246 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Voted, That, in the judgment of this Board, the cattle 

 should be kept on the grounds during the entire exhibition ; 

 and that they shall in any event be required to be kept on 

 exhibition until three o'clock in the afternoon of the first 

 day, unless permission in writing be given by the president 

 of the society, for sufficient reason, to remove them earlier. 



Voted, That the agricultural societies receiving the bounty 

 of the Commonwealth be required to arrange and hold not 

 less than three " Farmers' Institutes " each year within their 

 limits ; and that the Board will render all the assistance in 

 its power to make such " institutes " instructive and useful 

 to the public ; and that the secretary notify the different 

 societies of this vote. 



Messrs. Bowditch, Smith, and the secretary were ap- 

 pointed a committee to prepare suitable resolutions upon 

 the deaths of Mr. Daimon of Wayland, and Mr. Davenport 

 of Coleraine, and forward them to the respective families of 

 the deceased. 



The Board then adjourned. 



The various topics treated in the foregoing pages cover a 

 range of subjects of especial interest to the farming commu- 

 nity. 



It has been a year of thought, inquiry, and investigation 

 on the part of the farmers, stimulated and assisted by the 

 frequently recurring institutes. 



The experiments made by individuals, and brought to 

 general notice at these public meetings, have been of great 

 value, and have plainly proved the urgent need of an ex- 

 periment station, to be maintained by the Commonwealth, 

 and administered by officers appointed for that purpose. 



Agricultural experiments so conducted are recognized by 

 all enlightened governments as an essential part of modern 

 progress. Some of the most useful information in the fore- 

 going pages is due to the pul)lished results of the investiga- 

 tions made at the stations of foreign governments. 



The value to us of experiments made in other countries is, 

 liowever, limited by the different conditions under which we 

 live ; and the variety of soils, variation of temperature, and 



