REPORT OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 
73 
The Wisconsin State Agricultural Society was organized at 
Madison in March, 1851, since which time it has continued in 
the active and uninterrupted discharge of its important func¬ 
tions, as the guardian of the industrial interests of the State. 
Its annual exhibitions and pnblished volumes have awakened 
an interest in agricultural improvement, diffused a large amount 
of valuable information among the people, stimulated all 
branches of industry to the attainment of a higher degree of 
excellence, and thus materially advanced the “ condition of 
Agriculture, Horticulture, and the Mechanic, Manufacturing 
and Household Arts,” while, at the same time, it has served to 
give to our young State a creditable industrial position among 
the enterprising States of the Union. 
Since its organization it has held nine annual exhibitions, 
awarded and paid a little less than $20,000 in premiums, dis¬ 
tributed large quantities of valuable seeds and cuttings, col¬ 
lected a valuable library, and published, including the present, 
six volumes of Transactions. The following is an exhibit of 
the place and date of Fair, the whole number of entries, the 
amount paid in premiums, and the whole receipts and expendi¬ 
tures for the several years since 1850 : 
YEAR. 
PLACE AND DATE OF FAIR. 
NUMBER, 
OP 
FINANCES. 
PLACE. 
DATE. 
ENTRIES. 
am’t paid 
IN PREM’S. 
TOTAL 
RECEIPTS. 
TOTAL 
expend’ures 
f 
1851.. 
Janesville. 
Oct. 1st to 3d. 
461 
$140 00 
$570 31 
$484 86 
1852.. 
Milwaukee 
Oct. 6tk to 9tli. 
1,329 
876 04| 
2,748 45 
2,714 63 
1853.. 
Watertown 
Oct. 5th to 8th. 
717 
415 00 
2,424 37 
5,688 00 
2,541 17 
5,522 78 
1854.. 
Milwaukee 
Oct. 4th to 7th. 
1,060 
1,137 00 
1855.. 
Milwaukee 
Oct. 3d to 6 th. 
1,231 
2,015 00 
7,542 95 
6,433 29 
1856.. 
Milwaukee 
Oct. 8th to 11th. 
1,778 
2,355 OOi 
8,379 63 
7,411 01 
8,302 10 
1857.. 
Janesville. 
Sept. 28 to Oct. 3. 
1,669 
2,701 Hi 
8,804 63 
11,795 90 
11,637 07 
13,737 81 
1858.. 
Madison. 
Oct. 4th to 8th. 
2,119 
2,641 00 
10,456 46 
10,758 26 
1859.. 
Milwaukee 
Sept. 26 to Oct. 1. 
1,640 
2,845 00 
I860.. 
Madison. 
Sept. 24th to 29th. 
2,008 
3,027 25 
13,736 84 
Had the Fair a permanent location, the annual expenditures 
might be very considerably diminished, as the cost of newly 
fitting up grounds for the purposes of the Exhibition from year 
to year, amounts to several thousand dollars, to be deducted 
from the receipts of each Fair. But, on the other hand, the 
Society has not the means to purchase suitable grounds; and if 
