690 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



most important early business of a Board of Agri- 

 culture is to collect the already existing agricul- 

 tural facts, which, though perhaps long known 

 and properly made use ol' by a lew individuals, 

 or within limited disiricis, are kept from general 

 knowledge and use, by the want of suitable 

 means lor communication and diHusion. If ihe 

 knowledge of such exisiing, but almost dormant 

 or concealed truths were merely exchanged among 

 the various possessors, and so far made public, 

 that one eflisot alone would be of very great 

 value to the general interests and improvement 

 of agriculture. 



With the view to this end, and by the means 

 hoped (or and expected to be furnished in indivi- 

 dual labors, it is recommended that a general list 

 of queries, or of particular subjects for inquiry, 

 be prepared, and copies be sent to a liiw of ihe 

 farmers of each county who may be supposed 

 likely to be inclined to give their assistance; that 

 these individuals, together with any others invited 

 by them, shall, in each county, form a comtniilee 

 to obtain and report the inlbrmation desired Irom 

 that county, as fully as circumstances may per- 

 mit. In addition to this one service, others of 

 greater value and continued operation might be 

 performed, if the individuals in each county thus 

 associated temporarily for a special purpose, 

 would form themselves, and as many as possible 

 of their fellow farmers, into a permanent agricul- 

 tural society, constituted lor actual working— for 

 making and inducing the making of accurate 

 agricultural experiments, and lor eliciting and 

 reporting practical /acts and useful truths. A 

 society in each county thus constituted, and thus 

 working, would in every successive year add to 

 the great harvest of agricultural information, of 

 which our present aim is but to ffather the already 

 existing or first Iruits. And the total amount 

 of such acquisitions, if furnished from many so- 

 cieties, reported annually to the Board of Agri- 

 culture, and then published and disseminated 

 through every county of the state, would serve 

 to produce results of the kind and ihe value that 

 ought to be expected Irom a properly constituted 

 and sufficiently endowed Board of Agriculture. 



It is proposed that the stale be divided into 

 eight districts, in each one of which a designated 

 member of the Board of Agriculture shall endea- 

 vor to carry into effect the objects of the board, 

 and as fully as the assistance rendered by otheis 

 and the other available means may permit. II 

 enough of particular information can be oiitained 

 in the course of the ensuing year, and in sufficient 

 time, from any such district, or portion of it, in 

 addition to such general examination and survey 

 as the member of the board superintending thai 

 district can make personally, then he shall prepare 

 a general report on the agriculture of the district, 

 or part — and also a more particular and full report 

 of any one county or smaller section, so liar as 

 his personal labors and other sources of inlbrma- 

 tion may permit. These reports of particular 

 counties, or smaller sections, might in like manner 

 be added to, as to other counties, in subsequent 

 years ; and the early and imperfect details of all 

 be coonected and enlarged as more matter may be 

 obtained. These reports would serve finally as 

 materials for a sj'stematic and general agricultural 

 report of the whole state. 



As additional means for furthering these objects. 



it is recommended that each member of the board, 

 when visiting the district assigned to his charge, 

 shall attend the meetings of any existing agricul- 

 tural societies, or where no society exists, that he 

 shall invite the attendance olj and free conversa- 

 tion with, the farmers of the neighborhood, at 

 suitable time and place, lor the purpose of obtain- 

 ing answers to the queries, and any other desira- 

 ble information. Each member, thus acting 

 separately, will collect, arrange and furnish to the 

 board the agricultural inlbrmation offered within 

 his district of operation ; and also, from these 

 materials and his own personal investigations, 

 make such general and particular reports as were 

 referred to above. 



(B.) 



The committee to whom ivas referred the se- 

 leciion of queries, have had the subject under 

 consideration, and beg leave to report the follow- 

 ing list: 



I. — Geographical state. 



1. General geographical description. 



2. Climate. 



3. Surface and soil. 



4. Minerals. 



5. Water. 



II. — General management of land. 



1. Quantity of arable land, of meadow, of 



wood, of waste land 7 



2. Size of farms. 



3. Rotation of crops, and the kind of cul- 

 tivation. 



4. Depth and manner of ploughing, for 

 preparation of different crops. 



5. Tillage of crops, and general manage- 



ment of each important one, from the 

 seeding to the consumption or mar- 

 keting. 

 HI. — Products and prices of crops. 



1. Usual produce per acre of different 

 large crops, and general selling price. 

 IV. — Implements. 

 V. — Fencing and enclosing. 

 VI. — Tillage of growing crops. 



1. General management, seeding, har- 

 vesting, marketing. 

 VII. — Grass and grazing. 



1. Natural meadows. 



2. Watered meadows. 



3. Mowing and hay. 



4. Artificial grasses, and their compara- 

 tive value for bay or grazing. 



VI 11. — Live stock. 



1. Teams, or laboring animals. 



2. Animals raised for sale or farm sup- 

 plies. 



3. Prevalent diseases, and their remedies. 

 IX. — Dairy management. 



X. — fVoods and waste land, 



1. Description. 



2. Uses and product. 



XL— jVew or recent processes, or improved prac- 

 tices in agriculture. 

 XII. — Obstacles to improvement. 



Including the operation of the laws or go- 

 vernmental legulaiions. 

 XIII. — Miscellaneous observations and statements 

 of any thing of interest, not included 

 in any query. 



