166 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 



regarded as a whole, and, in many instances, in the 

 particular enterprises. The cost of importations of 

 live stock, for example, has always been enhanced by 

 expenses for keeping, through periods of various 

 length. Much in printing and distributing circulars 

 and small pamphlets has been done, of which no men- 

 tion is here made. The total cost of the advertising in 

 newspapers of matters directly concerning farmers' 

 interests, during the century, could it be ascertained, 

 would be a surprising sum. What has been set forth 

 of a financial character has related almost wholly to 

 the expenditures of the society. In the early history 

 of the society, a considerable revenue was derived 

 from annual fees. This in time, through decrease of 

 the membership, and by the substitution of a specific 

 admission fee in place of an annual fee, was dimin- 

 ished to a small sum. At the beginning of the civil 

 war, as already stated, the society decHned the annual 

 bounty of the State, and ever since, at its own option, 

 it has refrained from making any draft on the State 

 treasury. Certain bequests and gifts, the more im- 

 portant of which have been mentioned, came to the 

 society from time to time. No money has ever been 

 paid as salary to any of its officers, nor for entertain- 

 ment of members or guests. Such hospitalities as 

 have been offered have been at the personal cost of 

 the hosts of the several occasions. The society's 

 financial prosperity has been largely the consequence 

 of a careful management of the permanent funds, by 

 restricting the expenditure of the current year to the 

 income of that year; and a reservation, as circum- 

 stances allowed, of a portion of the income, to be 

 added to the permanent funds. 



