TRANSACTIONS AT ANNUAL MEETING. 



Agricultural Rooms, 

 Madison, February 3, 1879, ?£ P. M. 



In accordance with Article V of the constitution of the society, 

 which provides that the opening session of the annual meeting 

 " shall be held on the Monday next preceding the first Tuesday of 

 February in each year," and the notice issued by the president and 

 secretary in pursuance therewith, the society convened at seven 

 and one-half o'clock P. M., in the Agricultural Rooms at Madison. 



The president, in calling the society to order, stated that as so 

 much of the time allotted for our annual meeting was taken up in 

 joint convention with the Agricultural Society, it was important we 

 should improve the time devoled to special meetings of the society 

 in the transaction of business. As a member of the committee 

 appointed at the time of the fair to take into consideration the 

 question of asking further aid from the state, he would say that the 

 committee had not bad any opportunity for combined action, and 

 had no definite report to make. He thought, however, that it was 

 advisable to ask for an increase in the size of our report, and of the 

 number ol copies printed, and an annua) appropriation of one 

 thousand dollars. The usefulness of the society was now crippled 

 lor the want of means, and the work done was too heavy a tax to 

 be borne wholly by individuals. He was in favor of asking for 

 state aid at the present time, but had thought it would be advisable 

 to reorganize the society, if this was done, so as to assume closer 

 relations to the state, reporting direct to the governor, and by ac- 

 counting to him, show just what was done with the means placed 

 at our disposal. He had not formed any definite plan in which this 

 could be done, but had received a communication from the secre- 

 tary which embodied, in the main, his views, and which he would 

 like to have read so as to bring the subject before the society. 



