250 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



between these societies ; there was no way in which the 

 experience of one could benefit the others ; there was no 

 supervision by which it could be known whether the State 

 bounty was judiciously expended, or not. The officers of 

 the societies conceived the idea of a Central Board of Agri- 

 culture, composed of delegates from the several societies. 

 Such a Board was organized in March, 1851. This board 

 was composed of good men, who were earnest to accomplish 

 good results, l)ut they had no futids for expenses and no 

 power over the societies. They could only advise and 

 recommend. The following year, upon petition of this 

 central board, the Legislature established a State Board of 

 Agriculture (April 21, 1852), to consist of the Governor, the 

 Lieutenant-governor, the Secretary of the Commonwealth, 

 one member chosen by each of the agricultural societies that 

 received bounty from the State, and three members to l)e 

 appointed l)y the Governor. The Board was authorized to 

 appoint a secretary who should receive a salary, but the 

 members were to serve without compensation except for 

 travelling and necessary expenses while in discharge of 

 duty as members of the Board. 



The Board was organized July 22, 1852, with twenty-one 

 members. Marshall P. Wilder, who continued on the Board 

 until his death in 1886 (excepting years 1804-1867 inclu- 

 sive), was one of the number ap})ointed by the Governor, as 

 was also Prof. Edward Hitchcock of Amherst College. Other 

 men eminent in agriculture were elected members by the 

 societies. One of these original members was James S. Grin- 

 nell of Greenfield, who is still an honored member of the Board. 

 Mr. Grinnell and George S. Boutwell of Groton, who was 

 Governor at the time, are the only survivors of the original 

 Board. New societies have been incorporated from time to 

 time, until therc^ are now thirty-eight represented on the Board. 

 The president of the Agricultural College and the chemist to 

 the Board have been made members ex officio, so that at 

 present the Board has forty-six members. 



Time would fail me were I to attemi)t to describe the 

 work accomplished by the first secretary, Charles L. Flint, 

 in the twenty-seven years that he served the Board ; and that 

 of his successor, John E. Russell, in his seven years 



