46 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The Report was accepted, and thereupon a Committee was 

 appointed, consisting of Messrs. French, Wilder, Sprague, 

 Newell and the Secretary, to petition the Legislature to pass an 

 Act incorporating a Board of Trustees, with authority to hold 

 funds for the object specified.* 



At the same meeting, a Committee, consisting of Messrs. 

 SprAgue, Brooks and Cliandler, was appointed, to examine the 

 premium lists of the several agricultural societies which receive 

 the bounty of the Commonwealth, and to prepare a list of the 

 premiums best calculated to promote and diffuse a knowledge 

 of the science of agriculture to be recommended to the atten- 

 tion of the several societies, in the hope that it may aid in 

 making a selection of the premiums to be offered by them. 



The permanent improvement of land is, without doubt, the 

 most important object to be aimed at in our agriculture ; and 

 the premiums of the societies, and the bounty of the Common- 

 wealth should be so distributed as to encourage this improve- 

 ment to'the greatest possible extent. Unlike rewards for the 

 production of a fancy article or a chance crop or animal, which 

 happens to be remarkable without effort or care in breeding, 

 every dollar offered for the encouragement of permanent im- 

 provements, whether in ordinary farm land or swamp or pas- 

 turage, or in the transplanting of ornamental trees, will produce 

 a lasting beneficial effect on the whole aspect of the State, and 

 will tend to elevate the general standard of our agriculture. 

 On account of the very great importance of this subject I would 

 respectfully call the attention of the officers of all agricultural 

 societies in the State to this point particularly, and would sug- 

 gest that it would be well to modify their premium lists 

 wherever it is necessary for the purpose of turning the efforts of 

 competitors more into this direction. 



The aggregate amount awarded for farm management 

 throughout the State for the past year was but thirty-seven 

 dollars, for experiments in draining, but fifteen dollars, for 

 reclaiming meadow and swamp lands, but one hundred and 



* It should be stated that the Board of Agriculture is by law " empowered to 

 take, hold in trust, and exercise control over any donations or bequests that may 

 be made to them for promoting agricultural education, or the general interests of 

 husbandry." They already hold property in their capacity as Trustees, which has 

 been presented for specific objects. 



