PREFACE. v 



Sect. 4. Nothing* in this act shall be held to prohibit any 

 animal or article which receives a lower premium from being 

 entered with another society, or with the same society, on a 

 succeeding year, for a higher premium. 



It was evidently the intention of the law that the funds 

 of each society receiving the bounty of the State should 

 be actually contributed, paid in, and put at interest ; 

 whereas, in some instances, societies have been satisfied 

 with the promissory notes of new members, and these 

 notes, taken in the aggregate, form what is called the per- 

 manent fund. I am aware of all the reasons urged 

 in favor of this course ; but, however necessary it may 

 seem to be, it can hardly be regarded in any other 

 light than an evasion of the law, and no society should 

 include property so invested as a part of its permanent 

 fund. 



Much greater care is needed in the preparation of 

 the reports of committees ; and if some system should be 

 matured and adopted previous to the exhibition and ad- 

 hered to by them, more valuable results would be arrived 

 at and more information of general interest obtained, and, 

 what is of nearly equal importance, the Transactions could 

 be ready more promptly for distribution. 



This is not the place to enter into the details of the 

 management of a county society; and yet it is from details 

 like these that its whole efficiency and aggregate influence 

 are made up, while their importance has been repeatedly 

 urged upon my attention during the preparation of this 

 volume, and so strongly as to seem to warrant this occasion 

 to call attention to them. 



