124 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 



county agricultural show in Concord, and in 1867 at that 

 in Springfield. 



During the third quarter of a century of the society's 

 existence, its surplus or accrued funds were not applied y 

 in premiums, by any constant system. In some years no 

 premiums were paid ; and only one, that to encourage the 

 growth of forest trees for ship timber, was continuously 

 offered. In other years the total of premiums paid wa& 

 very small ; but money was expended with a liberal hand 

 in various ways, some of which have been mentioned. 

 Among the additional payments were the following: In 

 1853, for premiums at the national exhibition of horses r 

 f 250, and to aid the Legislative Agricultural Society in 

 giving lectures, $100 ; in 1854, as premiums for the cattle 

 shows of the Worcester and the Berkshire societies, $150 

 each, and to purchase a Jersey bull for the State Reform 

 institution at Westboro, $100 ; in 1855, for premiums at 

 the exhibition of the United States Agricultural Society, 

 held on the newly-filled territory between South Bay and 

 Harrison Avenue, $1,000, and the same year, to the Ply- 

 mouth County society, for premiums, $125 ; in 1856, for 

 premiums on dairy stock at an exhibition held at the 

 same time with the annual cattle show of the Worcester 

 County society, nearly $2,000 ; in 1857, for premiums at 

 a State exhibition, the awards being made under the di- 

 rection of the Board of Agriculture, $2,000 ; in 1858, as a 

 subscription for the purchase, for the Natural History 

 Society, of Dr. T. W. Harris's collection of insects in 

 Massachusetts injurious to vegetation, $150 ; in 1861, to 

 aid the Barnstable Agricultural Society, $200 ; in 1866, 

 to aid the Botanical Garden of Harvard University, $500 ;. 

 in 1867, to pay the tuition fees of three deserving students- 

 at the State Agricultural College, $150. 



Various pamphlets relating to agriculture were issued 

 from time to time, and the expense of an agricultural sur- 

 vey of the counties of Middlesex and Essex, in 1858 and 

 1859, was met by the society. In 1858, premiums of $150 



