FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. 45 1 



farm there. It was implied in the proposition that agricul- 

 tural instruction should become a part of the curriculum of 

 the institution, a foreshadowing of the State Agricultural 

 College of a later date. The trustees of the society re- 

 sponded with cordial approval of what was suggested, and 

 said that they had previously recommended something of 

 the kind to the Legislature. They judged, however, that 

 such an enterprise ought to be under the direction and con- 

 trol of the State authorities. 



In 1830, after conference nd agreement with the offi- 

 cers of Harvard College, the connection of the society 

 with the Botanic Garden was severed, and it went into the 

 sole charge of the college. This step appears to have 

 been taken in consequence of the action of the Legisla- 

 ture in refusing further grants of money for the purpose. 

 The $600 received from the State that year was paid over 

 to the college, and the fund derived from sale of the Maine 

 townships became vested in the college. No doubt much 

 benefit to agriculture had, directly and indirectly, resulted 

 from this cooperation, during 26 years, of the college and 

 the society. The corresponding secretary of the society 

 from 1798 to 1806 was Rev. J. T. Kirkland, and he con- 

 tinued to serve as a trustee until 1810, when he became 

 president of the college. He served in that office until 

 1827 and manifestly took a personal interest in the botan- 

 ic-agricultural department of the college. This is indi- 

 cated, in part, by various payments made to him during 

 his presidency, for seeds, plants, etc., and noted in the 

 Society's records. In 1836 the trustees, after investiga- 

 tion by a committee, offered premiums for the cultivation 

 of the sugar beet and the production of sugar therefrom. 



In 1824 the Journal contained a long article on road 

 making, giving a particular description of the method 

 employed in England by John Loudon McAdam. The 

 relation of this improvement to agriculture was indicated 

 by the editor in quoting the remark of a respectable far- 

 mer that " fuel is now (in 1824) cheaper in Boston than 



