ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



BY PRESIDENT C. H. GAXSOX,, 

 Urbana, Ohio. 



At our annual meeting it is customary for the President to make an adrress, 

 stating the condition of affairs pertaining to past and present work of the State 

 Board of Agriculture. The President would not be able to do this except for 

 the kindness and help of the Secretary. I have asked the Honorable A. P. 

 Sandles, our very efficient Secretary, who has at his comanct the data of all 

 Avork of our Board, to briefly outline what we are attempting in the interest 

 of agriculture. He is an inveterate as well as an earnest worker; has the interest 

 of the farmers at heart : and has kindly consented to prepare and present a state- 

 ment which will be much more to the point than I can make. ' He understands 

 the business and is today one of the best State Fair .Secretaries in the United 

 States, is all wool and a yard wide. It is a pleasure for any Board to have the 

 services of such a Secretary. Close attention paid to his remarks will inform 

 this convention of our work. 



With the assistance and advice of the farmers' friend, Governor Harmon, 

 A. P. Sandles and other broad minded men, agriculture has made rapid strides, 

 and today the farmer need not take a back seat. He is not called the "Old Hay 

 Seed," but a man of affairs with a profession -second to none. The successful 

 farmer, and all can be successful (as the word "can't" should not be m the 

 farmer's dictionary) should and does feel that his calling is the best and most 

 useful of all professions as well as the most independent. The farmer need 

 play second fiddel to none, especially the Ohio farmer, as Ohio is one of the 

 best agricultural states in the Union. It is the garden spot, with its good roads, 

 good water and diversity of first class soils. We should be proud of our grand 

 old state. Let us BOOM OHIO. 



We have one of the best and grandest State Fairs in the Union. T^he past 

 year was .it banner year. Profit certified into the state treasury amounted to 

 approximately $20,000. It is conceded by those who know that the Ohio State 

 Fair grounds excel in buildings and beauty any fair grounds in the United States. 

 The State Fair is second to none in exhibits. It is educational as well as at- 

 tractive. The "Xo Pass System" was inaugurated at the last State Fair, and the 

 attendance and receipts are the proper answer to its workings. Complaints 

 were not had from people who patronize the Fair from year to year and pay 

 their admissions. It is admitted that the pass question may have two sides and 

 be hard to adjust, but to be fair with the people all should be placed on the same 

 footing. The Ohio State Fair is being well patronized, and the management 

 hopes to make it worthy of commendation and patronage. 



We should have nothing but praise for Ohio and her agricultural institu- 

 tions, which include the Ohio State University, the Ohio Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station, the Farmers' Congress, Farmers' Institutes, County Fairs and the 

 different branches of the State Board of Agriculture. Running of agricultural 

 trains by the differert railroads is to be commended and the service of the rail- 

 roads appreciated. The service rendered by speakers on the tnr'ns has been 

 very useful. More than fo-ty thousand fanners have attended the t r ain meet- 

 ings and have been benefited by the talks. It is an education along the lines of 

 the best methods in agriculture. 



