New York State Agricultural Society

Items that were deemed to be insignificantly small and not noticeably attached to other manuscript collections were placed in this collection.

The New York State Agricultural Society was formed by a convention held in Albany in February 1832; but for several years received no support from the state and held no regular fairs. In 1841, the Society was reorganized, and measures were adopted for raising funds and holding annual fairs. On May 5 of that year, an act was passed by the State Legislature appropriating funds to the state and local chapters, which continued for many years. The Society was required annually to report to the legislature a full account of its proceedings and such facts concerning the agricultural condition in the state as may be of general interest. A volume of transactions was published by the state and distributed among the farming population. The annual fairs were held in different parts of the state with many attendees. The main office of the Society was in the Agricultural Room situated at the corner of State and Lodge Streets, Albany, where there was also a library and museum. The functions of the Society were assumed by the State Department of Agriculture, (established 1893), and the annual meeting has evolved into the State Fair held at permanment facilities near Syracuse.