ANNUAL KEPORT—AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 101 
towards improving the grounds more immediately about the 
university buildings—operations, the details of which are 
found, in part, in the report of Prof. W. W. Daniells, a por¬ 
tion of which will be embraced in this volume. 
Besides the instruction given by the agricultural professor, 
occasional lectures and courses of lectures have been given 
by the president. Professor Addison, E. Yerrill of Yale Col¬ 
lege, and one or two other parties. 
A want of funds must long be a barrier to progress in this 
department; and until the people are willing either to give 
out of their own individual pockets, as some have nobly done 
in the other states, or to instruct their representative law-mak¬ 
ers to make more adequate provision, they must patiently 
wait for the desired results. 
That agricultural education is not in demand in Wisconsin, 
as has been strangely enough asserted in high places, since the 
date of organization of the agricultural department, we hold to 
be nothing less than heresy. 
THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES OF THE STATE 
Have had an active, and, in the main, a prosperous year. 
-county and a number of other local societies have held 
exhibitions, most of which were unusually well attended by 
exhibitors and people. These organizations are doing much 
good in the way of stimulating the industry of the state, cor¬ 
recting stereotyped errors of practice, diffusing knowledge and 
elevating the profession. An abstract of the returns made to 
this office in accordance with the provisions of law for the 
years 1868 and 1869, together with concise statements of the 
doings of other industrial organizations will be found accom¬ 
panying this report. 
The state agricultural society has had the most prosperous 
year since the date of its organization, if we consider the work 
it has done and the practical results of that labor independ¬ 
ent of the pecuniary returns from the exhibitions. Early in 
the season the society issued its seventh volume of transac¬ 
tions, embracing the years 1861 to 1868, both inclusive. The 
