The question being on Mr. Ward's motion, it was agreed to. Mr. Dye: I have here a letter which I will read to the Board at this time, if there is no objection. THE SOUTH JERSEY POULTRY ASSOCIATION, To the officers and members of the State Board of Agriculture : Resolved, That the State Board of Agriculture take into consideration the organization of a State Poultry Association, for the purpose of promoting the poultry interests in this State, and that the State Board of Agriculture will receive the assistance of this Association in the promotion of so worthy an undertaking. I wrote to some prominent gentlemen connected with poultry raising during the past summer, and asked them if the poultry interest in this State was not sufficient to start such an organization. It seems we have such an organization but it has done so little as to be scarcely known. The Chair: If there is no objection, the resolution will be received and referred to the Committee on County Board Reports. So ordered. Mr. Dye I have a resolution which has just been handed me; it is as follows : Resolved, That the New Jersey State Poultry Association be admitted to membership of this Board, with the same rights and privileges as other State societies that are auxiliary to "agriculture." On motion, the resolution was adopted. Since our last public exhibition, held in Newark, in the month of January, 1881, but little has been done beyond maintaining ån organization; the interest has been, during this interval, nothing, compared to what it was for the four years preceding the date above given, and there is no difficulty in accounting for it. During the period between the years 1877 and 1881, there was no great interest because the exhibitions then held made frequent meetings necessary. Many and warm were the discussions, and a great amount of business was transacted. There were many efforts made to create an interest among the people in thoroughbred fowls, and among the farmers, who, after all, are the greatest poultry men, in the improvement of the barn yard stock. In a measure these efforts were successful. Hundreds, if not thousands, of flocks of fowls throughout the State are to-day worth many hundreds of dollars more than they would have been had it not been for the knowledge disseminated through our society. Previous to the existence of our society, the chickens of the farmers were strictly "dunghills," light in weight and tough in flesh, rendering them wretched as a table fowl, while as layers they were mediocre. For both purposes, then, they were failures, and uprofitable. The impetus given by us to the introduction of the "Plymouth Rock," the Yankee-made breed, largely changed this, and in the place of those described we see large heavy, meaty birds, that dress well for the table and are good layers. Later, the Wyandottes made their appearance and the improvement is still going on whereby the wealth of the individual owner and the State at large is being steadily increased. Nor is this all. The incubator, for the artificial hatching of chickens, was made known by our efforts to hundreds. But, alas, many of these were destined to spend many weary days and months of labor and not a little mon. y in the vain hope that through it they would achieve fame and fortune. Were they intelligent and persistent? I here ask, and I answer, Yes. The industry then was in its infancy, and all had not been learned about it that could be and was necessary. Nor has that happy time arrived. Great steps of advancement have been made and there is now developed in the southern part of the State a lucrative industry which promises to bring great wealth into our State. The character of the soil, no doubt, gives them great advantage over their brethren in the northern counties. Another result of the work of our society is to be seen in the great strides that have been made by the fanciers in the improvement of thoroughbreds. In those early days of our history there were scarcely any fanciers in our State that had made a reputation beyond its borders. Now the contrary is the case. In the leading variety among fanciers, (Light Brahmas) a resident of East Orange, Essex county, leads all others in the country as a breeder of this variety, and his strain is sought after by breeders. in every State of the Union. Then we have one or two breeders who are known everywhere for their Bantams, while in Hamburgs, Black Leghorns, Buff Cochins and Dorkings, we have breeders who are at the top of the ladder and compete successfully with the breeders of any part of the country. There appears now to be a revival of interest in all of these matters, and it led to several discussions during the year upon the expediency of holding another public exhibition. The general sentiment brought out seems to be favorable to such an enterprise. To make it successful, however, a great deal must be done, and that at once. Those interested, in every part of the State, must unite their efforts, and then there need be no fear of the result. Our society must be strengthened in membership. Means must be taken to put the treasury in such a condition that there can be no doubt of its ability to carry out and fulfill every promise, when we will see an exhibition that for size and for the quality of the specimens shown will be second to none, not even the great New York exhibit. J. H. BALDWIN. The Chair: I understand the Committee on State Premiums is ready to report, and if there is no objection we will call on Mr. Baker, who will read it. Mr. Baker: Your Committee on State Premiums report as follows: [See Report.] On motion the report was received and ordered to be printed in the annual report. Mr. Borton: The Auditing Committee, to audit the accounts of the Treasurer of this Board, are ready to report. Mr. Baker: TRENTON, N. J., Jan. 29th, 1889. 1o the State Board of Agriculture: We, the undersigned Auditing Committee, hereby certify that we have examined the accounts of D. D. Denise, Treasurer, and find them correct in every particular. (Sig.) JOSEPH B. ROE, Committee. Mr. Borton: I move that the report be received and adopted. So ordered. The Chair Have the Committee on Legislation anything to report? If so, we will hear them now. Mr. Borton: Your Committee recommend the adoption of the following: WHEREAS, The report of the State Treasurer, just out, gives a statement of the amount of money paid out during the last year, for the encampment of the First Brigade, National Guards, State Militia, in camp at Sea Girt; AND WHEREAS, This large amount of money, $31,343.00, is the expense of one week's encampment of a single brigade of the National Guards; therefore, Resolved, That the State Board of Agriculture, now in session, take action and endeavor to secure the repeal of that part of the State Militia Law that has reference to the encampment. (Sig.) T. R. MATTHEWS. Mr. Matthews: I suppose few of you have experience of the inner workings of the State Militia Law as I have had, but I would like to be excused at this present time from making any remarks on it whatever. 1 move the adoption of the resolution. The question being on the motion of Mr. Matthews, it was agreed to. Mr. Borton: In regard to the following resolution, your committee have no recommendation to make, inasmuch as we are not familiar with the wants of the people of that section: Resolved, That the Essex County Board of Agriculture request the State Board, through its Legislative Committee, to assist in securing such legislation as may be required to accomplish the drainage of the Passaic river, assessing a part of the necessary expense upon the counties at large; and we urge the repeal of the act known as the "Five County Act." Mr. Borton: In regard to the repeal of the "Five County Act," your committee report adversely. Mr. Cook: I move the adoption of the resolution in regard to the repeal of the "Five County Act." This act was passed five years ago, and it relieves mortgages from taxation in five counties in this State, throwing the tax on the land owner. This is a sectional matter and affects those five counties only, and we would like to be placed on the same level you are, that is, to pay taxes only for the property we own. The question being on the adoption of Mr. Cook's motion, it was agreed to. In regard to Assembly Bill No. 60, introduced by Mr. Harris, modifying the Oleomargarine Law, your committee report it back adversely and will call on Mr. Appleget to read the present law on this subject. Mr. Appleget: You will find this extract in Chapter 840, passed August 2d, 1886; it is as follows: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That for the purposes of this act, the word "butter" shall be understood to mean the food product usually known as butter, and which is made exclusively from milk or cream, or both, with or without common salt, and with or without additional coloring matter." Mr. Borton: The resolution presented by the Salem County |