FOK PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. 139 



century, could it be ascertained, would be a surprising 

 sum. What has been set forth of a financial character has 

 related almost wholly to the expenditures of the society. 

 In the early history of the society, a considerable revenue 

 was derived from annual fees. This in time, through de- 

 crease of the membership, and by the substitution of a spe- 

 cific admission fee in place of an annual fee, was diminished 

 to a small sum. At the beginning of the civil war, as al- 

 ready stated, the society declined the annual bounty of the 

 State, and ever since, at its own option, it has refrained 

 from making any draft on the State treasury. Certain be- 

 quests and gifts, the more important of which have been 

 mentioned, came to the society from time to time. No 

 money has ever been paid as salary to any of its officers, 

 nor for entertainment of members or guests. Such hospi- 

 talities as have been offered have been at the personal cost 

 of the hosts of the several occasions. The society's finan- 

 cial prosperity has been largely the consequence of a care- 

 ful management of the permanent funds, by restricting the 

 expenditure of the current year to the income of that year ; 

 and a reservation, as circumstances allowed, of a portion of 

 the income, to be added to the permanent funds. 



