138 
WlSCOIiSIN STATE AGRICULTUMAL SOCIETY. 
of oar association are altogether too small to print in sufficient full¬ 
ness those valuable papers, and the discussions upon them, and to 
send them to the class of persons that would most profit by their 
perusal. But you may say that this class of persons ought to at¬ 
tend these discussions, and contribute to the funds, so that these 
reports might be printed and distributed by the society. Granted 
that ought to be the case; but can any one tell how this can be ac¬ 
complished? Look around this room; are there enough now in 
attendance upon this interesting agricultural convention, at one 
dollar each, to print the State Agricultural Report? You will read¬ 
ily perceive that it would not amount to a sum sufficient to buy the 
cpvers in which it is bound. It is one of the unsolved problems, 
how to induce the mass of the people to attend meetings of this 
kind. I will venture to say that no one who has labored long and 
earnestly, and at times hopefully, will attempt to tell. Fruitless 
efforts are too fresh in their memory, to have any doubt of the re¬ 
sult. Perhaps we ought to be content that a sufficient number 
have the enterprise to meet annually to take counsel together, re¬ 
late their experience of the year, their successes and failures of cer¬ 
tain experiments, their discoveries and observations, and these em¬ 
bodied in a report are of sufficient value as an educator of those 
unable or too dilatory to attend. This class of persons will read, 
and many of them profit by what they read, if published free, es¬ 
pecially if it relates to business in which they are financially inter¬ 
ested. And everything that increases the intelligence and pros¬ 
perity of an individual, or a class of individuals, is a direct benefit 
to the slate. 
The contemplated reports which we are desirous of placing be¬ 
fore the dairymen of the state, and all others who contemplate be¬ 
coming dairymen, will contain a detailed statement of the method 
pursued in manufacturing the cheese and butter that took first pre¬ 
miums at our State Fair, and was awarded medals at the Centenni¬ 
al Exhibition. Much of the interesting material, now in the hands 
of the secretary of our Association, will have to sieejo the sleep of 
death, for want of funds to publish, unless the legislature of the 
state recognize the justice of this long delayed claim, to publish 
this valuable report. We do not ask it as a donation, but hope the 
legislature will see in it a financial advantage to the people of the 
state, to encourage an enterprise, the proceeds ol which now reach 
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