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REPORT OF SECRETARY. 



To the Tf^sconsiii State Agricultural Society: 



The Secretary of the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society would respectfully 

 report, that in accepting the office to which he was elected at the fonuation of 

 the Society in March last, he felt great diffidence and lack of confidence as to his 

 ability to discharge the duties which devolved upon him, in a manner that would 

 meet the expectations and wishes, and i-edound to the best interests of the 

 Society. The experiment of sustaining a State Agricultural Society in Wiscon- 

 sin was one of doubtful utility; similar organizations- among us had met with a 

 failure, and by many, any further attempt was regarded as premature, and' 

 injurious to the prospects for the final formation of a Society that should be of 

 permanent and lasting benefit to the agriculturist. In the discharge of his 

 duties, however, he has endeavored at all times to keep in view the important 

 objects for which the Society was organized, and in every suitable manner to 

 advance its best interests. 



In accordance with this purpose, and acting upon what he conceived to be 

 required by the wants of the Society, immediately after its formation he opened 

 a correspondence with numerous intelligent gentlemen, eminent alike for expe- 

 rience and skill in both this and other States, in relation to the course to be 

 pui-sued and the plans to be adopted by this Society, in order best to carry out and 

 accomplish the great ends of its formation. Organizations in many respects 

 similar to our own, have long had a being in several of the older States of the 

 Union, and to their influence may be traced much that is of value in the 

 improvements so manifest in those parts of our confederacy. To profit from their 

 experience, and to learn wisdom from their example, is the special duty of this- 

 Society. Organized in a new State, with a sparse population, our farmers nearly 

 all in moderate circumstances and of limited means, suftering under the failure 

 of our staple crop for the past three years, and in a time of unexampled pecu- 

 niary disaster, and agricultui-al depression, we have no time to wait for a long 

 preparatory training; and it has become to to us a matter of necessity, that this 

 Society — Minerva like — shall at once step from birth to maturity. 



This may be accomplished in a great measure by availing ourselves of the 

 labors of others, and to this end ha\e the eflbrts of the Secretary been especially 

 directed. In many instances these eftbrts have met with a hearty response; but 

 in others, the difficulty of obtaining the proper address, and the shortness of the 

 time intervening from the commencement of the correspondence up to the pre- 

 sent time, prevents any adequate results being as yet attained. The carrying 



