SPEED OF HORSES.

There are serious objections made by many persons interested in fairs to having this feature at all, or, at least, if there must be racing, that it should be controlled and all of the objectionable adjuncts thrown off; but it is as natural for all, man or woman, to love a horse and to see him go as it is to eat, and it comes equally natural to some to "bet " on the result of the race. The best method, probably, for removing objectionable features of racing is in vogue in St. Louis. Some years ago they abandoned the usual form of racing, and adopted the plan of testing the speed of horses singly that is to say but one horse trotted at a time- and the plan has worked so well and given such perfect satisfaction that it would be difficult to induce the managers of the St. Louis association to return to the old plan.

In conclusion it may be said that while fairs have been of no inconsiderable value to the industrial world, and much may be said in their favor, yet they do not furnish thought for improvement in any field of industry, the visitor only witnesses the result of thought or accident and knows little, if anything, of the methods which produced or perfected. Fairs give but a very small proportion of the benefits to be derived from agricultural associations; they are of minor importance when placed in comparison with the convention in the great good to be derived from the associated efforts of our producers.

In conclusion allow me to say, abolish everything objectionable from fair grounds, sustain thoroughly the convention, bring to each session some thought you have gathered during the year, and give it to the world.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. J. M. Smith- It has been my good fortune to attend perhaps more of the conventions that have been held in this state than that of any other man, I think. When I look back at those conventions that were held previous to the time when Prof. Morrow undertook to get up the first one, I remember how he was laughed at and told that he could not

succeed, and if he got the farmers together they could not talk and they could not write, or they wouldn't read their papers if they did write them; but he went on and got up his convention, and it was a success, although it was hard work at first.

The farmers were not accustomed to talking or writing, and the work had to be done by a few of us. Now, I can say I have heard a good many prominent men speak, a good many very fine speakers, and I have listened to some fine debates in our legislature, but it is very rare that I have heard men express themselves better, more promptly and with more precision than I have heard farmers express themselves within the last four or five years in our conventions. To me it is one of the proudest signs of progress that there is in our state. I like to go to these conventions and note how the farmers are getting along, see how much more readily they speak, how much more intelligently they express themselves, particularly those who attend the conventions, and I am sorry for those who do not come. It would be worth millions of dollars to this state this coming year if we could get every farmer in this state to attend one convention if no more.

There is one little item in regard to the crop reports that has not been touched upon and that is reports with regard to the cost of transportation. I raise more crops in my line than can be sold near where I live. Consequently I have to find an outside market. That makes it necessary for me to study up the question of railroad transportation, and it is sometimes a good deal of work. It is necessary for me to find not only a market, I must study up the crop reports to find whether the crop I have to sell, whether there is a surplus of it in the United States. I must find where there is a deficiency, if anywhere, where I could find the best market. The next thing would be the cost of transportation. A year ago last fall I found there was a deficiency in some crops that I had, in western Missouri and Kansas, almost an entire failure. I got the cost of transportation to Kansas City and the result was that I sold eleven car loads to one firm in Kansas City. I have made a study of this matter, it is part of my business just as much as growing my crops.

I believe it would be for the benefit of farmers in general if it was added to the crop reports.

We should have any way the rates of freight from points in Wisconsin to Chicago, and from Chicago the rates of freight to the differnt large seaboard cities.

For instance, I found by the crop reports that I had some crops that were bringing a good price in Galveston, Texas. I undertook to get the rates of freight on such articles to Galveston. It took me a week, but I finally succeeded in doing it. Now if the crop reports had given the rates of freight, I could have sat down at once and written, "Here I have such and such articles to sell, and the rates of freight are so much." I think something in that line would add very much to the value of those reports.

Adjourned to next morning 9:30 o'clock.

MORNING SESSION.

THURSDAY, February 1.

The association met at 9:30 pursuant to adjournment.
President Beach in the chair.

COMMITTEES.

The president appointed the following committees.

On Resolutions—

W. D. Hoard, Fort Atkinson.

J. M. Smith, Green Bay.

D. G. Cheever, Clinton.

On Nomination of Officers

Hiram Smith, Sheboygan Falls.
R. D. Torrey, Milwaukee.
Stephen Favill, Delavan.

On Dairy Utensils and Manufactures ·
Chester Hazen, Brandon.

G. A. Lytle, Elkhorn.

C. B. McCanna, Springfield.

On Finance

W. H. Morrison, Elkhorn.

W. D. Lyon, Elkhorn.

N. Carswell, Elkhorn.

Judges on Butter and Cheese

W. W. Ingram, Chicago.

T. D. Curtis, Syracuse.

D. G. Cheever, Clinton.

REPORT OF SECRETARY.

Mr. President: The expenses of the Secretary's office for the past year, for stationery, stamps, freight on reports, telegrams, etc., has been sixty dollars.

An itemized bill has been furnished the Executive Com

Mr. President and Members of the Association: The following itemized report is made, showing the receipts and disbursements of the money placed in my hands. No bills are paid only on an order from the Secretary, which orders I hold as vouchers:

Butter-making has been practiced from time immemorial, and almost everybody is familiar with it. Many will say they know all about it, or if they do not say so, they think so. Yet it is a fact that, beyond a certain round of routinism, very little is known about butter-making, and the man who has pursued the subject most earnestly and intelligently is the one who is ready to acknowledge that he understands very little of the underlying principles of butter-making. It.