504 New Yokk State Fair 



Syra<'use entertaiiierl the 18-49 fair. Although President Taylor was unable 

 to attend, Vice-President Fillmore, Henry Clay, Governor Fish and other 

 pr.Mic cliaracters wxiv present. J'rofessor J. F. Johnston came from Eng- 

 land to deliver an address on scientific farming. Amos Dean was the 

 speaker at the 1850 fair which was held at Albany, September 3-6. Dele- 

 gates from 22 states and several parts of British America were present, one 

 of tlic most (listiniTuislicd visitors being Lafayette's grandson. The next year 

 the fair was held at Rochester, where there was a record attendance esti- 

 mated at 100,000. Two thousand and fourteen live stock and 1,000 other 

 exhibits were shown. Governor Hunt, Lord Elgin, Ex-President Tyler and 

 Governor Wright, of Indiana, were present. The orator of the occasion was 

 Stephen A. Douglas, then a senator from Illinois. 



At the next year's fair at Utica, the society was giving $7,500 in 

 premiums. Horatio Seymour spoke here. On account of bad weather the 

 1853 fair at Saratoga was not so successful and the receipts paid only the 

 premiums. William C. Rives, of Virginia, was the orator. The society added 

 to its work by offering prizes for experimental farming. In 1854 the experi- 

 ment was tried of holding the fair in New York but, although the city sub- 

 scribed $8,000 to the event, it was not a financial success. An immense crowd 

 attended the 1855 fair at Elmira where Governor Joseph A. Wright, of 

 Indiana, delivered an address. At this time, owing to the efforts of the 

 society, an agricultural hall containing a museum was opened by the state 

 at Albany, and here winter exhibits were held. 



One of the features of the 1856 fair at Watertown was the giving by 

 Horace Greeley of premiums for the best farming efforts of young men under 

 eighteen. William Jessup, of Monroe, was the orator of this fair. The exhibits 

 showed notable improvements in farm machinery. In 1857, when the fair 

 was held at Buffalo, experiments were being made with the steam engine for 

 farming purposes. Tliis was a remarkable fair for, although there was a 

 great business depression, the exhibition was successful and October 8 there 

 was the largest crowd ever convened in the state on such an occasion. Ex- 

 President Fillmore, Governor John A. King and Ex-Governor Washington 

 Hunt were among the guests and the orator was the famous Edward Everett. 



The fair returned to Syracuse in 1858, October 4-8. All exhibits were 

 crowded and there was a particularly excellent display of machinery. Martin 

 Van Buren was a guest. The next year the fair went to Albany, where the 

 exhibits reached record figures. John A. Dix spoke here. 



The years 1860 to 1865, inclusive, were war time. Nevertheless, the fair was 

 successfiil, a fact which was then commented on by historians as showing the 

 remarkable resources of the state. The fairs were held as follows: 1860, 

 Elmira; 1861, Watertown; 1862, Rochester; 1863, Utica; 1864, Rochester; 

 1865, Utica. Distinguished men were infrequently at these fairs because they 

 were occupied elsewhere. The Rochester fairs showed splendid receipts and 

 the cereals were unusually prolific in these war-time years. At the 1862 fair 

 Ezra Cornell, who was the president of the society, made his offer of a large 

 sum to establish a college, which later resulted in Cornell University. At 

 the 1865 fair. Governor Fenton, Generals Hooker, Butterfield, Patrick and 

 Dennison and Ex-Governors King and Seymour were present. 



Tn 1866 the society pursued investigations abroad. The state appropriated 

 $5,000 to make trials of implements. The fair was held that year at Saratoga, 

 with Governor Fenton present, and the next fair was at Buffalo. The report 



