254 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



REPORT Of THE STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE TO THE HOUSE OP 

 REPRESENTATIVES, UNDER THE ORDER OP FEB. 5, 1890. 



On Feb. 5, 1890, the House of Representatives of our 

 State passed the following : — 



Ordered, that the State Board of Agriculture be instructed to 

 inquire into the condition of the forests of the State, the need and 

 method of their protection for sanitary and other reasons, and the 

 encouragement of tree planting, and report thereon to the next 

 General Court. « 



The matter was referred by the Executive Committee of 

 the Board of Agriculture to a sub-committee, consisting of 

 Messrs. Ilersey, Sessions, and the writer. No appropriation 

 having been made for carrying out the provisions of this 

 order, which is only limited in its scope by the boundaries 

 of the State, the committee were confined in their work to 

 narrower limits, especially as the regular appropriations had 

 been almost completely allotted for special work. 



The last census return, of the amount of woodlands, told 

 us that thirty-six per cent of the surface of the State was in 

 such condition, and this served as a basis for such work as 

 could be done Each member then began to secure infor- 

 mation. All have traveled somewhat, and have sought 

 information from other persons and sources. 



Among methods employed, the writer prepared a list of 

 questions, as to what courses it would be well to adopt, and 

 submitted them to Prof. C. S. Sargent of the Arnold 

 Arboretum, to which he kindly replied. A list of questions, 

 suitable to be sent throughout the State, was suggested to 

 the committee, but the way did not seem to be clear for 

 sending them out, and that plan was abandoned. 



