FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE 39 



names of fifteen of these are given. These, as well as 

 the county societies, were thereafter available for 

 gathering and distributing information. In 1813, the 

 society began a serial publication which was called the 

 "Massachusetts Agricultural Journal" and was issued 

 semi-annually. 



In 1801 it was voted to appropriate $500 towards 

 the foundation at Harvard College of a professorship 

 of natural history, and, after proper negotiations, it 

 was established in 1804. The plan, so far as connected 

 with the objects of the society, provided for scientific 

 observation of the growth of vegetation and of the 

 habits of noxious insects, that methods might be de- 

 vised for their destruction, and a cultivation, for sale 

 and distribution, of the seeds and roots of useful 

 plants. This cooperation of the society and college 

 continued for twenty-five years, when the annual grant 

 which had been made by the State, in aid of this part 

 of the society's work, ceased. During the period named 

 the society voted annually a sum of money from its 

 own funds for the work, and appointed each year a 

 board of visitors to report thereupon. Herein was the 

 origin of the present "Botanical Garden" at Cam- 

 bridge. 



In the year 1801 the society took a very important 

 step, which marks the beginning of a movement which 

 has gone on with increasing benefit both to the farm- 

 ing population and the general public, the movement, 

 namely, by which all sorts of farm-bred animals have 

 been immensely improved in the breeding of the most 

 desirable qualities. Neither by a comparison of 

 written records, nor by listening to the testimony of 

 the oldest citizen qualified to speak on the subject, can 

 a true idea be gained of the disparity between the 

 conditions prevalent then and now; and it is even 



