58 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



table pursuit ; that aged persons coulil attend to the bees Avhen they 

 could not walk over the farm to labor ; that even children could 

 assist in this department, and find agreeable occupation ; that the 

 keeping of the Honey Bee, especially in the northern counties, com- 

 bined in an eminent degree both pleasure and profit, and served to 

 mingle the useful with the sweet. The letter further stated the 

 principle upon which was constructed the Davis' Patent Platform 

 Bee Hive, with Torrey's Improvements, and recommended that the 

 Board refer the whole subject to a committee for a full investigation. 



Mr. Dill stated, that he had had considerable experience in the 

 culture of bees. He had received the most profit from them kept 

 in Colton's hive. He thought attention enough had not been paid 

 to their cultivation. 



A committee consisting of Mr. Noyes and Mr. Dill were raised 

 to report at the next session of this Board. 



Mr. Wasson called the particular attention of the Board to the 

 paper of Hon. P. Barnes, on drainage, printed in the secretary's 

 report. He thought it worthy of especial consideration and com- 

 mendation, not only on account of its value, but of the circumstan- 

 ces of the case, and the source whence it originated. He therefore 

 besrged to ofier the following resolution : 



Resolved^ That the secretary of the Board be instructed to pre- 

 sent the thanks of the Board to Hon. Phineas Barnes for his valua- 

 ble paper on drainage and flowage, published in the last report, and 

 that the secretary be also instructed to present the draft of a law 

 accompanying this report to the joint committee on agriculture of 

 the present legislature, and urge the adoption of the same. 



The resolution passed by a unanimous vote. 



The secretary offered the following resolve, which was adopted : 



Resolved^ That in the opinion of this Board the adoption by the 

 state of some thorough and efficient system by which rclialde and 

 extensive statistical information could be obtained and laid before 

 the people, would greatly conduce to the prosperity of the common- 

 wealth by developing our known and unknown, active and dormant 

 resources, our facilities for all industrial pursuits, and by increasing 

 our population, products, wealth and power. 



The secretary was instructed to present the same to the appropri- 

 eat committee of the legislature, and to urge favorable action thereon. 



