FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. 133 



.'Some conditions were attached, which circumstances made 

 it difficult to carry into effect, and after negotiation and a 

 comparison of views, the sum of $2,000 was granted, uncon- 

 ditionally, payable " whenever an arrangement satisfactory 

 to the college has been made for an establishment." 



In February, 1885, a contagious disease having appeared, 

 known as " hog-cholera " or swine-fever,'' a committee of 

 trustees was appointed to call the official attention of the 

 Executive of the State to the situation. Governor Ames 

 responded in a special message to the Legislature, and an 

 act was promptly passed to provide authority and means to 

 exterminate the disease. The act was general and covered 

 any contagious disease which existed, or might appear, 

 among domestic animals, and provided a penalty for a wil- 

 ful suppression or withholding of information of the presence 

 of such diseases. 



In 1887 a premium of $ 1,000 was awarded and paid to 

 J. D. W. French, of North Andover, for a plantation of 

 larch trees, raised by him, in conformity with the terms of 

 the society's premium offers of 1876. The official report of 

 the matter says that the trees were European larches, about 

 15,000 in number; as originally planted. They were set to 

 cover an area of five acres, about four feet apart, excepting 

 along the boundaries of the field, where they were placed 

 nearer together. The land was a steep slope, facing to the 

 south, covered with a thin coating of gravelly loam, mixed, 

 towards the bottom of the hill, with light sand. It was of 

 no value for tillage, but had been used for pasturage, though 

 of little worth for that, having but the scantiest growth of 

 native sedges and grasses. During the ten years some of 

 the trees died, so that the space was not covered with equal 

 density ; but, as was estimated, from 10,000 to 12,000 thrifty 

 trees were then upon the ground. They were not of equal 

 height throughout, the highest tree being twenty-five feet, 

 and measuring at the butt twenty-six inches in circumfer- 

 ence ; but those spoken of as the smallest averaged twelve 

 feet height, with trunks of ten or twelve inches circumfer- 

 ence. Others appeared which were of spontaneous growth, 



