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ANl^UAL REPORT 

 July 1, 1969 - June 30, 1970 

 DIVISION OF FAIRS 



E. Gerry Mansfield, Director 



One hundred thirty-six fairs had an attendance of 2,l/+5,209, an increase over last 

 year of nearly six per cent. Fairs viere grouped as follows: Major, twenty; Community, 

 twenty; Youth, twenty-three; Livestock, twenty-four; Grange, forty-nine. All major fairs 

 and many of the smaller fairs were inspected. As in the past, the Director and Supervisor 

 of Fairs visited as many fairs as possible. Agricultural ^exhibits amounted to 79,612 and 

 of this number youth exhibitors displayed 29,629. Ten fairs held pari-mutuel racing and 

 contributed $1,599,383.45 to the Agricultural Purposes Fund, which provides money for 

 agi-icult\iral prizes at fairs, exhibits in tv;o State Bxiildings,- at Brockton and West Spring- 

 field, repairs and maintenance of these buildings, inspection of fairs, special awards, 

 promotional activities, etc. Of the amount contributed, the Division was allotted $293,850 

 in the budget for the 1969-70 fiscal year. Fairs received $199,395.23 and these fairs 

 contributed $136,562.82 making a total of $335,958.05 awarded to exhibitors of agricultural 

 products. 



The follo'rfing awards were made: three hundred eight State Award ribbons, seventy-one 

 special rosettes, nine plaques, thirty-six F.F.A. medals, four thousand 4-H membership pins, 

 eighty-seven A-H pens, 11 bowls. Awards were made at agricultural fairs and shows, flower 

 shows, vocational agricultural F.F.A. and 4-H agricultural contests. Seventy-five dollars 

 was contributed for the Governor's Green Pastures Award and $1,155.00 was spent for 

 speakers at the Massachusetts Fruit Growers Meeting and Trade Show and the Massachusetts 

 Dairy Association Meeting. 



Brockton Fair was held from July 4 through July 12, 1969, and the State Building was 

 open to the public for the entire nine days. Agricultural exhibits included a summer patio 

 scene by the Division of Markets, egg grading by the Massachusetts Poultry Association, a 

 wool display by the Massachusetts Federation of Sheep Associations and Mosquito Control by 

 Jie Reclamation Board of the Massachusetts Department of Agricult\ire. The Am.erican Dairy 

 Association provided an "Old Fashioned" Ice Cream Parlor with all the trimmings. Educational 

 exhibits included the Di\i5ion of Civil Service which explained State Service and the 



