62 



Cheshire and Rockingham counties formed societies. In 1817 a small appropriation of 

 $100 each was made by the legislature to encourage the two societies. Hillsboro and 

 Strafford counties each organized and received charters in 1817. Grafton and Coos 

 quickly followed. In 1819 and 1820 each county in the State had helped to form agri- 

 cultural societies, held fairs, and received aid from the State. Up to 1820 the appro- 

 priation varied from $100 to $300 each, and in all $3,000 had been expended by the 

 State. 



In accordance with the recommendation of Governor Bell in 1820 a board of agricul- 

 ture was created by the State, consisting of a president and a delegate from each society. 

 In 1821 a board of twelve meml>ers was organized and William Badger was chosen presi- 

 dent and Matthew Harvey secretary. Only one report was ever written and that 

 largelj- by Rev. Humphrey Moore, of Milford, in 1822. 



About 1850 the New Hampshire State Agricultural Society was formed, its purpose 

 being to improve the agriculture of the State, and for ten years it published reports at 

 the expense of the State and held agricultural fairs that were well attended. Such 

 men as Daniel Webster, Hon. Edward Everett, and Marshall P. Wilder were orators on 

 those occasions. 



It was not until August 23, 1870, that both branches of the legislature by unanimous 

 vote created the State board of agriculture, composed, as it is to-day, of one member from 

 each of the ten counties. The governor and council appointed the following members: 

 Merrimac County, Moses Humphrey, of Concord; Belknap County, Thomas J. Whip- 

 ple, of Laconia; Hillsboro County, James O. Adams, of Manchester; Cheshire County, 

 Sampson W. Buffum, of Winchester; Carroll County, W. H. H. Mason, of Moultonboro; 

 Grafton County, Luther B. Hoskins, of Lyman; Strafford County, Charles Jones, of 

 Milton; Rockingham County, Joseph F. Lawrence, of Epping; Coos County, Nathan 

 R. Perkins, of Jefferson; Sullivan County, Edward H. Brown, of Croydon. The first 

 meeting was held Tuesday, August 23, 1870, and Hon. Moses Humphrey was chosen 

 chairman and James 0. Adams secretary. 



The first public meeting or farmers' institute held by the State board was at Concord, 

 November 29 and 30, 1870. A number of other meetings followed at various points in 

 the State during the winter, and for several years such gatherings held by the State 

 board of agriculture were called "public meetings," but they did not differ materially 

 from the meetings which are now generally known as farmers' institutes. In announc- 

 ing these meetings, the term "institutes" was not used in New Hampshire until 1887. 

 Since that date institutes have been held each year in the different counties and 

 reports of their proceedings published annually. 



During 1904 18 institutes were held, composed of 38 sessions; 3,400 people were in 

 attendance, and 16 lecturers were upon the State corps of instructors, four of whom 

 were from the faculty of the agricultural college and from the staff of the agricultural 

 experiment station. The total expense was $1,588, all of which was appropriated by 

 the State board of agriculture from the general funds received from the State for inst '- 

 tute purposes. Local arrangements for holding institutes are made by the secretary of 

 the board with Grange organizations, farmers' clubs, and agricultural and horticultural 

 societies. The reports of the proceedings are annually published. During 1904, 2.000 

 copies of these reports were distributed. 



NEW JERSEY. 



The New Jersey State Board of Agriculture was organized and established by a law 

 enacted in 1872. This law, with its later amendments, made provision for auxiliary 

 organizations, such as county boards of agriculture, granges, and local farmers' clubs. 



The last-named organizations have been in the habit of holding a number of meetings 

 each year for the discussion of matters relating to the improvement of farm stock, culti- 

 vation of the soil, application of manure, commercial fertilizers (their composition 

 and use), fruit production, etc. 



