16 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and of a responsible nature. Tlicy were sufficient to occupy 

 liis whole time in the labors of the office, and, at the same time, 

 he was expected to visit all sections of the State, and become 

 familiar with their wants and necessities. It will be seen that 

 tlie duties are of a two-fold character, and must, tliercfore, give 

 rise to much difficulty, till some provision is made for perma- 

 nent assistance in the work of the office. 



When the present Secretary entered on the performance of 

 his duties, the State had, for some years, been paying, in boun- 

 ties, a sum wliich had annually increased till it exceeded nine 

 thousand dollars. It seemed to be very important, if this 

 practice was to be continued, to arrange some uniform system 

 of returns, in order that the manner in which all these bounties 

 were appropriated might be understood at a glance. It was 

 impossible to perfect the details of the system the first year. 

 Great care was taken, to prepare such blanks, to be used by 

 the officers of all the societies, as would show the extent of 

 tlie permanent funds of each, and the mode of investment, the 

 manner in which the income was expended, the comparative 

 amount of premiums paid on each article throughout the State, 

 and the extent of the influence of each society ; the last being 

 indicated by the number and names of the towns in which pre- 

 miums were awarded, and the amount paid to each. These 

 requisitions have been fully and promptly complied with, by 

 the Secretaries of all the Societies in the State, so far as it 

 was in their power, and the result has been very gratifying. 

 Many improvements in the blanks have already suggested 

 themselves, and it is hoped that a complete system of agricul- 

 tural returns will soon be made, by which the proceedings of 

 each county will be so brought to the knowl(^lge of the citizens 

 of other parts of the State, as to be of interest and instruc- 

 tion to all. 



Special care has been taken, to effect a general and judicious 

 distribution of the volume of Agricultural Transactions, annu- 

 ally published by the State. Copies have been sent directly 

 to the small and remote towns, many of whicli had no repre- 

 sentative and no express, to men wlio read it with interest, 

 and who desire to improve by the practice and experience of 

 others. It has thus been put into tlie hands of very many 



