EXECUTIVE MEETING.

The Executive Committee held its Annual Meeting at the Biddle House in Detroit, on Tuesday, December 14th, 1852, at 12 o'clock M. The meeting being called to order, the President, Jos. R. Williams, in the chair.

The following members answered to their names:

Geo. C. Munro, Ira H. Butterfield, Titus Dort, F. V. Smith, J. R. Munro, M. Shoemaker, C. W. Green, Thos. Clark, Andrew Y. Moore.. The Washtenaw County Agricultural Society was represented by John Starkweather, of Ypsilanti.

The Macomb County Agricultural Society was represented by Payne K. Leech, of Utica.

On motion of Titus Dort,

Resolved, That the Committee adjourn to 2 o'clock, P. M.

Two o'clock P. M.; Committee called to order.

President in the Chair.

The Secretary read the following report:

To the Executive Committee of the Michigan State Agricultural Society:

GENTLEMEN-I am happy to meet you here at this, the 5th annual meeting of this Committee, and it is with much pleasure that I can say, that the efforts put forth by our Society, during the four years it has existed, to excite a laudable emulation, not only among our farming com

munity, but in every branch of industrial pursuits within our borders, have been crowned with an unexpected success. In proof of this, we have but to look around, and mark the change that has already taken place, and is still going on in the minds of the people respecting the improvement of stock, implements and machinery of all kinds. Implements and machinery that a few years since were considered the height of perfection, are now being laid aside to make way for articles, introduced to us at our exhibitions, and pronounced by our committees to be superior to all heretofore in use. Each year shows an improvement. in our stock, and an increased and still increasing interest in the welfare of our Society. Many who could not be persuaded to attend our fairs until the one that has just past, came to me upon the ground, to tender, through me, to the Society, their congratulations for the good this Society had accomplished; stating, that so long as they were spared to contribute to its success, they would not be found in the back ground.

There are some who try to make themselves believe that, notwithstanding their stock or articles may be of the highest order, if they exhibit, they will not receive a premium, because they say the judges have their favorites, and award the premiums beforehand. In illustration of this idea, as well as contradiction of it, I will state a circumstance that occurred this fall. A farmer in Oakland county has a fine herd of cattle; one of his neighbors, who also has some of the best stock in that county, asked him to take some of his cattle to the fair for exhibition. His reply was, that if his cattle should be exhibited there, and proved to be the best in their class, no premium would be awarded to them, for the judges have their favorites, to whom they always give the premiums. The man who was unwilling to exhibit his cattle I will designate as Mr. N., his neighbor as Mr. G. Mr. G., after spending much time in fruitless endeavors to satisfy his friend that he was in error, offered to take some of his cattle and exhibit them with his own; to this Mr. N. consented. The cattle belonging to Mr. N. and Mr. G. were driven on to the ground and entered by Mr. G. Mr. G. first entered his own, then those belonging to N., which he also entered in his own name, as agent for Mr. N. The premiums as you are aware, are awarded to the articles or animals by the numbers, the committees not always having the names of the owners; several premiums were awarded to the cattle entered by Mr. G., and all of them published in the daily papers as being awarded.

o Mr. N. Mr. G. wrote me a note, calling my attention to this matter by saying he entered the stock as agent for Mr. N. Upon referring to ny book I found this to be the case; several entries being made by Mr. G. with a note at the bottom saying, "as agent for Mr. N." I then made the correction in the Michigan Farmer, giving all the premiums to Mr. G. as agent for Mr. N. I soon found this was all wrong, and the truth of the matter was as stated above. Part of the premiums beonged to N. and part to G., but the informality in the entry had caused the error, and our friend N. had not only been awarded premiums upon his own stock, but his neighbors also, which circumstance, I presume, persuaded him that a premium could be awarded to him, although he was not in the confidence of the committee.

I mention these things to show some of the prejudices that have, and do still exist, against the Society, by here and there an individual, and in what manner they are being broken up.

Although you have accomplished much, you have barely entered upon your work; the more we do, the more we find there is to do.

The want of funds has, in a measure, retarded our progress. The funds we have had at our disposal have been judiciously expended; yet, could we have had more at our command, we could have operated in a manner that would have proved vastly more beneficial than anything we have yet accomplished.

It has been my wish to procure a suitable room for the accommodation of the Secretary, where he may establish an Agricultural Reading Boom, Library and Museum, for the benefit of the members of the Society. I think the publishers of agricultural papers would be willing to forward us their papers without charge, if we had a reading room where they could be spread out for members of the Society to read at their leisure. With the Reading Room I would connect a Library, not for circulation, for, at present I think that would be impracticable; but for reference. In connection with the Reading Room and Library, I would establish an Agricultural Museum, for the deposit of farm implements and models of machinery; beginning with the most ancient, and coming down to the most approved of the present day. I would place, side by side, the sickle and reaper, then the reaper with the addition of the raker. The scythe and mowing machine; plows, from the wooden, to the best of the present day. Thus showing at a