318 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Goodman then submitted the Report of the Committee 

 appointed to consider and suggest a list of subjects for investi- 

 gation and essays, as follows : — 



Field and Garden Seeds — Messrs. Moore, Hyde and Wilder. 



Cultivation and use of Forest Trees. — Messrs. Clark, Stone 

 and Durfee. 



The use of Steam on the Farm. — Messrs. Stockbridge, Had- 

 wen and Fay. 



The relative value of Farming among the occupations of Life. 

 — Messrs. Hubbard, Slade and Sturtevant. 



The importance of providing other Food for Cattle than Past- 

 urage. — Messrs Goodman, McElwain and Root. 



This Report was adopted. 



Voted, To appoint a Committee to make arrangements for the 

 meeting at Barre. 



Messrs. Root, Hadwen, Hubbard, Fay and the Secretary. 



Mr. Stockbridge then presented the following paper upon the 



AGRICULTURE OF EASTERN HAMPSHIRE. 



Although the Hampshire County Agricultural Society is not 

 limited by statute to any particular territory, and has efficient 

 members, receives contributions, and dispenses premiums with- 

 out regard to county lines, the real field of its operations is in 

 Eastern Hampshire, and comprises the ten towns of Hadley, 

 South Hadley, Amherst, Granby, Pelham, Belchertown, Enfield, 

 Prescott, Ware and Greenwich. The country is drained by the 

 Connecticut River and its tributaries, and has a slope to the 

 west and south-west. Its elevation above tide-water is from six 

 to seven hundred feet. Much of the surface is broken and hilly, 

 and it has mountain ranges running north and south. The 

 general mountain line is intersected by the Holyoke range, run- 

 ning east and west, some of whose most prominent points are 

 between eleven and twelve hundred feet in height. It embraces 

 an area of 113,893 square acres, and contains a population of 

 19,447, who are almost exclusively engaged in agriculture. It 

 has but two manufacturing villages of any size or note, — South 



