teaches that in many particulars improvements cannot only be made, but are absolutely demanded, among which I would mention the arrangement at the entrance gate, the amphitheater, police quarters, the improvement of which should be referred to and receive the most careful and earnest consideration of the Board of Managers. Experience teaches that the methods of judging in the live stock departments, as heretofore practiced, is open to many grave objections. It often happens at the last hour that the judges selected to award the premiums are not to be found. The class superintendent must then hastily gather up a committee from such material as is then at hand, sometimes good, but very often bad. At times we find men judging improved stock that could not tell the difference between a Short-horn and a Polled-Angus, a Percheron and a Clydesdale, all of which is wrong. I would recommend that in the future we adopt the one judge system; employ and pay the most competent man to be found for the various classes of live stock, changing in sweepstakes. By so doing merit is more apt to be rewarded. You who have been honored by being elected members of this Society should from this day so plan to arrange your business that when the day comes that our gates are open for the reception of exhibits, that you are all here, ready and willing to perform any task, however arduous and difficult, that may be assigned you, and show that the confidence reposed in you at the time you were elected to membership in this body was well founded, that your faithful labors may be suitably rewarded and you promoted to more favorable stations. If this is done the more active management of the fair can be systematized so as to run without friction or jar. I now wish to call your attention to the magnitude of the labor incident to the proper discharge of the office of Secretary. Year after year his labors have increased until I doubt if one could keep up with the work devoting his entire time thereto. For the last two years our Secretary has had to take various members of his family from their usual avocations to help him, that the work of the office might not suffer. This extra help he has paid from his salary. That you may form some idea of the labor, I would say that there have been 7,270 letters written and mailed, 3,124 postal cards, 15,904 single premium lists and circulars, leaflets, etc. The report of the proceedings for the year 1885 amount to 1,100 pages of closely written manuscript. Let us compare the Secretary's salary with that of some of our neighboring states and note the comparison: Iowa pays her Secretary, John R. Shaffer, $2,200, from which he pays office rent, fuel, and lights, which reduces his salary to about $1,800 he says. In addition to this he is allowed one clerk at $600 per year, and all nec essary help during the holding of the fair. Illinois appropriates for her Secretary as follows, viz.: Salary, $2,400; clerk, $1,500; porter, $600. He is also allowed the services of a curator, with a salary o $600, who has charge of the museum. Kansas pays her Secretary $2,000 per year, necessary clerk hire, office rent, traveling expenses, etc. Thus you will see against $1,000 paid I leave this for your Minnesota pays $1,500, and necessary help at time of fair. that the average salary of the four states named is $2,900, as by us. Are we paying enough for the services required? solution, hoping that it may not be said that we are not justly liberal with those we require the most of. I would call your attention to the International Association of Fairs, which has for its object the comparing of views upon all subjects relating to the management of fairs. This society holds its second annual convention at Indianapolis, Ind., Wednesday, February 3, 1886. The membership fee is $10, also annual dues of the same amount, I think. Each society holding membership is entitled to three representatives, and but one vote on all questions. From the broad scope indulged in the consideration of subjects, I am convinced that great good would come from our being represented by a membership and delegation. I would recommend that steps be taken for the appointment of delegates to and the securing of membership in this association. I would also recommend that steps be taken to secure membership in the National and Consolidated Cattle Growers' Association, as through their influence we are to look for national legislation for the suppression of pleuro-pneumonia and kindred diseases. As the live stock interest, in point of dollars and cents, is far greater than any other branch of agriculture, we cannot withhold our pittance in the way of influence, and expect our representatives in the national legislature to give that force to their exertion in favor of legislation that they would if spurred on by the knowledge that their agricultural constituency were thoroughly in earnest in their demands for such action on their part. As the time has arrived when I am for the second time to return to you the office with which I have been honored, I wish to return thanks for the courteous and considerate treatment I have uniformly received at your hands. Each of you has proved by your acts that the success of the Society, and not his individual aggrandizement, was the aim sought. Secretary Furnas presented his Annual Report as follows, which on motion was referred to the same committee as President's. SECRETARY'S REPORT. To the President and Members of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture: In compliance with provisions of the law, I hereby submit, for your consideration, my annual report as secretary of the board, for the year 1885. That the nineteenth annual exhibit, held by the board September 11 to 18, was in all respects a grand success, goes without saying. The weather was fine, the exhibit installed and the attendance all that the most sanguine could desire. The arrangements and preparations of the grounds on the part of the enterprising people of Lincoln were the very best money and labor could produce, and all who attended went home pleased. STATISTICS AND INFORMATION. Permit the respectful suggestion, that the time has arrived for the board to take another step forward. Something more than the annual fair should be embraced in its work. True, these exhibits and gatherings of the people in themselves are wonderful educators and productive of much good. Still there should be record matter for reference and preservation. Statistics referring to products, resources, promises, and prospects of the state, should be collected, carefully prepared and circulated. To show the demand for such information, I state a fact, that since my return from New Orleans in June last, I have replied to 3,425 letters from outside the state, and not connected with my official duties as secretary of this board, asking for statistics and general information concerning the state.* In most of the prosperous agricultural states, bureaus of statistics have been organized and monthly bulletins issued. In fact, in several states, the state boards of agriculture have ceased holding fairs and turned their attention entirely to obtaining and diffusing statistical information. By direction of the board of managers, I made an effort, the past year, to have the United States commissioner of agriculture join this board, in a general work of the kind indicated. Thus far, however, I have not been successful. Some four or five years since, this board in annual session, by resolution instructed the then secretary to enter upon and perform such work. It was not done, and I have not felt authorized to perform such duty without special instruction. I have held several consultations with Prof. Bessey, dean of the agricultural and industrial college of this state, and one of the ablest botanists in the land, relative to some important work we might and ought to engage in, and which can be done at very little cost. The plan thought of is something like this: The board to appoint a state botanist, whose duty should be to investigate and report for our annual published volume, specially, on the grasses grown in Nebraska, both native and tame varieties introduced. The grazing industry and kindred interests of this state are of vital importance, and rapidly growing. This work could be performed and results obtained at a cost of very little, if any, exceeding mere stationery and postage. The 50,000 edition of a forty page pamphlet I prepared, printed, and circulated at New Orleans last winter, was reprinted by the Hon. James Scott, state commissioner for public lands and buildings. By his kindness I have been furnished with a supply. Also I obtained from Hon. George B. Lane, copies of the census report in pamphlet form. These publications I have been mailing to applicants, in addition to letter correspondence indicated. I have arranged, had printed and sent out to the secretaries of county and district organizations, and to county clerks in counties where no organization exists, a new and more complete form of blanks, for reports to the state board, as required by law. It is hoped we shall be able to obtain more detailed statistics hereafter. To this end, still in addition, I suggest that to secure prompt and full returns through this medium, the board offer a premium to the individual who shall present the best and most complete statistical county return or report, that individual to be either the secretary of an organization, county clerk, or any other person. The legislature should be petitioned and importuned to provide, by form of law, that more complete statistical returns be secured, through the medium of assessors in their annual work. And further, that the collection of reports and other valuable information and data gathered by this board during the year could go before the public to more advantage, the restriction placed by the present law on our annual * State officials, generally, to whom application is made for this class of information, refer correspondents to this office. publication should be removed. No other states in the union prescribe and limit the State Board of Agriculture to a given number of pages to be published. FAIR CIRCUIT. At the semi-annual meeting of this board, held during the late state fair in September last, President Dinsmore and myself were appointed a special committee to confer with state fair managers in the northwest, with power to act, in matter of arranging if possible for a circuit of state fairs, whereby all concerned could be better accommodated, especially in matter of railroad transportation. I at once entered into correspondence with the secretaries of all state boards in the The result was, that as we had inaugurated the policy, I was designated to call a meeting of those interested, to be held in Chicago, sometime during the Fat Stock show. Accordingly I issued the following call: west. STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, SECRETARY'S Presidents State Boards of Agriculture: The plan of forming a circuit of state fairs, to embrace all or a portion of the western states, has been recently submitted to the officers of a number of state boards of agriculture, and the proposition has been received with much favor. The representatives of the state boards consulted, without exception, favor the holding of such a meeting at Chicago, during the forthcoming American Fat Stock and Dairy show, November 10-19, 1885, to discuss the matter of forming a western circuit of fairs and other matters of common interest. You are respectfully requested to appoint at least three members of your board delegates to the meeting, and forward their names to Charles F. Mills, secretary Illinois State Board of Agriculture, at Springfield, Ill., who has been requested to make the needed arrangements for the meeting. Tuesday, November 17, 1885, at 7:30 P. M., has been suggested as the time most likely to suit the majority of the delegates. The club room of the Sherman house can be had for the meeting without expense. The time and place of the meeting will be announced as above, and in case any change is made, the delegates will be notified. The meetings of the various national live stock and dairy associations at Chicago, at the time of the American Fat Stock and Dairy show, and the low excursion rates, will insure the attendance of a large number of members of the state boards of agriculture, from the middle and eastern states, who will be cordially welcomed to the meeting. It is believed that the meeting connot fail to be productive of good results, and will enable all in attendance to form many desirable acquaintances. Yours truly, ROBERT W. FURNAS, Secretary Nebraska State Board of Agriculture. To more effectually accomplish the object in view, I went to Chicago some days before the meeting of the fat stock show, and remained until its labors were completed. President Dinsmore joined me at the opening of the show. We thus had ample opportunity for conference and understanding as to general state matters. The plan met with universal approval, and resulted in the organization of the "Western Fair Circuit Association," composed of the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Illinois and Missouri; Robert W. Furnas, Nebraska president, and Charles F. Mills, Illinois, secretary. To secure uniformity of work and plans, the following standing committees were appointed: Fees and Privileges-Festus J. Wade, Missouri. Classification-Charles F. Mills, Illinois. Tickets-R. C. Judson, Minnesota. Transportation-George Y. Johnson, Kansas. Fairs for 1886, opening days, were arranged as follows: Minnesota-August 30. Iowa-September 6. Kansas and Wisconsin-September 21. Illinois September 27. St. Louis-October 4. In each case, the Fridays and Saturdays preceding dates announced as opening days are to be considered as preparation days. PREMIUM LIST, RULES AND REGULATIONS, AWARDS, ETC. Our premium list, by-laws, rules and regulations need revision badly. The premiums, as a rule, should be reasonably increased, especially in important classes, live stock and dairy interests particularly. On comparison, however, I find our premium list, even as heretofore offered, is at least an average with other first-class state fairs. There should be added a class entirely devoted to education. Also, provide an industrial lot in fine arts and textile fabrics, for children under fifteen years of age, and a separate and distinct class for woman's work. In this connection, permit attention to be called to the usual mode of rendering awards. The plan prevailing in the management of our fairs, in fact fairs generally, of picking up committees at random, from those who may happen to be present at the fair, with instructions, often, to rush matters through as rapidly as possible, without regard to system or programme, is not only farcical and faulty in the extreme, but contemptible in the estimation of those who value their exhibits. New plans are coming into vogue, worthy of adoption by all well conducted fair associations. These are: That experts be selected and employed to judge, particularly all live stock awards, to be made on well established scales of excellence, in regard to which there can be but little difference of opinion. The plan was practiced at New Orleans last winter and at other expositions, as well as at the late Fat Stock show at Chicago, with best results. One is to have but a single expert judge; the other, two judges, with an umpire. Where more than one, under no consideration are they allowed to counsel or compare notes before decisions are reached, and the decision when given, by each by secret ballot. Most men who engage in fine stock breeding are judges, and know what good stock is. To have, as is often the case, a fine thoroughbred worthy animal given an inferior or no premium, and a scrub with no points whatever pressed to the front with a first premium, simply because it has a sleek coat and has been well handled and fed, is fast driving our best breeders and best stock from the arena. The International Fair Association has adopted the two, with an umpire plan. Nearly all the classes of our premium list, as they now exist, need remodeling and systematically classifying, as at present, the same individuals are often called on to pass judgment upon exhibits, as different in character and merits as possible to be, almost. It would be a rare and strange combination of accomplishments, in any one individual, that would enable to judge justly and satisfactorily on Per |