288 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



observations concerning the state of agriculture and manu- 

 factures in the Commonwealth as it may deem useful. The 

 return shall be marked in such manner that the passages 

 deemed by <=such officers most worthy of public notice, study 

 and application, may be easily distinguished." 



Then follows a very important clause, which must be 

 familiar to us all, in regard to the forfeiture of bounty for 

 non-compliance with the laws relating thereto. 



Very few societies appear, from their transactions, to now 

 comply fully with the spirit of all the suggestions, although 

 they seem to satisfy the law. These laws were framed before 

 experiment stations were established ; and as the require- 

 ments, which have been just quoted, include committee 

 reports, and statements of experiments and cultivation, it 

 would seem that this work, which has so generally, and with 

 a few exceptions, apparently, fallen into disuse, might have 

 new life and usefulness infused into it, by transferring such 

 work to the experiment department of the college, where the 

 experimenting is done. The agricultural societies would 

 then co-operate upon well-defined plans with said experiment 

 department, in this line of work. This would seem to be a 

 matter of considerable importance, and one which should be 

 carefully considered ; possibly by a joint committee from 

 this Board, and from the college trustees, in order that, if 

 advisable, a suitable bill may be framed, and introduced 

 into the Legislature to accomplish this. 



In Public Statutes, chapter 31, section 17, we find a 

 provision for a "Board of Supervisors of Statistics," as 

 follows : — 



" The secretary of the Commonwealth, the secietaries of 

 the boards of agriculture, of education, and of the State 

 board of health, lunacy and charity [health undoubtedly 

 intended, but title not here altered to conform to new law], 

 and the chief of the bureau of statistics of labor, shall con- 

 stitute a board of supervisors of statistics, who shall serve 

 without pay." 



This is superfluous now that the Bureau of Statistics is 

 in existence ; but cannot meetings of the secretaries of the 

 boards of agriculture, education and health be held, to the 

 advantage of each of these boards? Certainly this Board 



