VOL. LXIII
—
INDIANAPOLIS, JANUARY 18, 1908.
NO. 3
INDUSTRIAL MEBTINQS.
State   Board  of   Agriculture— Attendance at all Meetings Qood.
The 56th annual meeting of the Indi-
aaa State Board of Agriculture was called to order by President Sid Conger, at
10 o'clock Tuesday morning, January Tth,
room 12, State House. The attendance
was Tery good. The welcome address
was to have been delivered by Mayor C.
A. Bookwalter, but on account of other
engagements he was unable to be present.
Governor Hanly was also out of the city.
President Conger delivered his annual
address as follows:
— Piesident Conger's Address. —
It is as cheering to you as it is to me
to look into the wonderful year that has
passed for the Indiana State Board of
Agriculture—a year of important affairs
planned and done, a year of uncommon
activity which has brought returns worth
while. It has been one of the busiest
years in the history of our Board. I do
not know of one which measures with it
in accomplishment unless it was the year
1893, when the Board acquired the present State Fair grounds and equipped
tbem for what was thought a score or
more of years to come. Throughout the
year that has now closed, from the last
annual meeting down to the days following the end of the last State Pair, the
days and months have been brimful of activity which have to a large degree advanced the interests of the Board and
•ur Fair. At the time the Board was
organized for the year, what developed into the most important enterprise which
we have had in many years had its beginning in the Legislature. It was the effort to obtain from the State of Indiana
authority to erect the livestock pavilion
which now ornaments our grounds. Immediately after this authority was obtained from the State, members of our Board
plunged into the development of the pavilion, and this building in itself promises to expand other ideas which will in
years to come spread into a new and
splendidly equipped  exposition  property.
Much of the work incident to the construction of the live stock pavilion fell to
your building committee, composed of Mr.
Hadley, your secretary and the president
of the  Board. The  task  meant  much
more than the supervision of the construction. The committee had the location of
the pavilion to pass upon, looking not only to present needs but of the needs of an
exposition property along greater lines
than we have ever known. We moved
several barns, changed the location of the
water plant and increased its worth, and
in the erection of the pavilion some member of the committee was on the work
every day from the beginning to the end.
While the live stock pavilion was under
way, practically all of the buildings on
the grounds were improved.
This has indeed, been a year of accomplishment. Not only did the Board re-
eeive authority to erect the live stock
pavilion, bnt a report that has been prepared for the Governor of Indiana shows
that over $300 from the State's appropriation remaining unexpended. Since this
was the first building the State of Indiana has erected on our Fair grounds, the
building committee had before it from the
beginning the determination to see that
the money was well spent, that the Stat»
should have full value. The improvements made in the water plant cost $2.-
890. One of the notable changes for the
comfort of visitors to the Fair was in
largely increasing the seating capacity
along the nice course. The uncovered
"eats and chairs added to the grandstand
brought   an   expense   of   $1,560.54. In
the poultry house the exhibition facilities
werp improved by new coops which cost
$1.X56. The dairy bnilding was remodeled and made to serve its purpose better
b.v an expenditure of $575. One of the
jnost important works carried out has
heen the resoiling of the two race tracks
at a cost of SI.SOT.54. or less than half
J'hat an early estimate had led us to he-
■*ve would be the expense.        With this
improvement, we no longer have a "wet
weather" race course, but one without a
superior in this country. Another item
of expense, and one not provided for in
the appropriation for the live Btock pavilion, is $3,090.25, representing labor and
some other items which went into the
completion of the pavilion. Smaller improvements made about the grounds and
buildings make up another charge of $4,-
877.76. All told, nearly $118,000 was
spent for permanent improvements on the
Fair grounds during the year, the largest
item being the pavilion.
Looking further into our financial affairs, the Board repaid loans amounting
to $19,751.39, and interest to the amount
of $1,384.11 was taken care of. Yet m
taking care or the immense amount of
work during the year, the Board's administrative expenses  have    been    about
which would give greater comfort to visitors to the Fair, and it would also help
in the easier movement of the crowds of
people.
The Board has immeasurable opportunities for developing the most complete and
picturesque State fair grounds in America. We already have the tract of land,
well located, with transportation facilities
that few if any State fairs can equal. The
State of Indiana is now building one of its
great benevolent institutions on the north
side of our grounds. The country about
us is becoming one of attractive homes.
We can hope for the time when the city
of Indianapolis will extend its boulevard
and park system up Fall creek, skirting
the eastern and southeastern edge of the
Fair grounds. We should without delay begin to pjan for these effective
changes.        I    believe the Board  should
Orchard on Farm of Geo.    Lemon, Knox County.
the same in other years. The improvements of which I have spoken were followed by the greatest State Fair Indiana
ever had. The premiums paid amounted
to $35,343, against $24,126 the year before. The admissions amounted to $63,-
241.50, against $55,391.15 for the Fair of
1906. The Fair hns had two years of
splendid success, and if it should receive
from the horn of plenty in the next five
years, I predict that our exposiiton will
expand wonderfully in worth to the people of the State in whose interests it is
given.
What has been done in the way of
permanent improvements in the last 12
months is but a hint of what needs to be
done, and done without delay. Year
after year it has heen proved that better
facilities for exhibitors and visitors has
meant greater volumes of patronage. An
important step in this direction which
should be taken without delay is the establishment of a grade by a thoroughly
competent engineer and the extension of
cement   walk   improvements. This   is
sssiiicthing that is much needed for the
comfort of visitors to the Fair on whom
we must rely from year to year. We are
ii: the dawn of greater development and
as we build for the future, we must at
once make a beginning with footpaths. I
recommend that after the grade has been
established that a system of cement walks
be planned. Beginning at the south gate
of the grounds and extending north on the
east side of the street a broad cement
walk shonld be placed, reaching to the
Women's  Rest    building. From    this
building the walk should continue to the
custodian's cottage. From the street
corner opposite on the west to the Art
Hail another broad walk should be placed. From the grandstand to the Art Hall,
along the north side of the main street,
still another walk of generous width
should   be    extended. As    opportunity
conies in later years other walks can be
built and if it is thought necessary they
can be covered, but it is imperative that
more cement walks shonld be made this
coming season. I do not know of any
outdoor improvement that could be made
make a beginning by expending a liberal
sum each year for the services of a highly
capable landscape gardner. The proper
location of walks and parkways, the
making of lawns and their ornamentation,
the care of our stately native trees and
the transplanting of more—all of those
things with the minute details which a
landscape artist might design and carry
out would in very great measure add to
the attractiveness and worth of our Fair
grounds, and I believe that these im-
provemments would year after year pay
us substantial returns on the investment
by growth in the patronage of   the Fair.
Tt is important that a drainage system,
one adequate to meet our needs for many
years to come, be established. We are
much in need of more barn room for speed
and exhibition horses, and I recommend
that these barns Vie provided. Now that
we have placed the race tracks in fit condition, it is highly important that the incoming administration see that these
tracks are properly ditched, not only to
protect the tracks, but to help in quickly
drying out the surface after a rain.
For many years the people of Indiana
who have steadfastly stood by our exposition with their patronage and favor have
been patient with us in the upbuilding of
the   Fair. The   Board,   in  the   face  of
many disheartening difficulties, has steadily gained in its plans and purposes. It
was many years before our dream of a
commodious and attractive live stock pavilion came true, and when it was realized the patrons of the Fair, as well as
members of the Board, gave it the stamp
of hearty approval, and all have wondered how and why we had gone so long
without it. I believe that this pavilion
is only the sign of greater things to come
in the way of buildings. I believe thai
the Board, supported by its energy and
wisdom, slioulsl at once set its forces to
work to the end of obtaining a bnilding
for our mechanical department. This department is year after year only to be
measured by the acre. It long ago overflowed the gronnd space assigned for its
nse and is rapidly spreading over the
three or four times the space occupied a
few years ago. It could be made a much
more compact and sightly feature of th*
Pair if in a building especially designed
for the exhibition of machinery. The
Hoard should notbe content with less than
a structure that will provide for the future as well as for the present. It should
he so arranged that as time demands it
can be increased in capacity. Doubtless
the most desirable location for it is the
ground now occupied by the frame machinery pavilions. This new building
should begin at the south fence and extend north to the Fine Art Hall. Its
frontage should be along the street running north from the South gates and in
width it should reach from the street on
its east side almost to the Horticultural
building. This tract contains about five
acres, and it is none too large for such
a purpose. In later years, should the
demands warrant it, the building could
be extended on to the West, in which direction it would have room in which to
grow. The machinery building should
be a one story structure, with its roof of
saw-tooth design, bringing in the light
from the north down upon the exhibits.
It should have a cement floor and ample
provision in the way of power shafting.
Such a building is not out of the reach of
our Pair, and the Board should see to it
that such a structure is provided. It
can be built along enduring lines at a reasonable eost. We have on our grounds
sufficient gravel for the immense floor that
would be required, and this would be an
important saving on one of the heaviest
items of expense. The    greatest    cost
would   lie   in   the   steel   construction,   the
roof and the cement.
An analysis of the water of the new,
deep water well which was made by the
chemist qf the State Board of Health Department shows that the water is of the
purest quality. It is not surpassed by
any wnter well in tbis section of the oountry. I would r<?commend that the water
mains be extended over the grounds and
that a number of drinking fountains be
prsivided for before next year's fair. This
is an important matter and should not be
overlooked.
I would especially recommend that the
experimental work begun and carried on
by the Indiana Farmer Company for a
number of years on the State Fair
grounds be continued and that year by
year the work be extended until an experimental Station second to none in the
middle west be established at the State
Fair grounds.
I have only scanned for you your year's
work, the material side of the Board
and its affairs. Still another view of
our fair is in its expansion as an educational force among the people of this
State. The Inst fair outranked all the
others we have held in quality as well as
quantity. It won and held the attention
of mantf more thousands of people than
ever. In all of the live stock lists the ex-
hibitons were received by especial favor
from visitors, and I urge the Board to
give still greater energy in the direction
of making the ring shows larger and better. What the Fair has done and is yet
to do toward the general advancement of
the agricultural and live stock interests of Indiana is not to be measured in a
finacial sense, for the Pair is so far-reaching in its influences that its full effect cannot be grasped. The members of the
Board have blended their energy into a
mighty force in the support of the president, and without this united effort the
head of the Board can accomplish little.
Whatever I have done within the year has
been done through your generous help.
Through many years a sustaining force to
the Pair has been in the untiring energy
and loyalty of your secretary, treasurer
and superintendent. and to them, too,
have I looked not in vain for results
whieh have gone into the making of a
golden year. I have growing faith in the
future of the Board and its enterprises. I
believe that ita purposes are better understood by the people of the State than ever,
and that this people can be depended upon
in the working ont of our plans and hopes
for the yenrs to cime.
Vice-President Tuell, appointed the following committee on president's address:
H .L. Nowlin, LnwTeneehurg; C. R. Duf-
fin, Terre Haute, and M. A. McDonald,
West Lebanon.
Chas.  Downing Secretary  read his an-