84 
STATE AGKICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 
ness, industry, energy and productive capacity by any people 
on tbe globe. Nearly one-seventb of our adult male popula¬ 
tion have left tbe avocations of peace and entered tbe ranks of 
war, and tbe distraction of attention and interest on tbe part of 
those wbo bave remained at borne must bave still further dimin¬ 
ished tbe productive force of tbe country. Tbe crops of va¬ 
rious kinds were, nevertbless, gathered without material waste, 
and tbe granaries of Wisconsin are, to-day, full of evidences of 
tbe extraordinary enterprise and energy of her farmers. 
Tbe wheat crop of tbe past year, though not so large as tbe 
great crop of 1860, nevertheless fell but little, if any, short of 
tbe average for several previous years. Owing to tbe inade¬ 
quacy of tbe means of transportation, however, much of it is 
yet unsold, and tbe prices, thus far, have been far from re¬ 
munerative. To remedy this deficiency, many new vessels are 
being constructed for our lakes, and it seems almost certain 
that, after tbe first great movement in tbe spring, tbe prices 
will advance to fair and remunerative rates. Other crops 
compare favorably, as to yield, quality and pecuniary returns, 
with tbe general average of years, and there is a healthy pro¬ 
gress in every department of agriculture. * -st 
It is especially worthy of mention that agricultural imple¬ 
ments and machinery of various kinds, of tbe most approved 
patterns, and in a rapidly increasing ratio as to numbers, are 
being introduced in every part of our State. It is to be re¬ 
gretted, however, that so few of these implements are manu¬ 
factured by our own mechanics. Hundreds of thousands of 
dollars are annually sent out of tbe State for tbe purchase of 
reapers, threshing machines, horse-powers, grain-drills, plows, 
harrows, cultivators, and every other kind of implement and 
machine in use by our farmers, who, as a necessary conse¬ 
quence, pay, in addition to cost of manufacture, the dealer’s 
profit and the cost of transportation. This is certainly bad 
economy, and the Society would reiterate what has heretofore 
been said on this subject in hearty approval of the recommen¬ 
dation of the Executive of the State, that measures be adopted 
for the better encouragement of manufacturers, in general, so 
