ANNUAL KEPORT 
FOR THE YEAR 1864. 
Ills Excellency^ James T. Lewis, 
Governor of the State of Wisconsin : 
Sir : In compliance with the law, I have the honor herewith 
to transmit the Fiscal Eeport of the Wisconsin State Agricul¬ 
tural Society for the year ending Dec. 14th, 1864. 
After the lapse of three years, during which there was held 
no general exhibition of the industry of the State, early in the 
spring of 1864, the Society again rallied its forces and renewed 
this portion of its regular work. The sequel has shown that 
the public were prepared for this action on the part of the So¬ 
ciety ; for notwithstanding the still unsettled condition of the 
country and the unfavorableness of the season, agriculturally 
considered, the Exhibition, as such, was creditable to the enter¬ 
prise of our people, the attendance numerous, and the cash re¬ 
ceipts larger than at any previous one since the organization 
of the State. 
The Fair afforded a most satisfactory demonstration of the 
wonderful energy and growing zeal with which the industrial 
classes have pushed forward in their own legitimate work, prac¬ 
tically unheeding the tumult of war, only j ust beyond the bor¬ 
ders of their State. There were the inventors of implements 
and machinery with the products of their genius in the form 
of numberless improvements—there the producers of grain 
and breeders of stock, with indubitable proofs of successful 
effort for the attainment of results that must give to them¬ 
selves larger profits and to the nation greater assurance of in¬ 
creased means for the early extinguishment of its immense 
