32 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 



Norfolk, and an awarding of premiums in the name of Mas- 

 sachusetts agriculture, might have been deemed not only 

 invidious as respects other counties, but inadequate and un- 

 just as respects the proper renown of the whole State in 

 the particular of the agricultural art. 



Due appreciation of the society's efforts during the 

 period alluded to depends upon having in mind the exist- 

 ing difficulties of communication, as well as of travelling. 

 The rates for letter postage then would now be deemed 

 extortionate. No newspapers were published oftener than 

 once a week, excepting perhaps one or two semi-weeklies, 

 and the first daily paper did not appear till 1813. The 

 circulation of these was small and no adequate space for 

 diffusion of agricultural information could have been had 

 in any of them. The society was restricted in this part of 

 its work to pamphlet issues. In 1801, its publications 

 were distributed in some of the remote sections through 

 the Worcester, Middlesex and Kennebec agricultural socie- 

 ties. In 1812 a special effort was made " to awaken a live- 

 lier interest in the important subject of agriculture," and 

 1,000 copies of a letter addressed to farmers were printed. 

 One copy was sent to each town clerk in the State with a 

 request that he would read it in town meeting. All the 

 clergymen of the " inland towrls " of the State were made 

 honorary members of the society and letters were addressed 

 to all "requesting the exertion of their influence in aid of 

 the measures of the board." These efforts were apparent- 

 ly of good effect, for in the next year it was noted with 

 congratulation in one of the issues of the society, that 

 " numerous town societies " had been formed for promoting 

 agriculture, and in another connection the names of fifteen 

 of these are given. These, as well as the county 

 societies, were therea fter available for gathering and dis- 

 tributing information. In 1813, the society began a serial 

 publication which was called the " Massachusetts Agricul- 

 tural Journal " and was issued semi-annually. 



In 1801 it was voted to appropriate $500 towards the 



