. After years of effort they 

 have secured an efficient corps of correspondents, embracing four or 

 five or more in each county of the State, and through these the infor- 

 mation desired is collected, and, after being compiled in the form of 

 bulletins, is sent out through a large mailing list to the press and the 

 people. The blanks; are made out by the secretary, and, contain 

 questions eliciting the information desired, with directions to return 

 them on a certain day. The rest is a matter of computation and 

 compilation. The item of expense for printing and postage is con- 

 siderable, but in order not to hamper the work the directors of the 

 Society impose no limit to the expenditures for these items, believing 

 that the more bulletins and the better or more extensively they are 

 distributed the better for the Society and the people. 



INDIANA. 



Charles Downing is the bright and capable secretary of the Indiana 

 State Agricultural Society, and learning my identity and mission he 

 laid aside all other duties and placed himself at my disposal. 



This State, like the others I have mentioned, holds very successful 

 State Fairs, and like the others the management renounces strong 

 drink, pool-selling, book-making, and all other gambling devices. They 

 believe in side entertainments for the people, but are very particular 

 in the character thereof, as well as in the character or kind of con- 

 cessions granted. This year they paid out $5,500 for side entertain- 

 ments, including $3,500 for an airship, which latter they claim proved 

 a profitable attraction. 



The State and crop statistics in Indiana are collected and published 

 by another department, and therefore all the Agricultural Society 

 does is to promote and hold an annual State Fair. They have fifteen 

 directors, elected, as in some of the other states, by representatives of 

 County Agricultural Societies. A director is superintendent of each 

 department, and is held largely responsible for the success of the 

 same. Their regular State appropriation is only $1,000 a year, and 

 yet the State, in common with the custom in other states, does a great 

 deal in the way of special appropriations for new buildings, etc. 



All their buildings and attractions are in one inclosure, a park of 

 214 acres, located four miles from the center of the city, and the 

 price of general admission is 50 cents, with 25 cents extra for a seat 

 on the grand stand. They have a good program of trotting and pacing 

 races for purses varying from $500 to $1,000, but they have no run- 

 ning races at all. The conditions for these races are five per cent to 



