800 
STATE AGEICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 
grown for a few years in succession, and which is said to have 
appeared in some localities, reasonable caution is strongly 
recommended. 
This Society has been highly prospered during the year 
just closed; its general exhibition of the industry of the State 
having been one of the largest and most satisfactory ever held, 
and its finances being in a sound and satisfactory condition. 
The Secretary spent some six months of the year in attendance 
upon the Universal Exposition at Paris, and in making prac¬ 
tical observations upon the industrial systems and educational 
institutions of the Old World, of which some account will be 
published in due course of time. He also brought with him, 
on his return several hundred safnples of the agricultural pro¬ 
ducts of the various countries represented at the exposition; 
which are to be made the nucleus of a State Cabinet of econ¬ 
omical products—a desideration long had in contemplation by 
the Secretary, but not realized for want of the requisite time 
to make the collections. 
The Society is also taking measures to increase its Library 
by the annual purchase of valuable books relating to the va¬ 
rious branches of industry. Of works of this class, the rC’ 
ports of kindred societies, in this and in foreign countries, are 
among the most valuable. These can always be procured by 
exchange, and in most cases in no other way, as they are not 
published for sale. At present, however, the Society has noth¬ 
ing to give in return for such works, and, accordingly, a num¬ 
ber of the societies, whose publications were most prized, have 
discontinued their annual donations to our Library. In view 
of these facts, a bill has again been prepared, for the consider¬ 
ation of the Legislature, which, if passed will insure the future 
annual publication of the Society’s Transactions, together with 
abstracts of the reports of all other industrial associations of 
the State. Such provision ought to be made and I trust that 
the Legislature now in session will so determine. 
I am sir, very respectfully, 
J. W. HOYT, 
Secretary Wis. State Ag. Society. 
