THE 



TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT 



OP THE 



SECRETARY 



OF THE 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of 



Massachusetts. 



At its last annual meeting, the State Board directed that 

 the several agricultural societies receiving the bounty of the 

 State should hold at least three Farmers' Institutes within 

 their limits in the course of the year, - promising, at the same 

 time, to furnish them all the aid in its power to render such 

 institutes interesting, attractive, and instructive to the pub- 

 lic. In accordance with this requirement, with which the 

 societies very cordially complied, more than a hundred meet- 

 ings for lectures and discussions have been held in all parts of 

 the State, and they have been generally well attended, and 

 productive of much good. 



This movement really constitutes a new departure in the 

 management of many of the agricultural societies. The 

 Board had repeatedly, in former years, requested the socie- 

 ties to initiate this method of operation ; and some of them 

 had adopted the suggestion, and found it so popular, and pro- 

 ductive of so much interest, that they had continued to hold 

 such meetings in various portions of their territory, though 

 not absolutely required to do so till the past year. 



These frequent meetings have created an unusual spirit of 

 inquiry, and led to many interesting and valuable experi- 



