SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



^9 



The money transactions of these societies for the last five years, from 1857 

 to 1861 inclusive, have been as follows : 



Aid received from the State, $24,513 



Sum raised by the societies from private sources, 54,182 



Amount of indebtedness of the societies for grounds 

 and their improvements, 20,000 



Total expended by the societies for premiums, grounds 



and improvements, $98,695 



Showing an annual average receipt from the State of $4,903 



And from private sources of 10,836 



The indebtedness of the societies, above referred to, is mostly for grounds, 

 buildings and other fixtures. 



The Maine Slate Agricultural Society is a corporate body, entirely distinct 

 from the county societies, and from the Board of Agriculture. It differs from 

 county societies in that it embraces, in its geographical limits the whole State. 

 A president, elected annually, with four trustees, elected biennially, consti- 

 tute its board of managers. 



Its operations are similar in character and efiiect, to those of county socie- 

 ties, but upon a larger scale ; bringing together at its exhibitions the farmers 

 and their products from all parts of the State. 



In 1858 a grant of $1,000 annually for five years was made to this Society, 

 which grant will expire April, 1863. Of the money thus pledged, $3,000 

 have been drawn and used for legitimate purposes ; the balance, $2,000, re- 

 mains to be appropriated. A special grant of $1,700 was also made to this 

 Society in 1860. 



Its financial operations for five years, from 1857 to 1861, inclusive, are as 

 follows : 



Aid from the State, 5,700 



Amount received from private sources, 28,812 



$34,512 

 Annual average from State for the five years, 1,140 



There is also an item for printing, 1857, the amount of which we have not' 

 been able to ascertain. 



Board of Agriculture. This is a deliberative body, consisting of one member 

 from each county, and holds an annual session of fourteen days to investigate 

 matters pertaining to the general husbandry of the State. 



The bringing together of such a body of men is necessarily a benefit to them- 

 selves, and we trust to those who send them. By comparison of views and 

 practice, and by tlie reports here prepared, and the discussions which follow, 

 together with essays carefully prepared before the session, at home, and re- 

 ports of experiments instituted to ascertain the conditions of successful pro- 

 duction, a greater or less amount of information is elicited. This is spread 

 abroad through the newspapers of the day, and subsequently in the Secretary's 

 report. 



The duties of its Secretary are, briefly, to acquaint himself, by personal 

 inspection, with the agricultural capabilities of the State, its soil, its crops, it's 

 means of fertilization, its methods of husbandry, and to suggest improvements ; 

 to correspond and invite exchange of documents with kindred associations in 

 other states and countries ; to prepare an annual report, embracing the doings 

 of the Board, the results of his investigations, with such recommendations and 

 suggestions as the interests of agriculture seem to require ; to prepare, also, an 

 abstract of the returns from agricultural societies, sifting out of the great mass 

 so returned whatever may be of public interest. 



Prior to the reorganization of the Board in 1856 the publications of the 

 State were, chiefly, reprints of the reports made to the county societies, and a 

 small edition sufficed to meet the demand. During the past five years, the 



