VOL. XXII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, JAN. 1,1887.
NO. 3
STATE BOARD OF AQRICULTUHB.
In onr last number we spoke of the
large attendance at the meeting of the
Delegate Board and gave a brief synopsis
of tbe address of President Seward.
Mayor 0. 8. D.-nuy in his address of
weloome spoke of the importance of harmonious action between the business men
of this oity and the Board.
He said "I suppose the Indiana State fair
may be considered a j e inanent fixture
here. In that view what can be done to
mutually benefit the fur and the city?
Indianapolis has no exposition of its own
to oll-*r at an inducement to bring strangers here, and it would setm to be the part
of wisdom for your people to make the
best of what we now have. There Is every
reason why we should help you. You frequently oome among us. You as well as
the patrons of the State fair become,while
here, our guests, and while our guests also
our patrons. Our merchants understand
this. Bat the complaint is made by many
of our people that there is not as much
trade aB the State fair ought to bring. I
believe this is true, and in this view centers the argument for a recognition of tbe
mutuality of Interests between the oity
and your board.
"The interests of the State board demand large crowds at tbe fairs, and tbe
interests of the city that they remain here
longer than heretofore when they come.
You want their quarters and half dollars
at the ticket office; tbe hotels want their
presence over night, and the merchants a
little trade from them before leaving the
oity. Too many of the people who come
here to the fairs go home the same evening. Many of them see all of the fair they
care to In a single day, and, for the lackfof
other attractions, go home. Cannot some
night attractions, be devised ? This would
keep the crowds here. We all know what
St. Louis does every year. There the oity
benefits the fair and the fair the city. The
grand night parades and illuminations
keep the people there who have been to the
fair and these attractions also take many
people therein the first instance who afterward visit the fair. By this mutual work
and good feeling between the oitizens and
the fair management, the St.Louis fair has
established itself as the leading old-time
fair in the country. It ougbt not to outrank the Indiana State fair. We bave a
State rich in farm products, bloodedstcck,
mineral wealth, manufacturing industries
and everything necessary to make as fine
an exhibit as can possibly be made elsewhere In the West. And, besides, the
facilities for reaching Indianapolis are
unsurpassed by any olty in the nation and
are superior to those of St. Lonis.
"What your board most needs now is
more ground for your "air, on the line of
a railroad, and, if possible, near the line of
the Belt road. It is plain that there are
many things awaiting concert of act! ,n
by yonr association, and the citizens of
Indianapolis, that will greatly improve the
fairs, and at the same time redound to the
credit and prosperity of the city. The
Board of Trade and Mercantile Association
oan do much. The Mercantile Association
oan bring more people here during State
fair week than during any lime in the year
If it will get up independent excursions
during  thai  time.   That  would  largely
benefit the fair, in return for which your
board conld perhaps do something to
benefit the merchants. A grand night
parade for one night in the week might be
devised, perhaps, including Illuminations,
which would be mutually beneficial. The
city now has a magnificent hall In which
musical entertainments on a large scale
can be held. It might be utilized one or
two nights in the week to keep the crowds
here who would not otherwise come.
There are many other suggestions that
might be made. Merchants andjrnanufac-
turers should give their employes a holiday, or at least, a half holiday during fair
week. This would greatly benefit the fair
as well as furnish a day of much-needed
rest and enjoyment to toiling thousands
of men and women of our city, many of
whom, no doubt, have never visited the
State fair, and never will unless some snch
consideration is shown them. And, finally, will you pardon me for suggesting that
the appointment of a member of your
board from the residents of this city may
be worthy of your consideration at an
early day."
The suggestions of the mayor were well
received, and the committee appointed
to report npon the address of the president, was also instructed to consider that
of the mayor. The secretary's report
showed receipts, $40,814 54 expenditures,
129,118 30, Including $9,419 for premiums,
16,000 for bonds redeemed and $2,257 for
interest on indebtedness, leaving a cash
balance of 111,696.24,
Governor Gray was not able to be   prea
ent on account of official duties.
Colonel J. B. Maynard read an interesting paper full of faotsand figures showing
the commercial importance of agriculture
in comparison with the recognition lt receives from the legislature!, and oiaimed
that a muoh more liberal treatment was
desired. In closing he drew a splendid
word picture of farm life. He sale: 'For
one, I believe there is more religion, more
morality, more virtue, on the farm than
elsewhere In tne world; more nappy
homes in the country than in the oity.
We read of the sacred mountain, but 1 believe the farm lies nearest heaven, and
that the better it is cultivated the nearer
it approaches the home of the angels. The
invigorating air, the sunshine and the
shower, the wlde9preading landscape ot
forest, field and farm, where the ceaseless prayer, 'give us our daily bread,' is
beiDg forever answered in ripening crops;
where there Is the music of lowing herds
nnd bleating flocks; the songsof bird, and
bee, and babbling brook, more melodious
than the muslo of the spheres; these, with
a thousand other attractions, combine to
lift tha farmer by power divine, nearest
heaven. They constitute the farm the
tableland where the educated farmer-
improved, learned lu philosophy and sci
ence, philanthropists who believe in the
fatheihood of God and the brotherhood
ot man—love to meet and ln high c inverse
devise plans for the disenthrallment of
men from the curse of animalism, igno-
ranoe and superstition, until he shall expand to the fullest measure of his intellectual endowments. I believe the man
who holds the plow grasps the scepter of
power—and empire suoh as no potentate
ever wielded from Cyrus to Czar.
"Destroy the plow and you remand the
earth back to tbe wilderness. You may
break the scepter ot kings, tumbledown
their thrones and trample their crowns
and diadems ln the dust and the world
will grow better as the work proceeds.
Bat the plow must hold its place and
grow in favor if seed-time and harvest are
not'to cease and the prayer for dally
bread is to be answered. Without the
plow it were useless for Jehovah to set his
bow in the clouds, for although cold and
heat, and summer and winter, and day
and night shall not cease, though the sun
may warm and the rain refresh the earth,
if the plow stands still, the deserts shall
bloom no more, nor gladness with harvest
home songs baptise the waste places of the
earth "
The committee on fair grounds reported
in favor of many repairs, including a rec
ommendation that the. main building be
re-roofed and that the race course be
fenced in anew. This was concurred ln.
The premium list was referred to the February meeting of the board.
The following resolutions relating to the
cattle plague were adopted:
Whereas, Our entire oattle interests are
constantly menaced by the presence ot
contagiouspleuro-pneumonia in this country, and incalculable loss has already been
inflicted npon this grand industry by the
outbreaks of that disease; and
■ WHERKA8,TheConsolidated Cattle Growers'Association of America, through its
anthorized committee, has formulated and
had introduced into both houses of Congress what is known as the Miller bill,
providing adequate measures for completely eradicating the lung plague from this
country; therefore,
Resolved, Tnat the Indiana State and
Delegate Board of Agriculture dem ind of
the representatives and senators of this
State in Congress their active support
of this Miller Dill, which has received the
official indorsement of the authorized com
mittte of the most powerful and influential association of cattlemen ever organized.
Resolved, That the secretary of the State
Bjard ba instructed to forward a copy of
ibis resolution to each representative and
senator in Congress from this State.
A resolution was adopted providing for
a commute of three to meet with legisla
tive committees and urge upon the assembly the passage of laws designed to
prevent the introduction and spread of
contagious diseases among liva Btock ln
Indiana. Messrs. Mitchell, Pruitt and
Lockridge were appointed to menbership
on this committee.
The report ot the committee on addresses of president Sewaid, and Mayor Denny,
T. M. Lock hart president, reported that
the statement of the president and secretary of the board had shown that everything possible had been done to reduce
the debt and forward the work in hand.
The committee urged that the legislature
should be petitioned to come to the reoue
of the board by paj ing the balance of the
bonded debt— $35,000—and then place the
board on a footing that would enable
it to carry out ihe designs of the
law creating ef State Board of Agriculture
A chair of veterinary science at Purdue
University was favored, as was also a
chair of entomology. The report favored
also the Hacth bill in Congress, and urged
the appropriation by the legislature of a
sum sufficient to enable the board to send
out a competent person to work up Inter
est in farmers' institutes. The report was
concurred in,
A resolution offered by Mr. Cumbaok referring to the State Board the question of
farmers' institutes was adopted.
A motion offered by Mr. Mitchell, requesting the legislature to pass a law increasing the membership of the State
Board of Agriculture, was lost, after a discussion participated in by many members.
ELECTION TO FILL VACANCIES
The election of eight members of tne
State Board consumed a large portion of
the afternoon of the second day. All of
tbe members whose terms have expired
were candidates for re-election; but three
were defeated proving that the State Board
is not always and altogether a "self perpetuating" institution, as It hasoften been
termed. In thefifth district Will A.Greer
was reelected without opposition: in the
sixth Dick Jones was re-elected over B.
B. Beeson; E. H. Peed of the seventh
was re-elected over J. Ward Walker;
H. LaTourette was defeated for re-election from the ninth district by R. C.
MoWllliams, of Rockville; Jasper N.
Davidson, from the tenth district was returned defeating W. B. Robe; John M.
Graham, of the eleventh, was defeated by
a new man, R inert Slmonton, of Hunting ■
ton; John M. Boggs, of the twelfth, waa
re-elected without contest; in the thirteenth, after two ballots,'ibolonel Willia
B.anche, of Kokomo, defeated John Ratliff
the incumbent, aud several other candidates.
At the morning session on Thursday an
Interesting paper on insects injurious to
crops was read by Prof. F. M. Webster.
The reading was followed by a discussion
upon the subject, In which Messrs Look-
hart, Davidson, Greer, W. H. Ragan, and
others took part.
A committee appointed at the solicitation
of Treasurer Sylvester Jounson to investigate the oharges made by Frank P. John-
son,one of the ticket sellers at the late fair
that a few packages of tickets ware found
short of the number they should contain,
reported that the shortage was chargeable
to the printer who put the tickets in
packages, and completely exonerated tha
treasurer from all blame In the matter.
Mrs. A, M Noe, president of the Woman's State Industrial Association, gava
an interesting review of tke year's work,
after whioh Superintendent H. B. Stout
made his report.
The president announced the following
committees: On.finance, Messrs. Custer,
Reiter and Stearns; on premium list, Mitchell, Pruett and Robbins;on rules and
regulations, Davidson, Yeaman and Hig-
gins; on fair grounds, Boggs, Cumbaok
and Bowman.
On motion of Mr. Ratliff, 5,000 copies of
Mr. Maynard's speech were ordered to be
printed Immediately for distribution,
chiefly among members of the Legislature
and those having influence with that
body. A vote of thanKs was passed thanking President Seward, Mayor Denny and
Mr. Maynard for their addresses.
Mr Seward made a verbal report for the
committee on removal of fair ground.
He said be had visited the grounds near
the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and found
them unsuitable for  the purpose, the lay
(Concluded on page >,)