THE STATE FARM. 79 



of labor in the care of the offal. When the contract and trans- 

 fer of the farm was made, it was agreed that the Board should 

 remove the swill from the institution, and allow a fixed 'sum 

 annually for it ; and the quantity of food thus obtained enables 

 the farm to support over seventy swine, and during some parts 

 of the present season the number has exceeded one hundred, 

 without the necessity of buying or feeding much grain. The 

 piggery is substantially built and simply and conveniently 

 arranged, though not large enough for the wants of the farm. 

 I believe it to be true that there are few thrifty farmers in the 

 State who have not piggeries which cost as much in proportion 

 to the number of swine they keep, as that at the State Farm, 

 especially when the cost of the slaughter and store house is 

 deducted from the aggregate amount, as it must be if we would 

 get the true cost of the piggery itself. 



Nor do I believe there is a sensible farmer here who would 

 not say it was proper and requisite that the farm should have 

 buildings creditable to the State, cost what they might ; and 

 even supposing they were a little better than would be necessary 

 on an ordinary farm, it is to be considered that the State 

 Farm is a place of resort for thousands every year, both from 

 different parts of our own State and from other States, and they 

 naturally expect to find a farm commensurate in some degree 

 with the importance of its objects and the dignity and wealth of 

 the State ! You, as farmers, would not desire an institution 

 which would do credit neither to you nor to the State. With 

 this slight exception, I know of no items on which a shadow of 

 complaint has been or could be founded ; and this was seized 

 upon by the opponents of this enterprise, not because it was 

 justly open to the charge of extravagance, for they did not even 

 examine the items, knowing full well that they could not put a 

 finger on one and show it to be injudicious, under the circum- 

 stances, but simply to cast an undeserved slur upon the whole 

 arrangement. 



I do not hesitate to say that, in my judgment, the arrange- 

 ment is one of true economy to the Commonwealth in every 

 point of view. Tliere are some considerations which should 

 not be forgotten in discussing the present condition of the State 

 Farm and its management by the Board of Agriculture. It is 

 perhaps the case that property under the control of a number of 



