The financial figures do not indicate a heavy business, and in the items there is nothing paid for fast horses or fast girls to ride them; but the business of the society is confined to encouraging the practical requirements of true agricultural progress.

Our small means, with the annual donations of Transactions of State Society and Institute, enable us to hold fairs quite satisfactorily; and now those objectionable features, which we never adopted, though giving us temporary embarrassments in their popular day, are being left out by most societies, we again take courage and know our society is in the right track, and progressive.

We hope the Transactions will be continued to our society, and also the Journal of the State Society, and other estimable agricultural State documents, so long regularly furnished by our lamented and true friend of agriculture, Col. Benj. P. Johnson. My thanks are already due for the continuance of these favors, since the sad loss of our good secretary.

CLYDE, January 14th, 1870.

GLEN SPRING.

JOS. WATSON.

Secretary.

I have the satisfaction to report that the first year's operations of the Glen Spring Farmers' Club have been a decided success. This club was organized in March last, its first meeting being attended by but five persons; and though at a season of the year when the weather was unfavorable and farmers were busy with preparations for spring's work, we soon had a respectable number of wide-awake working members, and moved from the district school-house to an unoccupied church, of which we have obtained permanent possession and which has been fitted up to meet all the requirements of a place for holding our meetings. Meetings are held each week for the discussion of agricultural topics, and occasionally we have an essay or address by some of the members. The discussions, always animated and sometimes sharp, are conducted with the utmost good humour by experienced and intelligent farmers, and are having a beneficial effect upon all who attend these gatherings. One important feature of the club is, that each member is expected to exhibit at some one of the meetings a specimen of grain, fruit or garden vegetable of his own growing, with an account of the soil and treatment by which it was produced. These specimens are preserved in our room and give the meetings the character of a continuous fair; and as each individual is desirous to outdo the rest, the specimens are always choice.

Each member pays an annual fee of fifty cents, which is expended in the purchase of new or choice seeds or fruits. Our success in this branch during the past season has been highly satisfactory and resulted in the introduction among us of the Early Rose potato (which has fulfilled all its promises), and some of the new and choice varieties of berries and grapes, as well as several garden vegetables with which we were previously unacquainted, and nearly all of which, so far as they have fruited, have proved to be desirable additions to our previous stock. The necessary expenses of the club are paid by voluntary contributions of its members, and we have a library fund, organized and sustained by the liberality of the members, by which we have established a library which, with the addition of nine volumes contributed by your society and the department at Washington, now contains ninety-five volumes.

The club having outgrown its original design as a school district organization, and drawn members from a distance of four or five miles around it, we decided to hold a winter fair in connection with the annual meeting, and a premium list was made out for such articles as were thought suitable to be exhibited at this season of the year. The result was a very gratifying surprise to all who attended the exhibition; 214 entries were made, and 104 premiums awarded. Our room, with a capacity of holding between three and four hundred persons, was filled with visitors and exhibitors, and we claim, and all present conceded the claim a just one, to have had the finest display of fancy work, of fruit and of grain, which was ever made in this county. The annual address was delivered by Schuyler Sutherland, Esq., school commissioner for this county, and was a practical and sensible production by a practical and sensible man.

I cannot close this report without thanks for the encouragement received from your society. The copies of Transactions, sent us through the Secretary of State, have been invaluable to us. The information they impart is just such as all farmers need, and we are looking for the report of 1868 with some impatience. The treasurer reports all debts paid, and a balance on hand of thirteen dollars and forty-one cents. Present number of members sixty-three.

The following are the officers for 1870: President, Geo. Goundry, Himrods; Secretary, Gilbert D. Baker; Librarian and Treasurer, Wm. W. Buxton, Milo Center.

G. D. BAKER,
Secretary.

GOUVERNEUR.

At our last annual meeting, a resolution was passed empowering A. E. Norton, John Bolton and Geo. B. Winslow, to invest the funds of the society then on hand, amounting to $476.96, in the purchase of shares of the fair ground stock.

The committee discharged this duty by purchasing of A. E. Norton, two shares of said stock at $250 each, and the accrued interest, Mr. Norton giving a warranty deed, receiving the funds then on hand, and waiting for the balance until after the fair in September. It may also be proper to state, that the stockholders have executed a lease, giving the society the use of the fair grounds, for a term of ten years from the 3d day of July, 1866; the latter to pay interest, taxes, etc., with the right to purchase at the original cost, at any time before expiration of the lease.

By direction of the president, Mr. Chamberlain, I corresponded with Hon. X. A. Willard, early in June, and engaged him to deliver the annual address during the fair.

The first meeting of the board of managers, was held at the secretary's office, June 12th, at which the premium list was reviewed and completed for 1869. The board directed the fair to be held the week preceding that of the county society.

During the summer additions were built on each of two wings of "Floral Hall," and the whole inclosed in a post and rail fence which was found of great benefit by keeping the grounds around the buildings clear of teams during the fair. There was also erected a shed for stock. There is still a necessity for additional accommodations for stock, and I would recommend the erection of from 150 feet to 200 feet in length of cattle sheds the coming summer.

The eleventh annual fair of this society was held September 8th, 9th and 10th, and by reason of exceeding unfavorable weather during the first two days was continued on the 11th.

Notwithstanding the fears and discouraging predictions of many of our friends, that the fair would prove a failure in consequence of being held so early in a backward season, and the still more discouraging reality of unfavorable weather during the first two days of the fair, yet I think I may be justified in stating, that at no previous exhibition since the organization of this society, has its display in nearly every department been so creditable to exhibitors or gratifying and encouraging to its friends.

The attendance of visitors, though nothing like what fair weather

would have brought, was doubtless greater than ever before, and the receipts correspondingly larger, though the profits were lessened somewhat by the extra expense attending a four days exhibition.

In class one, Ayrshires, there were forty-four entries. The show in this department gave evidence of the increased interest felt in this breed of animals, and was pronounced by the judges "a credit to any society for dairy cattle," which was indorsed by hundreds of visitors. This department was, perhaps, the leading feature and attraction of the fair.

There were but eight entries of Durhams, owing, it is presumed, to the fact that stock growers in this section are not giving particular attention to this valuable breed of cattle.

Of grades there were fifty-seven entries, all good, and a few very fine specimens of stock. There were thirty-six entries of natives, making, with the single Alderney on exhibition, 158 head of cattle entered for premiums, besides a few entered for exhibition only, probably not less than 170 head all told.

There were 106 entries of horses and colts, comprising upward of 130 animals, most of which were bona fide entries, though a few, I fear, still continue the sharp practice of entering their teams ostensibly to compete for premiums, but really to avoid paying the small amount asked for a "carriage card."

I would, however, suggest as a remedy for this evil that a regulation be made requiring all persons driving on the fair grounds with teams to have "carriage cards," those who enter their teams for premiums to be refunded the amount so paid, upon a report of the judges that said persons exhibited animals worthy to compete for premiums, whether awarded premiums or not. A regulation of this kind would protect the society from imposition and work no injustice to honest exhibitors.

The show of sheep was not so large as that of the previous year, and leaves much room for improvement in this particular.

There were thirteen entries of swine of different breeds, all highly commended, and said to be superior to any display in this department in the county.

Of butter, I have to report twenty packages on exhibition, a marked improvement over former years. Some of it was pronounced very fine by the committee. In a few instances the manufacture and flavor were pronounced good; but being over-salted with coarse salt and packed in poor tubs, was spoiled for market use. Although a poor article of butter will not bring a first class price, be the package

which contains it ever so nicely made, yet there is no doubt but good butter will bring a higher price, both to the producer and dealer, when brought to market in neat looking and well manufactured oaken tubs or pails, and it is for the interest of butter makers to be particular rather as to the quality than the price of tubs they use. I have called attention more particularly to these points at this time for the reason that I learn from undoubted authority that the dealers in New York and Boston, who principally dispose of the butter made in this section, complain of its present average quality, as compared to that of eight to ten years ago. The reason assigned for this is, that many of the butter makers of that day, in consequence of the more recent multiplied facilities for manufacturing cheese, have turned their milk into that commodity, leaving the making of butter to a class of farmers who do not give it the study and attention necessary to the production of a "tip top" article.

There was a very creditable show of cheese both in quality and quantity (fifty-seven in number), most of which was pronounced good and some really excellent by the committee, as well as by the compe tent writer on this subject who delivered the annual address. What has been done elsewhere in this matter may be and ought to be accomplished here, and will be when our dairymen shall have given the necessary study and care to all the minutiae of cheese making. I trust that the time is not far distant when it will be unnecessary to brand "Orange county" or "Herkimer county" on packages of butter or cheese sent to market in order to command the highest price.

In the mechanical department there were fifty-seven entries of worthy articles, nearly double the number of last year, mostly agri cultural implements. Notwithstanding this increase, there is still much more room for improvement in the number of entries in this department.

In household products, needlework, paintings and drawings there were seventy-four entries, and, although an increase of more than fifty over last year, yet not equal to what the exhibition in this department should be. In paintings and drawings the display was remarkably poor in point of numbers.

In maple sugar, syrups, wines, honey, bread, etc., the show was far from commendable in quantity, though the quality of the few article entered in this class was excellent.

In class ten, including grain and garden vegetables, there were ninety-seven entries, amounting in bulk to nearly, if not quite as many bushels, and comprised almost everything properly belonging to