118 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



cultural societies of the State, and to report the same if any ; 

 also to consider whether any plan can be adopted to give 

 additional efficiency, and to improve the organization of the 

 State Board of Agriculture, and to rejjort the same, if any. 



At the annual meeting held at the State House in Boston, 

 January loth, 14th, 15th, and 16th, this committee submitted 

 the following 



REPORT: 



The committee to whom was referred the question of 

 increasing the efficiency of the State Board of Agriculture, 

 and of establishing softie uniform system for the management 

 of agricultural societies in the State, would respectfully report: 



The Act establishing a State Board of Agriculture, provides, 

 after setting forth how it shall be constituted, and when it shall 

 hold its meetings, tliat : — 



" Section 4. They may appoint and prescribe the duties of a secretary 

 of the board, who shall receive a salary of two thousand dollars a year ; 

 and who at such times as the board approve may employ a clerk at a 

 salary not exceeding six hundred dollars a yeax*. 



" Section 5. They shall investigate such subjects relating to improve- 

 ment in agriculture in this State, as they think proper, and may take, 

 hold in trust, and exercise control over, donations or bequests made to 

 them, for promoting agricultural education, or the general interests of 

 husbandry. 



" Section G. They may prescribe forms for and regulate the returns 

 required of the different agricultural societies, and furnish to the secretary 

 of each, such blanks as they deem necessary to secure uniform and 

 reliable statistics." 



These three sections contain all the definition that can be 

 found of the duties of the Board, and constitute the chief object 

 wliich the Board has thus far had in view. 



We cannot refer to tlie history of the Board, without 

 expressing our gratification at what has already been accom- 

 plished. Its organization was the result of long and unwearied 

 etlort on the part of many intelligent and influential citizens of 

 the Commonwealth, all of whom had a personal interest in the 

 cause of agriculture, and sonic of whom had contributed largely 

 to the agricultural literature of the country. Not with any 



