306 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



AUTUMN SESSION OF THE BOARD. 



TI13 autumn session of the Board was held at Skowhegan, 

 October 9th, 10th and 11th. The attendance was not as large as 

 on some previous occasions. This was in consequence of the 

 urgent press of farm work at the time, occasioned by the excessive 

 wetness of the season ; frequent and long continued rains having- 

 delayed the usual operations of the farm almost beyond precedent. 



Prof. Fernald read the following report of the delegates ap- 

 pointed at the last session to attend the National Agricultural 

 Convention held in Washington : 



REPORT. 



The National Agricultural Convention to which the undersigned 

 were delegates from the Maine State Board of Agriculture, assem- 

 bled at Washington, D. C, on the 15th, 16th and 17th of February, 

 1872. 



In the language of the call issued by the Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture, it was proposed "that each Agricultural College, State 

 Agricultural Society, State Horticultural Society, and State Board 

 of Agriculture, depute two delegates to meet in Convention at the 

 city of Washington," — "to take such action regarding the inter- 

 ests of agriculture as they shall deem expedient." 



In response to this call not less than a hundred and fifty dele- 

 gates assembled at the time and place appointed, and the Conven- 

 tion was permanently organized by the choice of Dr. George B. 

 Loring of Massachusetts, President, with one Vice President from 

 each State and Territory represented, and a Recording, a Reading 

 and a Corresponding Secretary. 



Culled as the Convention was with no definite object in view, 

 beyond the good which might accrue to the cause of agriculture 

 from a free consultation and interchange of views, its first work 

 was necessarily that of arranging a plan, or topics for considera- 

 tion. Among the subjects which received the attention of the 

 Convention and which were the most important of those consid- 

 ered, may be mentioned the following : 



1st, The expediency of seeking further land grants from Con- 



