land; Greenbury Keen, Portage; Samuel Spangler, Fairfield; Darius Lapham, Hamilton; Dr. J. P. Kirtland, Cuyahoga; J. H. Hallock, Jefferson Joseph Vance, Champaign. The convention adjourned to meet again at the call of the 'State Board of Agriculture.'" (Ohio Cultivator, 1845, pp. 98-100.)

On the 22d of October, 1845, in response to a call issued "By the advice of Messrs. Ridgeway, Medary and Sullivant," there was a meeting of the "Ohio State Board of Agriculture," at which it was decided to prepare memorials, petitions, etc., for presentation to the next General Assembly. The "Board" adjourned until December 10th, on which date the committees on agriculture of the two branches of the Legislature were present, "and a full and free interchange of opinions was had in regard to the several plans for the promotion of agriculture contemplated in the resolutions and memorial of the State Convention and the petitions daily coming in from different parts of the State asking for legislative action in behalf of agriculture." (Ohio Cultivator, 1845, pp. 153, 189.) On December 15, 1845, Mr. Wetmore again presented to the Senate "A Bill for the Encouragement of Agriculture," which, with some changes, was passed February 27, 1846, and the act of 1839 to authorize and encourage the establishment of agricultural societies. in the State, was repealed thereby, except as to the payment of liabilities incurred.

This law created The State Board of Agriculture, consisting of fifty-three members. Its provisions in relation to county societies were very similar to the provisions of the law now in force, requiring reports to be made to The State Board of Agriculture, the holding of an annual state meeting, etc.

Section 4 of this act provided, "That Michael L. Sullivant and Samuel Medary, of Franklin county; Allen Trimble, of Highland; Samuel Spangler and John Chaney, of Fairfield; Darius Lapham, of Hamilton John B. Bayless, of Jefferson; Greenbury Keen, of Portage; Simon Perkins, of Summit; John J. Vanmeter, of Pike; Arthur Watts and Felix Renick, of Ross; Elias Florence and William Gill, of Pickaway; Jared P. Kirtland, of Cuyahoga; David Gregory, of Delaware; John McEldery, of Tuscarawas; Isaac Moore, of Lake; John Fuller, of Erie; George W. Gibbons, of Muskingum, Horatio Gillett, of Lawrence; Ansen Howard, of Champaign; John Eckels, of Hancock; Liba Lindley, Jr., of. Athens; Henry C. Brish, of Seneca; Samuel Myers, of Crawford; David Stevens, of Richland; John Martin, of Columbiana; Gilman C. Mudgett, of Paulding; L. C. Goble, of Putnam; Isaac Neiswanger, of Belmont; Aaron Johnson, of Perry; William McFadden, of Harrison: Frederick Bonner, of Greene; Jacob T. Pugsley, of Fayette: George W. Cowden, of Trumbull; Billious Kirtland, of Mahoning: Richard Warner, of Medina: John M. Millikin, and Absalom Dunn, of Butler; John Johnston, of Miami; Jesse Wilson, of Shelby;

Abraham Studdebaker, of Darke; Joseph Burns, of Coshocton; James L. Reynolds, of Stark; Newton Larsh, of Preble; A. E. Strickle, of Clinton; Benjamin Ruggles, of Belmont; Henry Protzman, of Montgomery; William R. Putnam, Jr., of Washington; James Louden, of Brown; Dowty Utter, of Clermont; and Beatty McFarland, of Jefferson county, be and they are hereby created a body corporate, with pereptual succession under the name and style of The

*

Ohio State Board of Agriculture."

Section 5 of the same act provided that the gentlemen above named should "determine by lot, the time that each member shall serve, so that the term of service of one-half the members shall expire annually."

Section 6 provided that "There shall be held in the city of Columbus on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in December, an annual meeting of The Ohio State Board of Agriculture, together with the president of each county agricultural society, etc." (O. L., Vol 44, PP. 70, 71, 72, 73.)

The State Board of Agriculture, created by the above named act, held its first meeting in the city of Columbus on the first Wednesday in April, 1846, in compliance with the provisions of the law. Out of the fiftythree members, but nine were present, while ten were required to make a quorum. We do not find the fact recorded, but according to tradition, a messenger was sent after Mr. Chaney, the member whose home was nearest Columbus, and by hard riding during a part of a very stormy night, Mr. Chaney reached this city before midnight, and a legal organization of the Board was thus secured. The Board met Thursday morning, April 2, and organized by the election of officers, ex-Governor Allen Trimble being elected President, Samuel Medary Secretary, and M. L. Sullivant Treasurer.

The first annual meeting of The State Board of Agriculture was held in Columbus, Wednesday, December 9, 1846. The roll was called by the Secretary and the following members of the Board answered to their names:

Allen Trimble, Samuel Medary, Darius Lapham, A. E. Strickle, Samuel Meyers, H. N. Gillett, Isaac Moore and Arthur Watts.

Credentials were presented by the following gentlemen as presidents or delegates of county societies:

Alexander Waddle, of Clark and Madison; A. Ruff, Greene; T. B. Fisher, Delaware: N. Spindler, Knox; W. I. Thomas, Miami; Samuel Myers, Columbiana; J. F. Beaver, Trumbull; Jonathan Smith, Licking; A. H. Lewis, Portage; J. J. Coombs, Gallia; William Hogue, Belmont. As the delegates from the various county societies were exofficio members of the Board at this meeting, there was a quorum present and the regular business was taken up.

At this meeting a resolution was passed requesting the General Assembly to reduce the number of members of the Board, and on Feb

ruary 8, 1847, the law was amended and the number of members reduced to ten; the following gentlemen were appointed :

Allen Trimble, M. L. Sullivant, Samuel Medary, Darius Lapham, A. E. Strickle, Arthur Watts, M. B. Bateham, John Codding, Jared P. Kirtland and Isaac Moore.

Section 3 of the amended law provided "That the sum of two hundred dollars be and the same is hereby appropriated from the treasury for the use of the Board." (O. L., Vol. 45, p. 49.)

The annual meetings of the Board were held in December until 1862, when the time was changed to January, in compliance with the amended law of February 20, 1861.

In 1880 the system of monthly crop reporting by townships was inaugurated by the Board, and it took up the work of holding farmers' institutes the same year.

In 1881 (March 16) a law was passed making the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture the Inspector of commercial fertilizers in the State.

On January 13, 1898, Section 5 of the act entitled "An act for the Encouragement of Agriculture," (R. S. 3692) was amended. This amendment provides for the election of two members of the State Board of Agriculture (instead of five) each year, and makes the term of service five years (instead of two). It required two years to make the change, but in 1900 the new law will be in perfect operation.

THE STATE FAIR.

At the annual meeting of the Board, December 6, 1848, it was resolved to hold a State Agricultural Fair in September, 1849, at Cincinnati, but owing to an outbreak of cholera in that city during the summer, it was decided to postpone it for a year. Arrangements were made to hold it September 11-12-13, 1850, but another epidemic of cholera caused a postponement until October 5-6-7, of that year, when the first Ohio State Fair was held at Camp Washington, near Cincinnati. The receipts were $8,036.18. The fair was "moveable" for some years. Fairs were held in Columbus in 1851; Cleveland, 1852; Dayton, 1853; Newark, 1854; Columbus, 1855; Cleveland, 1856; Cincinnati, 1857; Sandusky, 1858; Zanesville, 1859; Dayton, 1860-1861; Cleveland, 1862-1863; Columbus, 1864-1865; Dayton, 1866-1867; Toledo, 1868-1869; Springfield, 1870-1871; Mansfield, 1872-1873. In 1874 the State Fair was located in Columbus, occupying the grounds of the Franklin County Agricultural Society until 1886, when it was permanently located on its own beautiful grounds, just north of the city. The Board has held fairs annually since 1850, except in 1888, when the "Ohio Centennial Commission" was authorized to and did hold its Exposition on the state fair grounds.

DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES.

At the first annual meeting of The State Board of Agriculture, December 9, 1846, the following resolution was adopted:

"Resolved, That on application of a majority of the members residing within the districts named below, The Ohio State Board of Agriculture will hold one meeting during the ensuing year in each of said districts, at such time and place as the President may designate; and that it be recommended to the members of agricultural societies, and others, to get up by subscription an agricultural exhibition, at the time and place of these meetings:

First District-Counties of Hamilton, Butler, Preble, Montgomery, Warren, Clermont, Greene, Clinton, Brown, Adams, Highland, Fayette, Pickaway, Ross, Pike, Scioto, Clark, Madison, Franklin.

Second District-Counties of Lawrence, Gallia, Jackson, Hocking, Fairfield, Licking, Muskingum, Perry, Athens, Meigs, Washington, Guernsey, Belmont, Monroe, Knox, Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Harrison, Jefferson.

Third District-Counties of Richland, Huron, Erie, Lorain, Medina, Wayne, Holmes, Stark, Summit, Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Portage, Carroll, Columbiana, Trumbull, Ashland, Mahoning.

Fourth District-Counties of Delaware, Union, Logan, Shelby, Marion, Allen, Hardin, Crawford, Seneca, Hancock, Putnam, Henry, Van Wert, Paulding, Wood, Sandusky, Wyandot, Ottawa, Lucas, Williams, Darke, Miami, Champaign." (Agricultural Report, 1846, p. 20.)

At the first meeting of the State Board of Agriculture the following year, August 5, 1847, it was decided that a district agricultural fair should be held at Wilmington, Clinton county, on the 20th of October following. The President, Hon. Allen Trimble, in his report of work for that year, says:

"Late in the season notice was given for holding a fair in the southwest district, at Wilmington. Although the time for preparation was so limited, the exhibition of implements, of husbandry, farm products, and particularly of fine stock, was such as to excite the suprise and admiration of those present, and was highly creditable to the farmers and mechanics of the district."

The following year the southwestern district again complied with the regulations of the Board, and a very successful fair was held at Xenia, September 20-21, 1848.

COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES.

After a careful examination of all records available, the information here given in regard to organization, etc., of the various county societies, is believed to be correct.

Adams. The Adams County Agricultural Society was organized December 13, 1851. The first fair was held at West Union, October 14-15, 1852, and the Secretary reports that "The interest manifested at this fair in the formation of an agricultural society in this county, as shown by the great number of persons in attendance, the quantity, quality and variety of stock, products and manufactured articles exhibited, is very cheering, far exceeding the expectations of the most ardent friends of the project." (Agricultural Report, 1852, p. 130.)

Allen. The Allen County Agricultural Society was organized Jan. 11, 1851, and a fair was held at Lima, October 21, the same year. (Agricultural Report 1851, p. 217.)

Ashland. The Ashland County Agricultural Society was organized October 29, 1850, and the first fair was held at Haysville, the first Friday in October, 1851. (Agricultural Report, 1850, p. 77.) The Society was disbanded a number of years ago, but a record of the date cannot be found.

Ashtabula. The Ashtabula County Agricultural Society was organized January 16, 1823, at a meeting held at the court house at Ashtabula. The first cattle show and fair was held in Austinburg the following October, at which premiums amounting to forty dollars ($40) were offered. (History of Ashtabula county, pp. 41-42.) At a meeting of the officers of the Ashtabula County Agricultural Society, held during the summer of 1846, it was decided to disband the old organization, and they resolved to assign "all the rights, avails, goods, chattels, moneys and effects, with the books and papers of this Society, to any agricultural society that may hereafter be organized in this county under the law." (Ohio Cultivater, 1846, p. 105.) Whether this was the original organization or not, we have no means of knowing. A Society was organized under the law September 12, 1846, and a fair was held at Jefferson, October 14 of the same year. (Agricultural Report, 1846, p. 24, and Ohio Cultivator, 1846, p. 145.)

Athens. The Athens County Agricultural Society was organized in 1828, and the preamble to the constitution is as follows:

"We, whose names are annexed, convinced of the benefits resulting to communities from the operations of well regulated agricultural societies, in the means and facilities afforded by them for the attainment and diffusion of useful, practical information, and the spirit of emulation and improvement in the culture of the soil, and the domestic manufacture of its products, do form ourselves into an Association for the above mentioned purposes, to be called the Athens County Agricultural Society." The first fair was held at Athens in October of the same year. (History of Athens County, p. 183.) A County Agricultural Society was organized under the law April 26, 1848 (Agricultural Report, 1848, p. 30, and Ohio Cultivator, 1848, p. 73), reorganized January 10, 1851 (Agricultural Report, 1850, p. 85),