I 
354 Annual Report of the 
long prices. This shows progress and improvement at home, as the 
purchasers were good breeders as well as judges. 
From the annual report made by the Chamber of Commerce in 
Milwaukee, I see that the sales of swine from the } T ard, of dressed 
hogs received by rail, amounted in 1874, to over $4,000,000, wdiile 
the sales of wheat “in the greatest primary wheat market in the 
world” was $30,000,000, the largest portion of which came from 
Minnesota and Iowa. Of the $4,000,000 received by farmers for 
hogs from Milwaukee alone, how much is clear profit. I think 
fully one-third cost nothing, but was picked up by the hog, from 
what otherwise would have been lost. This made pork and pork 
made the money. I think the product from sheep, swine and the 
dairy have this season, owing to the short crop and low price of 
wheat, saved our state from bankruptcy, and every season are the 
source of adding more wealth to our state than all other products 
combined. 
The question arises, are these branches of agriculture as much 
encouraged and appreciated as the breeding of horses, short-horns, 
&c. I fear not, but hope they will be more in the future then they 
have been in the past. 
POULTRY DEPARTMENT. 
BY E. J. COOPER, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT. 
In response to the very liberal provision made for the poultry 
department, the exhibition in this class was much larger than be¬ 
fore. The building erected last year would have given ample ac¬ 
commodation for the display of previous years, but was wholly in¬ 
adequate to the requirements of this, and owing to the early season 
in wdiich the fair is now held, was found to be faulty in construc¬ 
tion. There being no ventilation at the top, it became necessary to 
remove the windows which caused a draft directly across the coops, 
thereby endangering the health of the fowls. Ventilation is very 
essential to the comfort of the birds, but a draft is always to be 
avoided. 
I would recommend to the committee who have in charge the 
