DO Wisconsin - State Agricultural Society. 
I am aware it is claimed that it is difficult to decide what ma¬ 
chinery should he named in the premium-list to compete, and it 
is also claimed that it is difficult to secure judges to decide on the 
merits of the exhibits. In answer to these objections I would re¬ 
fer you to the premium-lists of 1875, of the Northern Ohio, St. 
Louis, Kansas City, Michigan, and Iowa societies, where it is evi¬ 
dent the plan indicated has proved successful, more especially 
would I refer you to the Northern Ohio premium-list. Permit me 
to say in conclusion that I took this position with reluctance and 
distrust of my abilities to perform its duties, and whatever of suc¬ 
cess I meet with is largely due to the able assistance afforded me by 
D. H. Cheney, and to the hearty support of the officers of the So¬ 
ciety. 
To the Executive Board of the State Agricultural Society : 
The undersigned, chairman of the committee on machinery in 
Plasses 38 and 39 herewith submit the following report: 
The display of machinery in this department, though excellent 
and of great variety, and worthy of special commendation, was not 
so extensive as that of 1874, owing, perhaps to the threatning pros¬ 
pects of stormy weather. The committee found the department in 
unexceptionable order, and the disposition and displa} r all that could 
be desired, and this judicious and methodical disposition considera¬ 
bly lightened the (it must be admitted) too extended and arduous 
duties of the committee. So far as known, all exhibitors were sat¬ 
isfied with the general and special facilities and accomniQdations of¬ 
fered by the Society. 
The committee were instructed to examine all machines, and li¬ 
cense was given to favorably recommend such new improvements 
as might suggest themselves as worthy of special commendation. 
The committee understand that some sort of recommendations were 
the natural and logical results of examinations, and without the 
least idea of offense to any one, they did as had been done for sev¬ 
eral years previous; they attached tags to such machines as they 
thought especially worthy of commendation, bearing the printed 
words, “first prize,” “second prize,” etc., in every instance, explain¬ 
ing to the party in charge of the commended machine, that the 
Society offered no premium in that department, and had only cloth- 
