58 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Ml*. Chamberlain, for the Committee to whom was referred the 

 Second Topic, viz : " What action shall be taken under the provi- 

 sions of law authorizing the Board of Agriculture to prescribe for 

 what objects or purposes a portion of the State bounty shall be 

 oifered in premiums," presented the following Report : 



This question is predicated on section fourteen of the act ap- 

 proved March 19, 1862, in the following words: "Every society 

 which receives bounty from the State, shall award in each year, by 

 way of premiums or gratuities, or shall expend for the purchase of 

 seeds, implements, or breeding animals, a sum not less than the 

 bounty so received, for the encouragement and improvement of 

 agriculture, horticulture or the mechanic arts, and it shall be com- 

 petent for the Board of Agriculture to direct for what objects and 

 purposes premiums shall be offered to an extent not exceeding one- 

 half the bounty of the State." 



To determine whether any action is now called for in the prem- 

 ises, let us look a little into the operations of oi^r agricultural socie- 

 ties to see if any suggestions or directions from the Board would 

 be well timed under the act that thus links the duties of the Board 

 to the active operations of these societies. 



In 1859 the twenty-four county societies received from the State 

 $4,590.56, and paid in premiums $6,783.87. Of this sum $3,403, 

 or one-half of the whole, was awarded on live stock. The total 

 amount awarded for grain and root crops was $549.45, or less than 

 one-sixth the sum distributed for the encouragement of improve- 

 ment in our domestic animals. 



In 1861 the total amount of premiums offered by the twenty- 

 seven societies was $10,032. Of this amount, $1,114, or a fraction 

 over one-tenth was for grain and root crops. 



In 1862 the amount of premiums offered on grain and root crops 

 fell to $814, of which only $316 was awarded. About one-fifteenth 

 of the money paid by the State to these societies, goes to encour- 

 age the production of those crops which make up a large portion 

 of our own sustenance and that of our domestic animals. The 

 general feature of the prize lists, giving prominent encouragement 

 to improvement in our domestic animals, has not changed in the 

 history of the societies ; except latterly, much money has been paid 

 for the exhibition of fast horses. We have shown above, that in 

 one year, one-half of all the awards was for live stock — the other 

 half being distributed for the encouragement of general farm im- 



