860 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



duties ; Belgium, the model of rational and progressive agri- 

 culture, has its Department or Board of Agriculture ; and 

 so with nearly every country of Europe. 



The result is a more complete and perfect system, a wider 

 spread intelligence in rural affairs, and a more powerful 

 influence of science in its relations to the soil, with far 

 greater practical results, than any thing we can show. We 

 shall need to develop a far more liberal and generous spirit 

 towards this great interest, a more realizing sense of the 

 importance of scientific investigations, and a more imperative 

 demand for universal intelligence, before we can claim to 

 have heeded the advice of Washington, or to have done our 

 whole duty in our efforts to develop the possibilities of the 

 production of human food. 



Ch A TILES L. Flint, 

 Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture. 



Boston, January, 1879. 



