REPORT OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 
37 
The great importance of the wool-growing interests to the 
State, and the commonly prevailing opinion that the business 
of sheep-keeping is to a considerable extent being abandoned 
throughout the State, on account of the ravages of dogs, seems 
to call for enquiry, and, if well founded, for judicious legisla¬ 
tion, to arrest any retrograde movement of that kind. 
In addition to whatever may be required upon the foregoing- 
subjects in the way of legislation, the Executive Committee are 
of the opinion that few things could or would be more accepta¬ 
ble to the agricultural masses, than a large diminution in the 
amount of annual legislation and taxes. No sentiment or 
opinion seems to be more indelibly engraven upon the public 
mind, than that there is a great opportunity for reform in 
these respects. May they not hope, under the general pres¬ 
sure of hard times, and the economy consequent thereon, to 
witness an improvement in this direction ? 
The copy for volumes eight and nine, for the years 1858 and 
1859, of the Transactions of the Society, will be properly pre¬ 
pared for publication during the current year, and can be put 
to press if the Legislature deems it advisable so to order. The 
publication of these annual volumes of agricultural reports has 
become an established practice in most of the leading agricul¬ 
tural States, and, when judiciously gotten up, they are un-, 
doubtedly an embodiment of .much valuable information, that 
would, in no other way equally effective, be brought before the 
minds of the masses of the people. 
A statement of the fiscal affairs of the Society, showing its 
receipts and disbursements, will be found appended hereto ; 
and full and complete vouchers will be found on file in this 
office for all the items of each account; all of which is respect¬ 
fully submitted. 
