REPORT. 



In accordance with an act of the Le,o;islature of 18S(j, cntitlcHl 

 " an act to remodel the Board of Agriculture," (herein presented) 

 the Board met at the Capitol, April 7th, 1880, and elected the fol- 

 lowing officers : President — G. M. Gowell of Bowdoin ; Vice Fresi- 

 dent^-D. A. Wadlin of Belfast; vSecretary— Z. A. Gilbert of East 

 Turner. The necessary- committees were apponited, and such plans 

 perfected as were deemed necessary for the execution of the work 

 for the 3'ear. A feeling of hearty co-operation in the work in hand 

 was manifested among the members, and a determination expressed 

 to enter earnestly into whatever duties devolved upon them in the 

 execution of that work. 



The time embraced in this report represents only nine months of 

 the calendar year — three months having passed before its organiza- 

 tion. Among the prescribed duties of the Board, as laid down in 

 the law, is the requirement that it shall, as far as practicable, aid; 

 and encourage agi'icultural societies and associations in their efforts. 

 In conformity therewith the Secretary- has represented the Board, 

 as far as time and his other duties would allow, at the Agricultural 

 Fairs, Grange Meetings, Farmers' Clubs and other public farmers' 

 gatherings ; and the members have done much work in the same 

 direction. Aside from the assistance rendered these organizations, 

 it has been the means of learning much of the methods and wants 

 of the agi'iculture in the localities visited. 



In further compliance with the law, the Board, by its Secretary 

 and one or more of its members, together with such other assistance 

 as was deemed necessar}^, has held two public Farmers' Institutes 

 in each of the larger counties of the State, and one in each of the 

 others. At those Institutes have been given nearly a hundred lec- 

 tures, which have been attentively listened to by full houses of in- 

 terested farmers. These lectures treated topics especially appro- 

 priate to the localit}^ in which they were delivered ; and while it has 



