112 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 



stood preeminent in the professions to which they respec- 

 tively belonged. In 1847 a communication was received 

 from the Royal Agricultural Society of France,' asking for 

 any information in the possession of the Massachusetts 

 Society as to the phenomena of, and the remedy for, the 

 prevalent potato disease. An expert investigation of the 

 disease had recently been made under the direction of the 

 trustees, and the result of it was sent to Paris. In 1849 

 Dr. Edward Brooks returned from Paris and delivered the 

 expected course of public lectures, in February, at the 

 State House. In 1850 a pair of North Devon cattle was 

 bought and presented to the State's reformatory institu- 

 tion, at Westboro. In 1851 occurred the decease of Dr. 

 Brooks, and the trustees made an arrangement with Dr. 

 D. D. Slade to give a course of public lectures on veteri- 

 nary science, which he did in a manner to meet the offi- 

 cial approval of Dr. Warren, who was of the committee of 

 arrangements. In this case, as in that of the preceding 

 course, $600 was paid to the lecturer from the treasury of 

 the society. 



In 1851 an appropriation of $2,500 having been made, 



~ f '.J/^-^^ %^-o^O^j 



the treasurer of the society, -Homy Codman, <? visited 

 Europe and procured a bull and four cows of the Jersey y 

 or Alderney, breed of cattle. These, on arrival, were 

 placed in charge of Mr. Thomas Motley, one of the trus- 

 tees of the society, at his farm in West Roxbury. In 

 1852 the society made one more effort to get from the 

 State of Maine the half-township of land, which, through 

 technicalities, had failed to come into its possession upon 

 the separation of the district of Maine from the State of 

 Massachusetts, the Legislature of which had made the 

 grant. In October of this year the decease of Daniel 

 Webster took place, and at the meeting of trustees next 

 ensuing, the following resolution was adopted : 



Whereas, it has pleased Divine Providence to remove 

 by death our late distinguished vice president, the Hon. 

 Daniel Webster. 



Resolved, That while the trustees of this society, in 



