Green County, Wisconsin - Chapter 16: Agriculture and the Agricultural Society, 1884

Chapter 16: Agriculture and the Agricultural Society

The trend of the earliest industries of a country, is the result of the circumstances under which those industries are developed. The attention of pioneers is confined to supplying the immediate wants of food, shelter and clothing. Hence, the first settlers of a country are farmers, miners, trappers, or fishermen, according as they can most readily secure the means of present sustenance for themselves and their families. In the early history of Wisconsin this law is well exemplified. The southern part of the State, consisting of alternations of prairie and timber, was first settled by farmers. As the country has developed, wealth accumulated and means of transportation have been furnished, farming has ceased to be the whole interest. Manufactories have been built along the rivers, and the mining industry of the southwestern part of the State has grown to one of considerable importance. The shores of Lake Michigan was first mainly settled by fishermen, but the latter growth of agriculture and manufactures has nearly overshadowed the fishinginterest; as has the production of lumber, in the north half of the State, eclipsed the trapping and fur interests of the first settlers.

Farming, at the present time, is almost entirely confined to the south half of the State, the northern half being still largely covered by forests. A notable exception to this statement is found in the counties on the western border, which are well settled by farmers much farther north. The surface of the agricultural portion of the State is for the most part gently undulating, affording ready drainage, without being so abruptly broken as to render cultivation difficult. The soil is varied in character, and mostly very fertile.' The southern portion of the State consists of undulating prairies of variable size alternating with oak openings. The prairies have the rich alluvial soil so characteristic of the western prairies, and are easily worked. The soil of the "openings" land is usually a sandy loam, rapidly tilled, fertile, but not as "strong" as soils having more clay. The proportion of timber to prairie increases passing north from the southern boundary of the State, and forests of maple, basswood and elm, replace, to sonae extent, the oak lands. In these localities, the soil is more clayey,i8 strong and fertile, not as easily tilled, and not as quickly exhausted as are the more sandy soils of the oak lands. In that portion of the State known geologically as the "driftless" region, the soil is invariably good where the surface rock is limestone. In some of the valleys, however, where the limerock has been removed by erosion, leaving the underlying sandstone as the surface rock, the soil is sandy and unproductive, except in those localities where a large amount of alluvial matter has been deposited by the stream. The soils of the pine lands of the north of the State, are generally sandy and but slighily fertile. However, where pine is replaced by maple, oak, birch, elm and basswood, the soil is "heavier" and very fertile, even to the shores of Lake Superior.

be grain growing. Tlie fertile prairie covering large portions of the southern part of the State had but to be plowed and sowed with grain to produce an abundant yield. From the raising of cereals the pioneer farmer could get the quickest returns for his labor.

There is the same struggle for existence, and the same desire for grain the world over, and hence the various phases of development of the same industry in different civilized countries is mainly the result of the widely varying economical conditions imposed upon that industry. Land is thoroughly cultivated in Europe, not because the Europeans have any inherent love for good cultivation, but because their land is scarce and costly, while labor is superabundant and cheaj). In America, on the other hand, and especially in the newer States, land is abundant and cheap, while labor is scarce and costl}^ In its productive industries each country is alike economical in the use of the costly element in production, and more lavish in the use of that which is cheaper. Each is alike economically wise in following such a course, when it is not carried to too great extremes. With each the end sought is the greatest return for the expenditure of a given amount of capital. In accordance with this law of economy, the early agriculture of Wisconsin was mere land skimming. Good cultivation of the soil was never thought of. The same land was planted successively to one crop, as long as it yielded enough to pay for cultivation.

The economical principle above stated was carried to an extreme. Farming, as then practiced, was a quick method of land exhaustion. It was always taking out of the purse and never putting in. No attention was paid to sustaining the soil's fertility. The only aim was to secure the largest crop for the smallest outlay of capital, without regard to the future. Manures were never used, and such as unavoidably accumulated was regarded as a great nuisance, often rendering necessary the removal of stables and outbuildings. Straw stacks were invariably burned as the most convenient means of disposing of them. Wheat, the principal product, brought a low price, often not more than fifty cents a bushel, and had to be marketed by teams at some point, from which it could be carried by water, as this was, at an early day, the only means of transportation. On account of the sparse settlement of the country, roads were poor, and the farmer, after raising and threshing his wheat, had to spend, with a team, from two to five days, marketing the few bushels that a team could draw, so that the farmer had every obstacle to contend with except cheap and fertile land, that with the poorest of cultivation gave a comparatively abundant yield of grain. Better tillage, accompanied with the use of manures and other fertilizers, would not, upon the virgin soils, have added sufficiently to the yield to pay the cost of applying them. Hence, to the first farmers of the State, poor farming was the only profitable farming, and consequently the only good farming, an agriculturoeconomical paradox from which there was no escape.

Notwithstanding the fact that farmers could economically follow no other system than that of land-exhaustion, as described, such a course was none the less injurious to the State, as it was undermining its foundation of future wealth, by destroyir.g the fertility of the soil, that upon which the perrtianent wealth and prosperity of every agricultural community is first dependent. Besides this evil, and together with it, came the habit of loose and slovenly farming acquired by pioneers, which continued after the conditions making that method a necessity had passed away. With the rapid growth of the northwest came better home markets and increased facilities for transportation to foreign markets, bringing with them higher prices for all products of the farm. As a consequence of these better conditions, land in farms in the State increased rapidly in value. With this increase in the value of land, and the higher prices paid for grain, should have come an improved system of husbandry which would prevent the soil from deteriorating in fertility. This could have been accomplished either, by returning to the soil, in manures and fertilizers, those ingredients of which it was being rapidly drained by continued grain growing, or by the adoption of a system of mixed husbandry, which should include the raising of stock and a judicious rotation of crops. Such a system is sure to come. Indeed, it is now slowly coming. Great progress upon the earlier methods of farming have already been made. But so radical and thorough a cliange in the habits of any class of people as that from the farming of pioneers to a rational metliod that will preserve the soil's fertility and pay for the labor it demands, requires many years for its full accomplishment. It will not even keep pace with changes in those economical conditions which favor it. In the rapid settlement of the northwestern States this change has come most rapidly with the replacement of the pioneer farmers by immigrants accustomed to better methods of culture. In such cases the pioneers usually "go west" again to begin anew their frontier farming upon virgin soil, as their peculiar method of cultivation fails to give them a livelihood. In Wisconsin as rapid progress is being made in the system of agriculture as, all things considered, could reasonably be expected. This change for the better has been quite rapid for the past ten years, and is gaining in velocity and momentum each year. It is partly the result of increased intelligence relating to farming, and partly the result of necessity, caused by the unprofitableness of the old method.

As has been before stated, Wisconsin is essentially a grain growing State. This interest has been the principal one, not because the soil is better adapted to grain growing than to general stock or dairy farming, but ratlier because this course, which was at an early day most immediately profitable, has been since persistently followed from force of habit, even after it had failed to be remunerative.

The increase in the production of grain was very rapid up to 1870, while since that time it has been very slight. This rapid increase in grain raising is first attributable to the ease with which this branch of farming was carried on, upon the new and very rich soils of the State, while in the older States this branch of husbandry has been growing more difficult and expensive, and also to the fact that the war in our own country so increased the demand for grain from 1861 to 1866, as to make this course the most immediately profitable. But with the close of the war, came a diminished demand. Farmers were slow to recognize this fact, and change the character of their productions to accord with the wants of the market, but rather continued to produce the cereals in excess of the demand. The chinch bug and an occasional poor season seriously injured the crops, leaving those who relied principally upon the production of grain, little or nothing for their support. Hard times resulted from these poor crops. More wheat and corn was the farmer's usual remedy for hard times. So that more wheat and corn were planted. More crop failures, with low prices, brought harder times, until gradually the farmers of the State have opened their eyes to the truth that they can succeed in other branches of agriculture than grain growing, and to the necessity of catering to the demands of the market.

The first settlers were young and middle aged men. They came here with but little stock-intrade, save their strong hands and a determination to succeed. The early settlers in this county had some advantages not common to all new counties. The proximity to the lead mines furnished them with a ready market at remunerative prices, for all their surj)lus products. In fact, a considerable portion of the county was a raining district. Some of our most wealthy farmers got their first start by "digging" lead ore. When the lead mines of Lafayette, Iowa and Grant counties began to supply themselves by their own agricultural resources, the farmers of Green county still had an outlet for their exports in the lumbering camps in the Wisconsin pineries.

Before the days of railroads, in Wisconsin, when a Green county farmer wished to build a new house or \)arn, it was his custom to load a train of wagons, in the winter season, with wheat, oats and pork, and take it to the lumber camp, where prices were always satisfactory. He would load back with pine shingles and the better qualities of finishing lumber. It was thought, at that time, a grand luxury to put on an inside finish to a house. We had an almost inexhaustable supply of the finest black walnut lumber, also butternut, but the walnut was entirely too common, and it must be painted some other color. At the preseni time, most anyone with a house thus painted, would give s(>mething to have the paint removed, and the rich walnut finish restored.

But there came a time in the history of Green county agriculture, when the tune was changed. The lead mines and lumber camps were being supplied by fertile fields nearer home, and the Green county farmer was compelled to cart his surplus crops to the lake shore; and these came in competition with the older settled districts of the country. There were still, at this time, many ox teams in the country, oxen were a natural adjunct to breaking tlie new prairie - sward; for when night came on they could be unyoked in the last furrow, the yokes and chains dropped there, and the next morning the oxen would be found close at hand fully fed on the luxuriant blue joint grass, that abounded every where. But, when it came to loading a wagon with wheat and, with an ox team, starting for Milwaukee, it was quite a diflfercnt aifair. It meant, on the part of the farmer, catnping out and 'doing his ovvn cooking, and if his "tfain" was overtaken with a "spell" of weather, he was lucky if he got home without being in debt. Many is the story I have heard related wherein the entire proceeds of a load of wheat would be eaten up in expenses, and the farmer would come home in debt.

Green county in its first settlement was as fine a wheat growing country as any on record. I have known as many as forty bushels of number one spring wheat to be grown to the acre on large tracts of land ; and thirty bushels to the acre was a common thing. Wheat was about the only crop grown in this county until the chinch bug made its appearance. I have often thought the little pest was a blessing in disguise, because there never was any money in wheat raising. The expense attending the harvesting and threshing always made too large a hole in the farmer's profits. Then, when there was an occasional failure, or partial failure, it left the cultivator of the soil badly in debt.

There was one compensation, however, in wheat farming which cannot be said about corn raising: Our rolling prairies did not wash so badly. The farmers of this county made some mistake, however; they thought, at an early day, that the soil was inexhaustable, and they were in the habit of burning their straw as soon as it was threshed. There was another custom adopted by many, and that was to plow a few furrows around a field, so as to protect the fences and then set fire to the stubble. I have heard many an argument on this practice. The claim was, that the ash was of as much value for manure as the stubble turned under. I liave always thought that the heating of the surface of the soil had a quickening influence on it, and caused it to produce well for the time being; but had an exhausting influence upon the productiveness of the soil in later years. Be this as it may, there is no one now that allows any thing to be burned on his farm.

The raising of pork, for tlie market, has been a leading industry ever since the wheat crop began to fail, and, in fact, tb a considerable ex- tent for a good many years before that time; as this county has always been measurably free from ''hog cholera" and all other diseases peculiar to swine.

The farmers of Green county have always used the newest inventions and the best improved farm machinery that the market afforded. The use of the land roller by all classes of farmers was said to have been brought about in this way: One of the most enterprising farmers of the county, having plowed up a number of large bowlders, determined to remove them so as to have them out of the way of the reaper when the harvest came. Having no means at hand, he employed an old fashioned "stone boat." Having loaded it with bowlders, he drove over the new sown wheat to a ravine at one side of the field, making, of course, different roads all over his field. He found that the wheat came up much quicker, also thicker, in these roads, and when harvest came on the wheat was found to have ripened some days sooner in these roads than on other parts of the same field - so much so, it is said, that you could see the track of the stone boat as plainly in the early harvest, in the earlier maturity of the "wheat, as when they were fresh made.

Speaking of the custom of burning the straw and stubble ground, reminds me of a novel kind of threshing machine which was in use to some extent in this county when I first came here. The machine was mounted on wheels, to which was attached a platform upon which a number of shocks of wheat or oats could be loaded. The practice was to drive up to the stack and load the platform, then take a circuit round through the field. The movement of the carriage set the machinery in motion. The straw was scattered in the rear, or wake, if you like it; the cleaned grain deposited in a receptacle for that purpose; and the straw was left in a good condition to set fire to.

thereby demonstrating that the county was remarkal)ly well adapted to sheep culture. But, from several causes, some of which were, the want of an efficient dog law, the existence of an occasional hungry wolf, and the want of a proper discrimination on the part of Congress in behalf of the farmer, and especially the wool interest, the people largely changed off to cattle and horses - although there are at this date (1884) some very fine flocks of sheep kept in the county. The winter feeding of sheep for the Chicago fat stock market is largely and profitably engaged in by a number of our most enterprising farmers.

Several of the most wealthy citizens of this county are engaged in breeding herds of cattle of the famous "Shorthorn," and other pure breeds, largely for the supply of other communities. And the same may be said of the swine breedersof this county. Probably no other county in the State has done more to improve the several different breeds of hogs than has Green county.

But, to the daii-ying interest, this county owes more than to any other industry for her unparalleled p'rosperity. Through it the people of the county have been able to pass through two almost entire failures of the corn crop without a ripple in their finances. There are at this time, in this county, seventy-five cheese factories, of which forty-eight are engaged in the manufacture of Limburger cheese, twenty in Swiss cheese, and seven in American cheese, besides several butter dairies that make a large amount of first-class butter. The number of milch cows in the county (as per assessor's report) is 17,433; number of pounds of butter manufactured, 933,041; and of cheese, 2,015,- 760. Since the farmers of this county have turned their attention to the dairy interest and stock raising, the fertility of the soil has been largely increased.

In later years much interest has been manifested in the improving of tlie breed of horses. Theris is pirobably as fine specinieus of the Nor- man breed owned and kept in this county as can be found anywhere in the United States. There are also some fine specimens of the Clydesdale breed. A. Liadlow, the chief breeder of Shorthorn cattle in this county, has as fine a stud of full blood Clydesdale horses as can be found anywhere. He uses no other kind of horses on his extensive farm, which lies immediately adjoining the city of Monroe. lie informs me that the Clydesdale are easily broken; always reliable, and good walkers; and always bring a good price when he wishes to sell.

There is one question that the farmers of Green county have settled to tljeir own satisfaction, at least, and that is the question of "railroad monopoly." Wliile other communities are sweating and toiling over the subject of "cheap transportation," the farmers in this community are perfectly happy and contented.

When the markets of the lead mines and of the pineries were supplied by communities nearer to them, heretofore referred to, the farmers of this county thought if they only had a railroad to Milwaukee and Chicago, this would be a paradise indeed; and they set to Avork to build the Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad (now the Milwaukee & St. Paul). The farmers along the line of the road subscribed all the money they could rake and scrape towards building the road. Many of them even mortgaged their farms to the enterprise. During the time the road was being built, times were improved somewhat by the large consumption of farm produce by the railroad hands; but when the road was once built, it augmented the class of ])roducers to as great an extent as it facilitated the transportation of our suiplus crops. The cry up to tliis time had been that of "quick transportation," but when the farmer's bushels of wheat, or bushels of oats or corn, had been whirled away to Milwaukee in eight hours, when it used to take him three weeks to haul it there with an ox team, he found that the railroad freight and warehouse charges had eaten Tip all his profits, and he was in no better plight than he was before the road was built. Then camie the cry of "cheap transportation," and the subject of additional lines of railroads was agitated. There were a few farmers in this county - notably Mr. Crowell, of Green's Prairie, several of the Swiss colonists of New Glarus, and a few others - that never seemed to be in any worry about the "transportation question." It was noticed that five times out of every six when Mr, Crowell came to Monroe with a'team, he came with an empty wagon and returned with it loaded. He was engaged in cheesemaking, and fed up all the products of his farm to his milch cows and purchased large quantities of feed besides. The example of these men was suflicient for the balance of the county. The cost of tranK})ortation of a pound of butter or cheese is so insignificant when compared with the cost of its production that it is scarcely felt by the producer.

Tlien, again, the dairying interest goes largely hand in hand with that of hog raising; so that the Monroe depot is the banner station in the State as a liog shipping point.

As a further evidence of the very satisfactory condition of the farming inteiests of this county, and, in fact, of that of every other branch of industry, is the fact that interest is not allowed on special bank deposits.

There are probably few districts of country any where that is better adapted to dairying and stock raising than Green county. The unbounded supply of pure spring water on nearly every farm in the county; the grand facilities for fencing; and its rich pasture lands; together with its steady and dry winters; make it a very healthy region for all kinds of stock.

Extract From The Agricultural Address Of The President Of The Agricultural Society, 1855

"I wish to call your attention to some statistics, which I have carefully gleaned from the census of June, 1850, and from which, with the aid of the census of last June, I have been able to make some calculations for the present year.

By the census of 1850, the population of Green county was 8,566. The value of all stock owned in the county was $223,000, and of all animals slaughtered $34,000.

Of wheat and oats, there were raised 150,000 bushels of each; corn 134,000 bushels; potatoes 17,000 bushels; and of wool 15,000 pounds, and of butter 114,000 pounds.

Those who resided here in 1849, will recollect that owing to the immense emigration to California, and other reasons, thousands of acres of land, before improved, lay idle and uncultivated. According to the census of June last, our population has almost doubled the last five years, and there is no doubt twice as much land to the inhabitant, is cultivated the present year as there was in 1849; the value of stock has doubled, and its quantity more than doubled. We are therefore safe in making the following estimate for 1855: and many important articles are left out of the computation. Who that is able to reason from cause to effect, will doubt that through the introduction of improved breeds of stock, better implements, and better varieties of the different kinds of farm products, and b}' mf^ans of tl.e improved cultivation which will naturally follow from the competition here induced, that the yearly products of the farm in Green county, may be increased without additional outl.-i}', at least 25 per cent. But to be sure to keep within bounds, suppose the annual product, be increased in value only 10 per cent. Take the article of wheat alone (which I suj)pose amounts in value to near half of the aggregate products of the county), and on tliat, if worth $1 per bushel, tliis small increase would amount to $60,000, a sum which distributed among the farmers of Green county, would afford, at least, a temporary relief from that most disagreeable of disorders - "hard times."

Cheese Statistics For 1883

The following table shows the number of cheese factories doing business in Green county in 1883, and the number of cows furnishing milk. It also indicates the number of pounds of milk consumed each day, and the pounds of cheese made:

Green county, since its earliest settlement, has been pre-eminently an agricultural county. This fact early led to the organization of an agricultural society. On the 4th day of July, 1853, a few persons interested in a society of this kind met in the village of Monroe. An organization was effected by electing E. T. Gardner president, J. Y. Richardson secretary, .John A. Bingham corresponding secretary, and A. Ludlow treasurer. The first fair of the society was held in November of the same year at the court house in Monroe, at which time the munificent sum of $100 was disbursed for premiums. It is to be regretted that tlie original list of entries and awards is not now in existence, as it would furnish very interesting reading for the agriculturists of the present day.

Some time during 1854 arrangements were made by which the society secured grounds of its own just north of the village, on lands owned by A. Ludlow. The grounds then contained about seven acres, for which they agreed to pay the sura of $400, as appears from the deed now in the hands of the secretary of the society. In order to meet the expenses of fencing and erecting buildings, life membership certificates were issued and sold at $10 apiece. The second annual exhibition was held on the new grounds in October, 1854, and the sum of $200 paid out as premiums. _ It is impossible to arrive at any accurate record of the doings of this society, owing to the fact that the early records of the society, together with the treasurer's book and life membership list, was destroyed in one of the disastrous fires whicli visited Monroe several years since.

At the session of the State legislature in 1856 an act for the encouragement of agriculture was passed, and pursuant to that act the society reorganized, July 7, 1857, by electing S. M. Humes, president; M. Kelly, Sr., vice-president; J. V. Richardson, recording secretary, J. A. Bingham corresponding secretary; N.Churchill, treasurer; and A. Ludlow, superintendent.

The constitution and by-laws of the society adopted at this reorganization shared the fate of the early records of the society, and departed this life in a puff of smoke. At the pre^nt writing (1884) there has been no constitution nor by-laws adopted, and the constitutional business of the society is transacted on the strength of the memory of the "oldest inhabitant" as to what the constitution "used to be." What will be done when the "inhabitant" is no more, remains to be seen. At a meeting of the society July 20, 185*7, we find the following:

Resolved, That a vigilance committee, consisting of one person from each town, be appointed, whose duty it shall be to solicit people df their town to become members of the society.

Which resolution was unanimously carried; also the following resolution, which will explain how the present society secured the title to the fair grounds of the old organization:

Resolved, That the secretary and president be and are hereby directed to issue certificates of life membership to each of the life members of the former society (there being seventy in number) in payment for the fair grounds which was purchased and fenced by the former society, said certificates to be issued on the title to said grounds being made to the present society.

The first fair under the new organization was held Sept. 24, 25 and 26, 1857, on the fair grounds. The treasurer having neglected to submit his annual report, we have no means of getting at the financial condition of the society for that year.

In 1858 we find several of the members delegated to prepare essays on various subjects, which essays were afterwards published in the Sentinel and Independent.

At a meeting held on the fair ground in Sej^tember 1858, the executive committee were instructed to inquire into the expediency of removing the fair ground and to examine any proposal made to the society.

A great many of the early premiums of the society up to and including 1859 were paid in subscription to the " 'Wiscons^in Farmer.'''' At the annual meeting in I860 we find the following motion to which was appended a parenthetical note of the section, which Ave copy in full. " On motion it was ordered that the fair " ground be mowed and not pastured, the hay " to be reserved for the use of the society. (Gone to grass, hey ?") A committee was appointed at this meeting to consult with the people of Albany in relation to holding the next fair at that point, but little seems to have been accomplished, as we find the next fair of the society held at Monroe, Sept. 20 to 22, 1860. At this fair the number pf entries wn's 630,

The next fair of the society was held in Monroe, Sept. 26 to 28, 1861, at which time there were 532 entries, and $293.66 paid in premiums, the receipts and expenditures balancing at $384.36.

The fair of 1864, which was held Sept. 22 to 24, seems to have proved discouraging in the extreme. We quote at length from the records of Sept. 24, 1864 :

"The three days set apart for this annual fair " were enough to discourage anj'^ set of men, " except men of Green county. The first dny wa'i " raw and chilly, and but very few entries made. "The second day, which is usually the day of "the fair, was decidedly a rainy day, and noth- " ing was done. The third day opened nn- " comfortably cold, and remained so until noon, " the afternoon being fair and pleasant. Had "the two days preceding been as favorable as " the last half day of the fair, we should "probably have had a good exhibition notwith- " standing the irrepressible chinch bug."

At the July meeting, 1865, Mr. Ludlow offered to exchange for the seven acres of the old ground, ten acres to be selected by the society from lands owned by him described as being east of and adjoining the residence of E. E. Carr. A committee was appointed to examine into this matter, who reported at an adjourned meeting July 15, 1865, in favor of the proposed excliange, and the report was adopted. About $360 was subscribed at this meeting for fitting up a fair ground. At a special meeting in August the committee reported $627.00 subscribed, and further reported a strong preference in favor of Ludlow's addition, on which to locate the new grounds. No fair was held in 1865.

April 14, 1866, the old fair grounds were sold to Christopher Martin at $105 per acre, and. a committee consisting of O. J. White, O. H. P. Clarno, J. S. Smock, C. .J. Simmons and Christopher Martin were appointed to secure grounds proper for a fair ground and race course for the society. April 28, 1866, this committee reported that they had made arrangements whei'ebythey could secure eighteen acres of land suitable for the purposes of the society. The said land lying east of and adjoining Ludlow's addition to the village of Monroe. Twelve acres belonging to A. Ludlow could be purchased at $100 per acre, and six acres belonging to William Hodge at $125 per acre, Mr. Hodge to donate $50 of the purchase price to the society.

The committee were at once authorized to conclude the purchase of these lands, fence the same and erect suitable buildings thereon, and to defray the expenses of the work, were authorized to sell life membership, and collect and receive subscriptions and donations in behalf of the society. Several parties, residents of the county, took the matter of building the race course in hand and proceeded with the work, under the name"of the Jocky Club. At the annual meeting in 1867 their treasurer reported that he bad expended on said track $183.17, and that he had received back in various ways the sum of $51.35.

On motion, at this meeting, the society decided to pay the club the balance of $131.82 due them on condition that said club relinquish all claims on the track and place it under tb© control of the society. The fair of 1867 was held on Sept. 19 to 21 ; there were 539 entries for premiums, and the sum of $462.95 paid as premiums. This fair was very successful, the society being able to pay |400 on its debt for ground. The fair of 1868 was held Sept. 24 to 26, and was only moderately successful, owing to the rainy weather, which continued during the whole fair. There were only 470 entries and S198.75 paid for premiums.

The fair of 1870 was held Sept. 15 to 17. There were 544 entries at this fair and $472.50 disbursed as premiums, and $400 paid on the debt of the society. At the July meeting 1871 the following premiums, open to the world, were adopted by the society :

We have no record as to who the awarding committee were, they must at least have been men of iron nerve, to have willingly faced the avalanche of disappointed mothers which of necessity must have overwhelmed them when their decision was announced. In all probability they are even now hiding in some far western mountain range, afraid to return to the scene of their early triumphs.

The annual fair of 1872 was held Sept. 12 to 14, at which there were 517 entries and $702 awarded for premiums, of which the society were only able at this time to pay $526.50,' owing to a lack of funds.

At the July meeting, 1874, it was decided to offer a premium of $25 and $15 to the townships making the best exhibition of farm, stock and dairy products.

At the annual fair of 1874 held Sept. 23 to 26, there were 865 entries and $749 paid for premiums. At this time the society were still in debt $496.34.

At the quarterly meeting in April 1875, it was decided to erect an exposition hall, and a committee was appointed to procure plans and specifications, and report at the next meeting, which was done the report being accepted, and contract let.

The annual fair of 1875 was held Sept. 15 to 18, at which there were 1,164 entries, a marked increase over any previous year, showing that the people of the county were becoming aware of the benefits to be derived from an exhibition and comparison of the products and industries of the county. There was paid this year for premiums, $871.05; for buildings, $2,954.38, the total receipts being $4,640, and the total expenditures, $4,628.35.

The annual fair of 1876 was held Sept. 27 to 30, at which the sum of $1,136.25 was disbursed for premiums, and $1,045.38 for new buildings. Thus leaving the society probably the best equipped of any in the State as far as buildings were concerned.

The officers of the society have generally been men not afraid to undertake the necessary work which would make the fairs a general success. They have spared neither pains nor expense in fitting up the grounds, advertising and procuring attractions. The reputation of our fair has steadily increased under this judicious management, and at the present writing (]884) we have a reputation second to no county fair in the State. The grounds are well supplied with comfortable buildings, the society out of debt, and the agricultural and stock raising residents of the county are awakening to a due regard of the benefits of the association, the exhibits are yearly increasing, the society are doing all in their power to make it to the interest of visitoi's and exhibitors to patronize our fair. We append below a list of the principal officers of the society since its reorganization in 1857.

S. M. Humes, president; O. J. White, vice president; J. V. Richardson, recording secretary; J. A. Bingham, corresponding secretary; Thomas Emerson, treasurer;Levi Stair, superintendent.

Israel Smith, president; James Campbell, vice president; W. W. Wright, secretary; Jacob Mason, corresponding secretary; Justus Sutherland, treasurer;0. F. Pinney, superintendent.

C. F. Thompson, president; Andrew Sutherland, vice president; Edmund Bartlett, secretary; A. J. Sutherland, corresponding secretary; Levi Starr, treasurer; Thomas Emerson, superintendent.

D. S. Sutherland, pi'esident; J. G. Correy, vice president; W. W. Wriglit, recording secretary; Henry Adams, corresponding secretary^ William Hodge,treasurer; A. Ludlow, superintendent.

J, V. Richardson, president; Justus Sutherland, vice president; W. W. Wright, recording secretary; J. G. Correy, corresponding secretary; William Hodge, treasurer; A. Ludlow, superintendent.

O. J. White, president; William Coldren, vice president; W. W. Wright, recording secretary; A. Goddard, corresponding secretary; L. Wolcott, treasurer; Thomas Emerson, superintendent.

Thomas Emerson, president; Andrew Suther* land, vice president; W, W. Wright, recording secretary; T. H. Eaton, corresponding secretary; William Hodge, treasurer;J. C. Smock, superin* tendent.

F. F. West, president; Orrin Bacon, vice president; W. W. Wright, recording secretary; W. B. Mack, corresponding secretary; William Brown, treasurer; A. Ludlow, superintendent.

E. T. Gardner, president; John II. Bridge, vice president; VV. W. Wright, secretary; W. B. Mack, corresponding secretary; Thomas Emerson, treasurer; J. S. Smock, superintendent.

1870. H. W. Whitney, president; J. S. Smock, vice president; W. W. Wright, recording secretary; Orrin Bacon, corresponding secretary; Thomas Emerson, treasurer; O. H. P. Clarno, superintendent.

1872. T. H. Eaton, president; William Coldren, vice-president; W. W. Wright, recording secretary; C. A. Booth, corresponding secretary; Thomas Emerson, treasurer; J. S. Smock, superintendent.

1878. T. H. Eaton, president; F. Mitchell, vicepresident; W. W. Wright, recording secretary; L, Frankenberger, corresponding secretary; William Brown, treasurer; S. M. Hanna, superintendent.

1875. A. Ludlow, president; Mr. Dalrymple, vicepresident; William Gray, secretary; Peter Guagi, corresponding secretary; J. H. VanDyke, treasurer; J. S. Smock, superintendent.

1880. J. B. Treat, president; Jacob Roderick, vicepresident; W. W. Wright, secretary; A. C. Dodge, corresponding secretary; John Bolender, treasurer.

1883. N. B. Treat, president; Henry Thorp, vicepresident; S. C. Cheney, secretary; Willis Ludlow, treasurer; John Bolender, corresponding secretary.

Rules And Regulations

rival and direct tliem to their proper places on the grounds; to see that there is no lack of foi*- age and water for stock; to see that none of the rules of the society are violated with impunity, and that the daily programme is faithfully and promptly filled by all parties concerned.

Second. - It shall be the duty of the president to attend to the reception of the society's guests, to organize and lead all processions, and to have a general supervision over each department of the Fair; preserving order, and assisting to insure justice and impart satisfaction to all visitors and competitors.

Third. - The track master shall superintend all exhibitions on the track, keeping a record of all entries made and contests won, and shall labor faithfully to carry out liis part of the programme i^unctually and with strict impartiality. No entries can be received after 4 p. m. of Thursday, the second day of the Fair.

Fourth. - Members of the awarding committees will report themselves to the superintendent of their department punctually at 9 o'clock on Friday morning, the third day of the Fair, ,when all vacancies will be filled by the superintendent, and committees will receive their lists, instructions and dinner tickets.

Fifth. - No person can act as an awarding committee in any department in which he may be directly or indirectly interested in the result, as owner, agent or otherwise.

Sixth. - Any pei'son interfering with the awarding committee during the adjudication will be promptly excluded from the grounds, and shall forfeit any premium he or she might otherwise be entitled to in that division.

Seventh. - No spirituous or fermented liquors will be allowed to be sold or given away on the grounds. No gambling or gaming device of any nature or kind whatsoever, lottery, gift enterprise or prize packages will be allowed on the grounds.

Eighth. - All persons are notified that the fair grounds are private property and any individual detected or known to have damaged locks, broken open buildings, removed boards from the enclosure, or in any other way trespassed upon or injured the property of the society will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Tenth. - Tickets of admission must be procured at the treasurer's office, as no money will be received at the entrance gates. Any gatekeeper receiving money should be reported immediately to the president.

Twelfth. - Visitors are instructed to show their tickets each time of entrance without finding any fault. Gatekeepers are instructed to debar any one not suitably supplied with team, membership or single admission tickets.

Thirteenth. - The executive officers shall meet each day of the Fair at 1 o'clock p. m., at the secretary's office, for the transaction of busi'

Fourteenth. - Individuals renting booths, keeping dining halls, or receiving revenue from any sale or exhibition on the fair grounds, must buy admission tickets, aside from their permits, for themselves and help.