19i 



MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



States, to give practical effect to the spirit of agricultural improvement — a spirit 

 which, we are sure, is elsewhere "not dead, but sleepeth." 



What invaluable institutions might be established, and arrangements made, 

 for the diffusion of agricultural knowledge in that State, by means of her share 

 of the sales of the lands which she surrendered for the benefit of the country ! — 

 But our purpose is not to enter into any discussion as to where the means are to 

 be found. " Where there is a will, there is a way." And when landholders be- 

 come satisfied that a very small share of the common treasure, appropriated for 

 the benefit of Agriculture, would as well comport with, and promote, the " gen- 

 eral welfare,'' as a million a week for war, they will not be long, or ought not to 

 be, in finding out hoio to come at it. In the mean time, in the following " Ad- 

 vertisement" to the first "Abstract from the returns of Agricultural Societies of 

 the State" of Massachusetts, the friends of similar measures in other States may 

 see what she has done, and will not, we yope, be long in acting up to the con- 

 viction that they should " go and do so likewise." 



Some passages of this Advertisement have been omitted, as not being material 

 to the history and understanding of the proceedings of that Commonwealth, to the 

 extent that a knowledge of these may be useful as a model for those in other 

 States whose patriotism may lead them to get up measures analogous, in spirit at 

 least, if not in detail. 



ADVERTISEINIENT. 



The Massachusetts Society for jH-omotiug 

 Agriculture, the first association of the kind 

 in the Commonwealth or in America, was 

 founded in the year 1792, and incoqiorated 

 by an Act of the General Court of that 

 year. 



Obtaining means of operation by an amiual 

 assessment upon its members, and by a sub- 

 scription amounting to four thousand dollars — 

 a Uberal sum for that period — it proceeded to 

 invite public attention to its objects, to distrib- 

 ute premiums for agricultiu-al improvements, 

 and to import valuable animnls with a view 

 to the introduction of better breeds of cattle 

 and other stock. In 1797, it instituted the 

 Agiicultural Journal, a pul)lication continued 

 more than thii-ty years. It took measures for 

 the institiition ot" Couuty Societies, and for the 

 erection of a Hall, at Brigliton, in Middlesex, 

 for the exhibition of domestic and other mmi- 

 ufactures. It contiibuted to the establishment 

 of the Professorship of Natural Histoiy, iuid 

 of the Botanical Garden, iu the University of 

 Cambridge. In 1818, began a series of pub- 

 lic addresses, pronounced successively at its 



autumnal celebi'ations, by John Lowell, Jo- 

 siahQuincy, Ricluml Sullivan. Henry Cohnan, 

 Timothy Pickering, John C. Gray, James 

 Richardson, Edward Everett, Henry A. S. 

 Deai'boni, and perhaps others. The dehveiy 

 and jiublication of addresses from such sources 

 exerted an impoilant influence in attracting 

 attention and favor to the objects of the Asso- 

 ciation. 



The example was followed by other insti- 

 tutions for the same purpose. The Common- 

 wealth extended to them its paft'onage ; and 

 the pohcy has been continued, and has grown 

 in favor, to the present time. An Act of 1819 

 (chapter 114) appropriated two hundred dol- 

 lars annually, from the Commonwealth's trea.s- 

 uiy, to eveiy Society which should raise the 

 sum of one thousand dollars for the promotion 

 of Agricidtin-e, and in like projiortion for any 

 greater sum, not exceeding three thousand 

 doUais. The following Table exhibits a list 

 of the Agiicultui-al Societies \\o\\ in existence, 

 with tlie dates of their incorporation respect- 

 ively, the dates of their first grant of money, 

 and the aggregate iunounts received from the 

 Conunon wealth : 



Mas8achu80U8 Society tor proinotiri": Agriculture 



Western Society of Middlesex Husbandmen 



Name changed to Society of Middlesex Uusbondmen and 



Manufacturers 



Berkshire Apicultural Society* 



Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden Agricultural Societies. . . 



Worcester Agricultural .Society 



Essex Agricultural Society 



Agricultural Society in the County of Plymouth 



Bristol (Jounty Agricultural Society 



Afrriculmral .Society of the County of Hami)deu 



Barnstable County Agricultural Society 



Date of incorpo- Date of jirM pay- Total amount 

 ration. tiient. received. 



March 7, 17it2. 

 Keb. 26, ISm. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Feb. 



Feb. 



June 



June 



Juno 



March 



March 



24, J 820. 

 2.5, 1811. 

 19, 1818. 

 2:}. 1818. 

 12, 1818. 

 11, 1819. 



14, 18-j:). 

 5. 1844. 



15, 1844. 



Oct 29, 1817. 



^Jan. 13,1820. 



Oct 29, 1817. 

 Oct. Ki. 1819. 

 Jan. 12, lf20. 

 Jan. 12,1820. 

 Oct. 27, 1820. 

 Nov. 9, 1824. 

 Nov. 21, 1844. 

 Feb. 11, 184.1, 



$18,300 OO 



14,340 80 



13,736 60 



lti.200 tX) 



1(\200 (X) 



I,').] 40 40 



12,1^84 49 



734(i 32 



1,200 00 



408 00 



$115,816 61 



The CatUe.Show and Fair of this Society, at Piusfield, in 1814, were the first held in this country. 

 (434) 



