414 STATE BOARD OF AGKICULTURE. 



In taking in the farm work and the rest of the stock, there was only time 

 for a hasty glance. The general impression was that the fields in grass were 

 promising a crop of hay of less weight than last year, on account of the sea- 

 son, whicli liad been very dry. 



In one field, a part of which was in potatoes, the crops looked even, clean, 

 and thrifty. The other half of it had been just sown with rutabagas, forming 

 the principal crop of roots. At the wheat field we paused a while, for iiere 

 were sown in plats, upon trial, a large number of varieties, of which it was 

 impossible to do more than look over the number and names. Then, as Mr. 

 Ingcrsoll pointed out where the main field had itself been made experimental, 

 large lands or divisions having been sown at several dates, with the design of 

 learning something definite, if followed up year after year, relative to the effect 

 of early and late sowing upon the winter wheat crop of this part of the State, 

 we could only listen for a few moments to obtain the explanations necessary 

 to understand what had been done. 



Beyond seeing that crops were clean worked, and were growing fairly, there 

 was nothing in this visit that was satisfactory to us as one somewhat acquaint- 

 ed with the plans of culture and the system on which they were carried out. 



Coming back, the milch cows and heifers, and the breeding stock generally 

 were looked over. All appeared healthy and in good condition. The Here- 

 ford cow that had been presented to the College had had two cross-breed 

 heifers that looked quite as strong in color as she herself, though bred from a 

 Short-horn bull. The niuley black Galloways were there also, with some 

 calves ; and the Devons were well represented by some fine stock. The Ayr- 

 shires were also attractive to those who knew them as representatives of that 

 breed, while the Jerseys are beginning to show that they, too, form a fair pro- 

 portion of the stock at the Agricultural College. 



At tiie close of this brief review, the whole party adjourned to meet at the 

 chapel of the College, where the following proceedings were held : 



President Webber called the meeting to order, and the roll of the executive 

 members of the State Agricultural Society was called, and a quorum of 18 

 members were present. 



The President called upon the President of the College. 



President Abbot responded by expressing the pleasure it gave himself and 

 the Faculty to receive the officers and Executive Board of the State Agricul- 

 tural Society. When he read the inaugural address of the President last win- 

 ter, declaring the two institutions should be brought intimately into relation- 

 ship with each other, he was gratified at the good will which it had evinced to 

 the College. He had always accepted with pleasure visits from the members 

 of the State Agricultural Society, and he had always been in favor of measures 

 therein recommended. He detailed the action of the Board of Agriculture, 

 and said they were ready to meet them half way. This visit was such action 

 as he hoped would be continued. The State Grange having expressed a wish 

 last winter that its members should take an interest in an institution which 

 ■was working in the same direction as that body itself, he had extended an invi- 

 vation to them to meet the Executive Board of the State Society. Coming as 

 they did from the farmers of the State, and representing them directly, he 

 could not feel otherwise than gratified to welcome them here to-day. The 

 State Agricultural Society, the State Grange, and the State Agricultural Col- 

 lege were three separate and independent organizations which were designed 

 to work toward a common aim, and that is the progress of both practical and 

 scientific agriculture, and the elevation of the agricultural interests of the 



