Xll 



whom the inquiry into the expediency or inexpediency of con- 

 tinuing the Agricultural Survey was in one case, if not in more, 

 committed, there is good reason to think that not a single indi- 

 vidual of the committee, who objected to its continuance, had 

 ever seen either of the three Reports of the Commissioner, or, 

 in fact, knew what had been done. 



The commission having then been closed and my intended re- 

 moval into another State precluding any reasonable imputation 

 of unworthy motives, I shall speak with freedom of some things 

 which I have done or attempted, leaving it entirely to others to 

 say how they have been done, or with what success attempted. 



Of the fourteen counties in the State I have pretty thoroughly 

 explored ten, having visited almost every town, sought the 

 acquaintance of some of the best farmers in the several towns in 

 each of these counties, and examined, as far as I could learn 

 them, the principal agricultural improvements in each of them. 

 I have attended all the cattle-shows and fairs, which have been 

 held during the term of my commission, whether county or 

 town shows, as far as the separate days of holding these shows 

 permitted me to do it. I have held meetings of the farmers for 

 conversation and discussion in several parts of the State. I 

 have maintained an extensive correspondence with farmers 

 in all parts of the State, and in many of the other States. 

 With leave of the Executive, I have travelled several thou- 

 sands of miles in other States for the purpose of looking at 

 their improvements and gathering information, which might be 

 useful to the farmers of Massachusetts ; into Vermont, to see 

 their sheep husbandry; into Connecticut, Rhode Island and 

 New York, to see their improved stock ; into New Jersey, to 

 see the application of their marls, and to look at their beet-sugar 



