TOWN FARMS. 317 



TOAVN FARMS. 



. On the 17th January, 1856, 1 directed the following circular 

 to the selectmen of the difierent towns in tlie State, in tlie hope 

 of exciting- some interest in conducting experiments on the town 

 farms under their charge, or under the direction of the overseers 

 of the poor, viz. : — 



Board of Agricuxtuke, Secretary's Ofeice, ) 



January 17, 1856. ) 



Gentlemen : — At a meeting of the Board of Agriculture, held at the 

 State House on the 5th of December, 1855, it was voted, "That the 

 Secretary address a circular letter to the selectmen of every town 

 in the Commonwealth, recommending that each town possessing a 

 town or poor farm, make the same, as far as possible, a model or 

 experimental farm." 



It must be evident to you that, owing to the difference of soils and 

 the influences of climate in different parts of the State, no experiments 

 made in any one locality, however carefully they may be conducted, 

 can be of universal application or value. Hence, a model or experi- 

 mental farm in any one part of the State, though it may be of impor- 

 tance and value in -that vicinity, can hardly be expected to be of equal 

 value in other sections. It is believed that many thousand dollars 

 are annually lost by individuals, in the injudicious application of 

 manures, and by the cultivation of crops of less value than others which 

 might be adopted. By a course of judicious experiments, carefully 

 conducted, on the town farms in every part of the State, many useful 

 ideas might be suggested, without expense to the State or to the towns 

 by which they were made ; and these experiments would be brought, 

 from year to year, to the knowledge of til who might wish to profit 

 by them. These experiments might be intrusted to a committee 

 specially appointed for the purpose, or to the selectmen, or the over- 

 seers of the poor. 



I shall be happy to aflford all the assistance in my power, by way of 



