Wisconsin State Agricultural Society . 347 
and strain of a terrible war, such as the industry of most nations 
could have recovered from only after a quarter or half a century. 
Nevertheless, stimulated by the variety and vastness of her re¬ 
sources, and moved by the resistless energy of an intelligent and 
resolute people, Wisconsin has advanced by steady and almost un¬ 
equal strides. In 1851, the population of our state was 305,391; to¬ 
day it is scarcely less than 1,250,000. The area of our improved 
lands was 1,055,499 acres; now it is about 4,000,000. The total 
value of the annual product of our agricultural industry was about 
$25,000,000; now it is about $100,000,000. There was then scarcely" 
a single herd of blooded stock within the state, and stock of any 
sort was comparatively scarce. To-day our herds and flocks abound 
in all quarters, and our horses, cattle, sheep and swine have rank 
among the very best in the Union. 
The cash valuation of the products of our manufactures was then 
little over $20,000,000; this year it will probably reach the sum of 
$100,000,000 and the product of Milwaukee alone more than equals 
the state in 1850. Nor is this rapid increase ajfull index of our pro¬ 
gress in manufactures. The figures of 1851 almost entirely repre¬ 
sented small enterprises which have grown to be of immense mag¬ 
nitude, some of them hardly surpassed by any like enterprises in 
the world. Moreover, new branches of manufacture have been 
established and are now contributing largely to give Wisconsin 
honorable rank among the manufacturing states of the Union. Of 
these last, the magnificent iron mills now in successful operation 
near this city and the mills for the manufacture of merchant iron 
now in the way of establishment, are notable examples. 
Our mining was confined to superficial diggings in the lead re¬ 
gions. Now, without abandoning the mining of lead, which is 
carried on more systematically and scientifically, we have commenc¬ 
ed the working of inexhaustible deposits of iron which is destined 
to yield untold wealth. 
In 1851 we were beginning the very doubtful experiment of pro¬ 
ducing some of the hardiest fruits; to-day our orchards are seen on 
every hand and our annual collection in the Horticultural Hall are 
unsurpassed for either variety, beauty, or excellence, by any similar 
displays I have ever seen in any of the states. 
I need not hesitate to say that the State Agricultural Society has 
kept pace with, and constantly and fairly represented this wonder- 
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