352 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



regularly procured for town libraries, and thousands of 

 volumes placed within the reach of our people. An ex- 

 change of documents with the governments of foreign 

 countries was also instituted. At the same time, great labor 

 was devoted to the formation of an agricultural museum, in 

 connection with the office of the Secretar\'^ of the Board, at 

 the State House, and some hundreds of specimens of grasses, 

 minerals, birds, insects, and other objects of natural history, 

 etc., were collected. It was designed, also, to procure models 

 of all our fruits, each to be labelled with its proper name, and 

 the local names by which it was known in various parts of the 

 State, the soil in which it flourished best, and other items of 

 interest and value. In short, it was designed to make a 

 collection which should afford a perfect representation of all 

 the agricultural products of the State, and be of direct 

 practical value to all who desired to avail themselves of it. A 

 very considerable collection was made, but on account of 

 want of space in the State House, the whole was removed 

 to the Agricultural College some years ago. 



The office correspondence necessary for the attainment of all 

 these objects grew to be very extensive, and it has continued 

 so to the present time. Thus, the Board labored quietly and 

 unostentatiously, but hard and constantly, confident that the 

 farmers of the State would appreciate well-meant and well- 

 directed efforts to promote the progress of agriculture. The 

 members of the Board do not receive any pay for their time 

 or their services. These are freely given to the public, and 

 for this reason, if for no other, they deserve the generous 

 cooperation and confidence of every fiu-mer in the State. 



The course which has been explained was, in ni}^ judgment, 

 the best and most efficient that could be adopted. It has l)een 

 the means of accomplishing more good, and has secured the 

 confidence and respect of the people to a far greater extent 

 than any other could have done. I leave the decision upon 

 its merits to the good judgment of sensible men. 



The Board of Agriculture, from 1854 to 1859, had charge 

 of the State Farm at Westborough. This is a farm of two 

 hundred and eighty-five acres, lying contiguous to the State 

 Reform School. It was under the management of the trustees 

 of that institution previous to its transfer to the Board iu 



