FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. 119 



ers, so that the purchasers of the cattle represented an 

 extensive region, and thereby a distribution was made in 

 a manner satisfactory to the trustees. 



In 1858, agreeably to a plan decided upon in the pre- 

 ceding year, the trustees made an arrangement with 

 Sanford Howard, an expert of reputation in cattle of pure 

 blood, to visit Scotland and purchase four bulls and ten 

 heifers of Ayrshire stock, of the Swinley strain. The 

 sum of $3,500 was voted for the purpose, with instruc- 

 tions to Mr. Howard, if it proved insufficient, to diminish 

 the number but not the quality of the cattle. In the 

 course of the season they were shipped in two vessels, and 

 on arrival were placed at the farm of Nathan W. Brown, 

 in Topsfield. The management of the herd was similar to 

 that followed in previous like instances. In 1859 the 

 stock then remaining was removed to Mr. Motley's farm 

 in West Roxbury, and during the following year the ani- 

 mals were sold by auction to prominent farmers and 

 breeders in Roxbury, Salem, Marblehead, Southbridge 

 and Topsfield. In 1858 a bequest of 19,166.07 from Dr. 

 George C. Shattuck, Sen., was received and added to the 

 permanent funds of the society. 



In 1859 the trustees received a communication from the 

 Hampden County Society, setting forth a project for or- 

 ganizing a State Agricultural Society, and expressing in- 

 tention to apply for an independent charter, unless the 

 Massachusetts society preferred to cooperate in the move- 

 ment through such amendments of its charter as would 

 have a like effect. The trustees voted to put the docu- 

 ment on file, and to have the following entered upon the 

 records, as a memorandum explanatory of the views of 

 the society : 



By reference to page 408, of volume 6, of the society's 

 publications of the year 1821, it will be seen that the 

 society had not, up to that period, and it certainly has not 

 since, arrogated to itself the position of a State agricultu- 

 ral society. In speaking of the formation of a State 

 agricultural society in New Hampshire, the trustees of 



