310 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



THE MASSACHUSETTS BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND 



THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES: 



CAN THEY BROADEN AND IMPROVE THEIR WORK? 



BY WM. H. BOWKER OF BOSTON. 



The Board of Agriculture and the agricultural societies of 

 this State are so closely united that a discussion of one 

 subject involves a discussion of the other. I shall not 

 attempt to give the history of this Board or that of the 

 societies, or review the work they have accomplished. That 

 they have performed a great work no one can deny ; that 

 they are now doing some good work, all must admit ; but 

 that the work can be broadened and improved I believe is 

 possible, and it should be undertaken at the earliest moment. 



At the time this Board was established, forty years ago, it 

 was the only organization supported by the State for the 

 promotion of agriculture. Since then great progress has 

 been made in agricultural education and experiment work. 

 Agricultural colleges and experiment stations have been 

 established all over the country, the outgrowth, we may 

 almost say, of the early eiibrts of this Board. These colleges 

 and stations are now doing much of the work which the 

 Board and the societies were then expected to do. Although 

 the work is now abridged in some directions, I shall try to 

 show that it has been enlarged in other directions, and is 

 still important. 



The Organization of the Board. 



The law establishing the Board, while giving it oversight 

 of the societies, does not give it much latitude in their man- 

 agement. It provides for the receiving of bequests made to 

 the Board for promoting agricultural education or the 

 general interests of husbandry. The Board also may 



