614 State Board ok AanicuLTUftE, &c. 



which might hiy the foundation of great wealth to our State. 

 Nature at best makes but few spontaneous contributions to 

 the wealtli or prosperity of a nation. The amount of 

 property possessed by a people will always depend greatly 

 upon the skill and labor they apply in developing natural 

 resources. Yermont has not, to a considerable extent, 

 improved the advantages at her command, but as she haa 

 improved them, so has she prospered, but not to her fullest 

 extent. More than three-fourths of the water power of tlie 

 State is undeveloj)ed and unimproved. 



Some years since our Legislature, by joint resolution, 

 instructed the Secretary of State, by a series of questions, 

 to ascertain the value and availability of the water power of 

 the State, but it calling only for voluntary responses, but 

 little valuable information was obtained. Yet sufficient, I 

 apprehend, to suggest somewhat the value of the power of 

 our rivers, ponds and lakes for use. As no appropriation 

 was made to meet the expense or carry on the investigation, 

 the work was measurably abandcmed or turned over to the 

 Board of Agriculture, Manufactures and Mining, with a 

 view of a hydrographic survey ; but providing no means for 

 its accomplishment. This is a matter of regret as it was, 

 and still is, the only reliable means of furnishing informa- 

 tion on a subject which should be foremost to those who 

 have the prosperity of the State in view. I have been able 

 to gather some information and have given much thought 

 and time to the subject, which, though incomplete, will 

 serve to draw attention to something of the wealth that lies 

 in Yermont's' lakes, ponds, rivers and brooks. 



The extreme length of the State is 157^ miles and the 



