PREFACE. 



I must again call the attention of the officers of the various societies 

 to the importance of promptness in printing and forwarding their returns. 

 The want of it is a source of great annoyance in making up the 

 Abstract of these Returns, and it is impossible to give a society'" the 

 place and prominence which it otherwise would deserve and would 

 have. It must be apparent that to issue this volume promptly as it is 

 expected, it is of the utmost importance that the material should be 

 placed early in my hands. Some of the societies failed this year to 

 forward their printed transactions till late in March. Those of one 

 society came in as late as the 27th of March, and of course its reports 

 fail to appear in this Abstract. 



If the legislature should see fit to withhold the bounties to the soci- 

 eties, it will be largely owing to the want of promptness and efficiency 

 on the part of the officers. They do neither themselves nor their soci- 

 eties justice, nor do they make that return in general information for the 

 farming community which the State has a right to expect for its money. 

 If the difficulty of getting in the reports of committees be urged as an 

 excuse, it may be stated that one or two societies print large and valu- 

 able transactions of some 150 pages, and place them in my hands on the 

 10th of December. What is done in one case can be done in another, 

 and especially in the ease of volumes of much less size. 



The publication and distribution of a volume of transactions is by far 

 the most sure and efficient mode of conferring that benefit upon the 

 farming community which is the design in the payment of bounties, and 

 no society that neglects this, does its duty or pays the debt it owes to 

 the people who pay their money for the public good. c. l. f. 



