48 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



established by the Board and published in the Report of last 

 year, was adopted by the Committee. 



At the same meeting of the Board, a committee, consisting of 

 Messrs. Newell, Phillips and Lewis, was appointed, to petition 

 the Legislature for the usual appropriation for the current ex- 

 penses of the farm for the ensuing year. 



The preceding pages contain the principal doings of the Board 

 for the last year. Much time has necessarily been devoted to 

 the discussion of minute practical details, the resiilt of which 

 will be found, for the most part, in the statement of the man- 

 agement of the Htate Farm, as given above. 



From various causes the labors and responsibilities of the 

 Secretary's office have gradually and constantly increased, until 

 they have become so great that very little time can be devoted 

 to the studies and original investigations, which are so neces- 

 sary, if any thing is to be added to what is already known in 

 the science of agriculture. ' Perliaps this result miglit have 

 been anticipated ; but it is much to be regretted, since it inter- 

 feres very materially with one of the objects sought to be 

 attained by the establishment of the Board. 



It has been my endeavor, heretofore, — and the plan thus far 

 pursued has commended itself to the judgment of most sensible 

 men, — to collect from different sources information which could 

 not be reached by the great majority of farmers, but which 

 would be useful to all ; and to condense, arrange and generalize 

 the facts obtained. Among other good effects expected from 

 this mode of proceeding, it was thought something might thus 

 be done to remove the impression now too prevalent, that farm- 

 ing does not offer so much hope of profit as some other pursuits 

 not so attractive in themselves, and certainly not so important 

 to the interests of mankind. With this view, a brief sketch of 

 the origin, progress and present condition of agriculture in 

 Massachusetts was given, in my first Annual Report, together 

 with a complete discussion of the culture and profits of the 

 cranberry. In my second Report, I attempted to give a brief 

 summary of the facts now known in regard to the climate of 

 New England, including many peculiarities in the agricultural 

 meteorology of this State, and adding a complete discussion of 

 the history, modes of cultivation and profits of the hop. This 



