OF THE

WISCONSIN

STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,

WITH

REPORTS OF COUNTY SOCIETIES,

AND KINDRED ASSOCIATIONS.

VOL. V.-1858-'59.

EDITED BY J. W. HOYT, SECRETARY.

MADISON, WIS.;

CARPENTER & HYER, PRINTERS, PATRIOT OFFICE.

P REFA CСЕ.

THE FIFTH VOLUME of the Transactions of the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society is offered to the public in the belief, that it contains a large amount of valuable matter, and that it will be read with pleasure and profit by the friends of Industry, irrespective of class or profession.

The objects kept in view, in its preparation, have been, first, to present as complete a record as possible of the history of the industrial arts and scientific investigations in Wisconsin, for the period embraced within the years 1858-9; secondly, to furnish the best practical information, available, on subjects of importance connected with Agriculture, Horticulture, and the Mechanic and Household Arts; and thirdly, to stimulate all who are engaged in these pursuits to renewed and more earnest effort for their elevation and advancement.

No little embarrassment has grown out of the necessity to incorporate the Transactions of two years in one volume-not only because absolute accuracy, in many particulars, is hardly possible after a considerable lapse of time, but likewise for the reason that the difficulty in properly arranging the contents of the work is thereby increased, and that a larger proportion of relatively unimportant particulars must be embraced, to the exclusion of matter possessed of greater general interest.

It is also an occasion of regret to the editor, that circumstances have seemed to require so rapid an execution of the work-much of the material having been collected and prepared, and the whole volume crowded through the press within the period of thirty-five days-that he can hardly hope to find it free from some annoying typographical errors, and many of a less important character. He has the consciousness, however, of having faithfully and unremittingly devoted himself to the work, and would, therefore, bespeak a generous leniency of judgment from those most directly interested, as also from the critical and professional reader. It is the intention of the present Board to re-establish the policy of publishing the Transactions of the Society annually, and thus the abovementioned difficulties will no longer lie in the way of making the publication worthy, in every respect, of the cause it represents.

The order of subjects adopted-with one or two exceptions, arising from the haste of compilation-is such as appeared logical and convenient. The Transactions. proper are chronologically arranged, so as to present a connected history of the Society for the period for which they are published.

The reports of Awarding Committees have, many of them, been gathered up from scattering remarks in the class books used at the Fairs, and if any of them shall be found to bear a shade of meaning which the Judges would not have sanctioned, we hope they will be provoked to the making of such a report, when again it shall become their duty, as may be published without editorial modification. Mere bald statements of awards of premiums, unaccompanied by reasons therefor, are alike