xxii BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



expectation tliat it may load those who may have a desire 

 for country life to purchase, and thus l)enefit not only 

 present owners and would-l)c purchasers, but also the State 

 at laroc. jSIany applications for information in regard to 

 sucli property in this State come to this office. We have 

 no relia])Ie information for such inquirers, and are obliged 

 to refer them to Vermont and New Hampshire. ^lassa- 

 chusetts should not be behind her neighbors in any good 

 work. Here is a field that might be worked with good 

 results. If our Legislature would provide a small sum for 

 the expense, and give some officer authority to collect 

 information, we might see good fruit. Our experience, like 

 that of our predecessors, is, that information or statistics 

 asked for as a favor are hard to get. Authority of law is 

 needed to set g-eneral and reliable information. 



A directory of the agricultural organizations in the State 

 is printed in the body of this volume. This is a new feature. 

 The collection of the data cost time and patience. It will 

 furnish reliable information often sought after, but to l)e 

 found nowhere else. 



The proper distribution of the fifteen thousand copies of 

 the "Agriculture of Massachusetts" has been given careful 

 attention. It is well known that the distribution of a little 

 more than one-half of the number printed is provided for by 

 law, each Senator and Representative having twenty-five 

 copies, and five hundred copies are bound with the public 

 documents. A certain number have always been committed 

 to each mcml)er of the Board of Agriculture, and the 

 secretary of each agricultural society has also received 

 copies in proportion to the size of the society. Every 

 farmers' club and grange that has made required returns to 

 this office has also received a proportionate numljer. This 

 })lan of distribution covers most of the towns and all the 

 cities of the State. AVe found, however, last season, upon 

 investigation, that one hundred towns had no resident 

 meml)er of the Legislature, member of the Board of 

 Agriculture or agricultural organization, and so were liable 

 to be neglected in the distribution. To prevent such 

 injustice, arrangements were made with a suital)le person in 

 each of these towns to receive and distribute a num]>er of 



