REPORT OF DELEGATE TO BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 315 



Sec. 1. A State Board of Agriculture is hereby established, to 

 consist of His Excellency the Governor, His Honor the Lieutenant 

 Governor, and the Secretary of State ex officiis ; of one member from 

 each of the Agricultural Societies in the Commonwealth that re- 

 ceives an annual bounty from the State, and of three members to 

 be appointed bj^ the Governor and Council. Said members shall 

 hold their offices for three years, except as hereinafter provided ; 

 and the Governor and Council, and the Agricultural Societies as 

 aforesaid, shall, within sixt}' days after the passage of this act, 

 appoint said members ; and af terwai'd whenever vacancies shall 

 occur. 



Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of this Board to investigate all such 

 subjects relating to improvement in Agriculture in this Common- 

 wealth, as they may think proper ; and they are hereby empowered 

 to take, hold in trust, and exercise control over any donations or 

 bequests that may be made to them for promoting agricultural edu- 

 cation, or the general interests of husbandry. 



All the societies receiving bount}^ from the State are required to 

 award in premiums an amount at least equal to the amount received, 

 and to hold ever}^ year three institutes, the Board furnishing one 

 speaker to open the discussion. 



Since 1863 the Board has held in December annual winter meet- 

 ings continuing three days, in different parts of the State, when 

 agricultural and horticultural subjects have been discussed ; and 

 an annual business meeting in February, when reports from the 

 inspectors visiting the exhibitions of the societies are received, 

 essays by members upon subjects selected at the previous meeting 

 are read, and committees elected to perform the routine work of 

 the year. The proceedings of these meetings are published in 

 full, and fifteen thousand copies are distributed by the members of 

 the Legislature, Agricultural and Horticultural Societies, Granges, 

 and Farmer's Clubs throughout the State. 



The work of the Board has been much increased within the past 

 few years. In 1891 the Legislature passed an Act to provide for 

 the Protection of Dairy Products, and to establish a State Dairy 

 Bureau. The execution of the provisions of this Act was placed 

 in the Board of Agriculture ; also the duties required by an Act, 

 passed in 1891, to authorize the State Board of Agriculture to 

 collect and circulate information relating to Abandoned Farms ; 



