The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-09
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.
Annual Meeting of the Delegate and
State Boards of Agriculture.
Addresses by President Mitchell, Governor
Porter, Professor StOtt, and Others
Financial Condition of the Board.


members Of the State Board were present
committee on credentials was appointed after
The meeting had been called to order, and they
reported during the afternoon, but the report
was referred back, and when finally submitted
it was found that the names of several delegates
had been omitted from the list entitled to voice
in the proceedings of the delegate convention
The matter was amicably adjusted before the
close of the afternoon session, however, by ad-
hitting those who presented the required
dentials
In the afternoon Robert Mitchell, the pres-
dent, delivered his annual address:
The past year had been fairly successful one
financially for the State Board, and it is stiTl on
the highway of prosperity, he said The mortgage
debt upon the fair grounds was once in excess of
$4,000. By careful management it has
been already largely reduced and hopes are
entertained that few more successful fairs will
wipe it out entirely. The present debt is 80,
600, and the present value of the grounds and
buildings aggregates about 100000
Mr.. Mitchell referred to the separation by the
last General Assembly of the geological depart
nnent from the Board of Agriculture, and stated
that by his untiring and earnest work in the
fields Of sciences, DR.. Collett, the State Geolo
gist, had developed the hidden resources of In
diana to the extent of making her wonderfully
rich minerals known over the civilized world
In speaking of the advantages of the railroad
facilities in making the State fairs
expressed the opinion that if the
railroads would construct line from
convenient and common point to the fair grounds,
they would find that it would pay good profit
on the cost of construction.
Attention was directed to the system of admis
sion tickets used for the last few years, and it
was suggested that some new plan should be de-
Vised that would relieve the board from the
noyance which had been experienced in the past
He recommended that in the future pass
tickets should be issued to the purchasers of
privileges on the grounds.
In order to meet the growing demands upon
che board for better accommodations in the hog
and sheep departments, a large number of new
pens were built during the last year, and the
president said, the stables and pens of the Indi
ana Fair Association are the best on any fair
grounds in the West.
Considering the interest the people take in the
fatrstock show at Chicago, and the rapidly-grow
ing demand for beef expectation, the president
. suggested that it would be advisable to hold a
fatrstoek show at Indianapolis some time during
the autumn of this year. The first effort might
not prove financial success, he said but the
State could not afford to stand still while others
are moving forward to advanced positions in the
grand industrial march. Indiana farmers de-
pend too much wheat State Boards
of Agriculture ought to shape the current of
agriculture in their respective States, and when
farmers are found, to their detriment, falling
into the same channel, they should be urged to
y.
more profitable than when labor is confined to a
single production. ''There are SO many reasons
in favor of and so few against fat-stock show
and system of public live stock sales in In
diana that I think" the president said, 1.-The
board ought to risk the experiment"
The success of the women's department sets at
rest the question of the ability of women TO do
business, and has established as fixed fact
woman's department at all our future State
fairs.
TO give additional space to
exhibtefs the the e,d president Isl s;d ! recon- ON
games of chance should be excluded from the
fair grounds as they are no part of the fair ex-
hibition. '1hey are immoral and disreputable
in their tendency, he said 'and this State Board
ought to wash its hands of the responsibility of
crowding out greater interests to admit these,
for no other reason than to collect revenues to
swell the annual receipts.
In urging hearty support of Purdue Univer
sity by the farmers of the State Mr.. Mitchell
added that IF Purdue expects the agricultural
class to do something for her she must show a
disposition to do something for them. The col
lege and grounds ought to be made a great OK
detrimental station for the farmer of Indiana,
not only as to the grain and field crops, but in
the raising, feeding, and marketing Of live stock.
The Presidents address was referred to a spe-
cial committee for consideration.
Following the remarks of the president, Gov
ernor Porter addressed the convention. Far
Tners, more than followers of other pursuits he
said, derive their aid from persons who do not
belong to their own vocation From the prepa
ration of the soil for planting through the whole
process of cultivating harvesting, threshing and
removing to the the market of consumption, the
farmer avails himself Of aids furnished by per-
sons outside his own occupation. When he
looks at these confrivances which have
rendered him such important help he
is likely to. undervalue the advant-
ages derived from the interchange
of thought upon agricultural themes. The value
of mechanical inventions to the farmer have
been so great that it should be the especial effort
of the hoard he said to If nv
furnishing every facility possible at the
State fairs for the exhibitions of machinery and
Inventions for the use of the agriculturist He
spoke at considerable length and his address was
very interesting and instructive.
very carefully prepared and interesting pa
per on Forage, Grass and Grazing, was read
by P. S. Kennedy, of Montgomery county. Less
than century ago blue grass, regarded as
indispensable on the farm, had been regarded as
a pest Mr. Kennedy said Its great value was
wholly unknown, and it is very probable that the
knowledge of forest plants is yet imperfect 1t
is quite certain too, that the great majority of
farmers have not yet learned much about the
business of grazing stock He entered at con
siderable length into the discussion of the quail
ties of the different kinds of grass and the profits
to be derived from their cultivation.
Alex Heron the secretary of the board pre-
scented his report, which showed total receipts
from all sources during 1883 to the amount of
$37, 1896. In the disbursements the general
cash orders had amounted to $l9 81, and the
premiums to So, 5Sl, making the total expendi-
lures $2S, 2.3l. The balance in the treasury,
including 81 800 i'll notes at per cent interest,
is $9,316.3S The construction and repair of
buildings during the year had cost
$5,704.82 The current expenses of the
State fair were IS, 812. SO, and the total So
9l3.55. The receipts $26,S59 68, making
the net proceeds Sc, 94613. The bonded indebt-
edness and the claims arising from the glaran
tee fund, the Secretary stated remain the same
as one year ago. There are now outstanding
forty bonds of 81, 600 each, bearing per cent.
interest which will be due in three years but
are subject to call by agreement. Of the orig
lnal $4,000 guarantee assessments there
is yet $4,000 unpaid The receipts
of the fair 81 226 So in excess of 1882, while
the expenses were very little more than in the