Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 217 
papers and read the account of conventions or of an 3 r other agri¬ 
cultural proceedings. 
Great as have been the improvements made in stock within the 
last twenty-five years, the next twenty-five will doubtless see an ad¬ 
vance of which we little dream to-day. We have some specimens 
of different kinds of stock in the northwest that can scarcely be 
excelled upon this continent, or upon the globe. This improved 
stock of the different kinds is doubtless to become generally distribu¬ 
ted throughout the northwest. In our own state, we have noble 
men leading the way. Such men as Murray, Williams, Ludington, 
Stilson, Stoddard, Hazen, Sherman, Bryant and many others who 
might be named, deserve the thanks of all friends of improvement 
in our state, as well as their hearty co-operation. In improving 
the fertility of the soil, our people are not so far advanced as is de¬ 
sirable; but they are fast being awakened to the fact that the soil 
must be improved, and when they once come to that conclusion, 
they will not be long in finding a way to make the improvements. 
In this connection let me mention the result of one of the ex¬ 
periments of Mr. J. B. Lawes, of Rothamsted, England. It is well 
known that he has been carrying on a series of experiments for 
many years, and it seems to me that the result which he gives of 
his experiments upon his wheat field alone, ought to be worth mil¬ 
lions of dollars, not only to his own people, but to the farmers of 
this state as well. 
The following is the result of the last ten years experiments upon 
his wheat fields; one field being sown continually with wheat, with 
no manure whatever, has averaged 12J bushels per acre for the ten 
years. This, it will be noticed, varies but little from the average of 
our own state. Another field, upon which farm-yard manure was 
used during the same length of time, averaged 35i bushels per acre. 
Three other fields upon which artificial fertilizers of different kinds 
were used, averaged, respectively, 32^, 37f, and 40 bushels per acre. 
Now gentlemen, here are practical results, and if Mr. J. B. Lawes 
of Rothamsted, can obtain them, I believe that Eli Stilson of Wis¬ 
consin can, and if Stilson can do it, there are many other men in 
the state who can; for as able a farmer as I think Mr. Stilson is, I 
by no means believe that he monopolizes the farming abilities of 
our state. These results show the largest average was made by artific- 
