SECRETARY'S REPORT. 47 



forty-two dollars ; while the amount awarded for excellence 

 of root and grain crops, a large proportion of them acciden- 

 tal, being entered after it was discovered that an unusual 

 yield might be expected, was over nine hundred and twenty 

 dollars ! 



These facts show how little attention has been paid by 

 farmers to the improvement of their land, and afford sufficient 

 evidence that a stronger stimulus should be applied to accele- 

 rate progress in this direction. The offer of larger premiums 

 to those who were most successful in this department would 

 probably do more than any other one thing to produce the 

 desired effect, and would thus contribute very much to promote 

 the future prosperity of the Commonwealth. 



The death of Doctor Harris having been announced to the 

 Board, the following resolutions were imanimously passed : — 



Resolved^ That we deeply regret to learn the death of Dr. 

 Thaddeus W. Harris, of Cambridge, and that we feel most sen- 

 sibly the great obligations which rest upon the community to 

 cherish his memory for his valuable contributions to the science 

 of agriculture, in a branch of such immense importance to its 

 interests, that of insect life in its relations to agriculture. 



Resolved^ That this Board sympathize deeply with the family 

 of the deceased in their heavy bereavement, and that the Secre- 

 tary be, and he is hereby requested to furnish to them a copy 

 of these resolutions. 



A Superintending Committee of the State Farm was elected, 

 consisting of Messrs. Wilder, French, Newell, Brooks, Chandler, 

 Sprague, Bartlett and Phillips, and it was voted that the 

 employment of the boys of the State Reform School should be 

 regulated by this Committee, acting in conjunction with a Com- 

 mittee appointed for the same jDurpose by the Trustees of that 

 Institution. 



At a meeting of this committee, held subsequently to the 

 meeting of the Board, Messrs. Wilder and Bartlett were ap- 

 pointed a Committee on Crops, Fertilizers, <fec. ; Messrs. 

 Brooks and Newell, a Committee on Stock ; Messrs. French 

 and Chandler, a Committee on Permanent Improvements ; and 

 Messrs. Sprague and Phillips, a Committee on Labor ; and the 

 code of By-Laws for the management and regulation of the farm 



