"*i»L. XVI. NO. 40. 



AND GARPENER'S JOURNAL, 



317 



rhilliona of the public treasure, drawn, in a great 

 measure, from the agricultural portions of the com- 

 munity, have been e.\pended to protect, preserve 

 anil promote the interests vested in manulact(ire.s 

 and commerce, scarcely a dollar has been appro- 

 priated, either directly or indirectly, to advance the 

 interests of agriculture ; aii<l this fact is the more 

 striking, when it is considered how large a major- 

 ity of our whole population is engaged in the ciilti- 

 vation of the soil, and that probably eight tenths of 

 the Representatives in Congress are elected by that 

 most worthy and substantial, yet most unobtrusive 

 and retiring class of our citizens." An effort to 

 advance its interests " would not only be dirccily 

 beneficial to the people, but would have a most 

 salutary influence in raising the spirit and standard 

 of agriculture, promoting sound intelligence amongst 

 its votaries, and in giving a spur and energy hith- 

 erto unknown to the first and noblest occupation of 

 man. It would incite the citizens of the old states, 

 instead of abandoning their own sunny fields, anil 

 the scenes of their earliest and dearest associations, 

 to attempt, by the cultivation of some new article, 

 to resuscitate their old, worn-out lands, which, by 

 a continual succession of the same crops, have be- 

 come in a measure, unproductive and valueless." 



Your CO nmittee do not concur with those who 

 hold the opinion, that agriculture in Massachusetts 

 requires no encouragement, and deserves no en- 

 coiiragemejit. Nature, in bestowing safe and deep 

 harbors, and frequent and rapid flowing streams, 

 did not withhold fertile valleys and fruitful plains. 

 Our soil is not so rugged, barren and ungrateful as 

 it has been represented ; its capacities have not 

 been duly appreciated ; its resources have not been 

 developed ; its energies have not been most judi- 

 ciously applied. Your coujmittee do not adopt the 

 jiolicy, that agriculture should be abandonecl, and 

 that commerce and manufactures should be prefer- 

 red ; they cannot encourage men to leave the cul- 

 tivation of the earth, to engage in trade and spec- 

 ulation. Such a policy has swelled that current of 

 emigration which has drained Massachusetts of 

 her young men ; which has made them spurn the 

 mother which nurtured them; and which has bired 

 them into distant lands, to seek amongst strangers 

 an uncomfortable home, and to find there an un- 

 timely grave. 



Your committee think that the organization of a 

 Board of Agriculture, will have an extensive and 

 beneficial influence. That it will encourage and 

 stimidate enterprise and industry, that it will ex- 

 cite interest and inquiry, that it will elevate the 

 character of the art, and direct the efforts of its 

 friends to the attainment of the desired ends, by 

 the use of the most efficient means. They think 

 that the prudent and judicious expenditure of the 

 money of the state, as well as the interests of rural 

 economy, demands sui^h a board. The state by a 

 recent law has provided a bounty for the jiroduc- 

 tion of wheat ; such a board would have determin- 

 ed the expediency of this bounty, what amount 

 should be given, in what manner returns should be 

 made, and would have prepared the whote ma- 

 chinery. Such a board would have afforded 

 jreat assistance to the commissioner appointed to 

 Tiake the agricultural survey. They would prob- 

 ibly have saved the waste of $4424, which has 

 jeen paid since April, 1835, from the state treas- 

 iry, for the destruction of foxes ; that bounty is 

 10 longer paid by the Commonwealth, which 

 iroves that it is now considered an unnecessary 

 ind an imprudent expenditure. The state has also 

 offered a bounty for the production of silk, and 

 >eet sugar. A Board of Agriculture would have 

 letermined the propriety of these several bounties, 

 md the best means of applying them. There is no 

 juestion which has arisen, or which can arise, con- 

 lected with agriculture, when the operation of 

 iuch a board, would not be of incalculable impor- 

 ance. The state pays annually, to the several lo- 

 ;at societies, $4414, to be disbursed in premiums, 

 or the encouragement of agriculture and manufac- 



tures. For the disposal of this large sum, there is 

 no direct accountability or responsibility , and, al- 



though the money is probably well appliinl in most 

 instances, a Board of Agriculture would render im- 

 portant service, in directing the manner in which 

 the liberality of the state should be bestowed. 



The board would have under its immediate su- 

 pervision, not only these subjects, but all the ];\ws 

 relating to agriculture ; they would notice their 

 operations, and would be able to suggest important 

 considerations, which would not occur to any com- 

 mittee of the Legislature appointed only for a 

 single session, whose time and attention arc (Neces- 

 sarily much interrupted, and to whose cognizance 

 only specific subjects are committed. 



Such boards have been conslituted in other 

 states, and the benefits have been manifest. Simi- 

 lar boards have been organized in our own state, 

 and experience has demonstrated their utility. In 

 1827, a board of internal improvements was ap- 

 pointed ; its continuance to the present time, would 

 probably have been |)roductive of great advanta- 

 ges. From the board of education, great benefits 

 have been realized, and still greater are promised. 

 During the present session, a law has been enacted 

 providing for a board of bank commissioners, and 

 the same enlightened policy, which has created 

 each of these, seems to the committee to demand 

 that provision should be made for the ajipciintmeut 

 of a Board of Agriculture. 



The encouragement which the state has within 

 a few years given to agriculture, is most thankfully 

 acknowledged. It was much needed by farmers, 

 and has been grateful to them as showers to their 

 new mown fiejds. It has been to them an tvi- 

 ilence of the high regard which the Legislature 

 entertains for agriculture, and a most welcome 

 pledge of the paternal interest and solicitude which 

 it intends to exercise. 



Besides the sum of S'4414 given to the several 

 agricultural societies, the state pays an annual do- 

 nation of $300 to the Boston Natural History Soci- 

 ety, and $150 to the Essex County Natural History 

 Society ; with all these societies, it would be the 

 duty of the board to communicate, and to collect 

 and. disseminate the information which it would 

 derive. There, is now no common channel of 

 communication, or means of embodying the results 

 of their researches, and the benefits of their im- 

 provements and discoveries. For the state to re- 

 fuse to appoint an agent for these |)urposes ap- 

 pears to the committee like the wasteful and neg- 

 ligent husbandry of the farmer, who in the spring 

 should, with much expense and labor commit his 

 seed to the earth, in summer, should dress and cul- 

 tivate it, and in the autumn, should neglect to 

 gather the rich harvest which would repay him 

 for all his toil. 



A Board of Agriculture, properly selected from 

 the ditferent sections of the state, would be entitled 

 to the public confidence ; their opinions ami ad- 

 vice would be respected ; they would elevate the 

 standard of the art, and give a new dignity to the 

 employment; they would promote the interests of 

 agriculture, and with it all its kindred and depen- 

 dent arts, for with agriculture are inseparably con- 

 nected the best interests of the whole people. 



The laws which relate to agriculture should be 

 prudent, steady and regular ; not hesitating and 

 inconstant, like that doubtful policy vvhich in 1835 

 provided supplies for a war of extermination on 

 certain animals, which the law stigmatixed as nox- 

 ious, and which in 1838, repealed the same ; a 

 board of agriculture would prmluce a more regu- 

 lar and better advised policy ; the attention, in- 

 quiries and study of the members would be con- 

 .stantly devoted to the subject, and the most satis- 

 factory consequences would be the residt of their 

 labors. If agriculture be the great source of the 

 public wealth, happiness and prosperity, can a 

 wise and enlightened Legislature hesitate to adopt 

 all prudent measures to jiromote its interest ? Of 

 such measures, the committee can think of none 



more likely to be effectual, than the ai)poinlment 

 of a Board of Agriculture. But important as ihey 

 consider it, they would not, at this time, recom- 

 mend the passage of the resolves, if it could sub- 

 ject the treasury to any considerable burden. The 

 whole expense need not exceed five hundred dol- 

 lars. In a single year, it would save a nmch larger 

 sum, and in its ultimate results, the saviuir would 

 be immense, and the benefits almost incalculable. 

 The committee will enumerate some of the 

 iluties which in their opinion, would devolve upon 

 the Board of Agriculture. To consider whether 

 the public good requires that the state's bounty 

 should be coutimied to the several agricultural so- 

 cieties and natural history societies? whether con- 

 cert and reci|)rocity shoidd not be established be- 

 tween them ? in what amount the bounty should 

 be bestowed, and on what conditions.' whether, 

 where, and how often cattle shows shall be held .' 

 whether an annual statement of the transactions 

 and expenditures of these societies should not be 

 made.' whether the bounty on wheat, silk and 

 beet sugar should be continued? for what time 

 and on what conditions? what disposition shall be 

 made of ariiinals, seeds, machines, and other do- 

 nations, for agricultural improvement which may 

 be made to the state ? what new fruits, grain or 

 crops can be advantageously introduced? what 

 new implements and machines? The board 

 should also make suggestions of such amendments 

 of the laws relating to agriculture, as they may 

 deem necessary ; they should devise means for 

 agricultural improvement, and have a general in- 

 spection of the whole subject; and njake a de- 

 tailed report annually, and as much oftener as they 

 may think exi)eilient, to the Governor. 



With these views of the subject, the conunittee 

 respectfully recommend the adoption of the fol- 

 lowing resolutions. 



For the Committee 



DANIEL P. KING. 



Resolved, That there shall be chosen, in the 

 month of January next, by the joint ballot of the 

 two houses of the l^egislature, in convention as- 

 sembled twelve persons, selected from the several 

 congressional districts of the Commonwealth, who 

 shall constitute and be denominated a Board of 

 Agriculture, who shall hold their offices for the 

 term of three years from the time of their election, 

 and all vacancies shall be supplied in the same 

 manner as the original choice is herein provided 

 for. The Board of Agriculture shall meet in Bos- 

 ton once, at least, during the session of the Legis- 

 lature, and as much oftener, not exceeding three 

 times in each year, as they may think necessary, 

 and at such place as they tnay determine. They 

 shall elect frotn their own number a presi- 

 dent and a secretary, and may adopt, for their own 

 regulation, such rules as they may deem expedient. 

 It shall be the duty of the board to devise meas- 

 ures for the promotion of the agricultural interests 

 of the people of the Commonwealth, and annually 

 to make to the governor a detailed report of their 

 transactions, and of the re.^tjlt of their investiga- 

 tions, noticing such facts, and suggesting such im- 

 I)rovemcnts, as they may think will be beneficial 

 to agriculture. 



Resolved, That the members of the Board of 

 Agriculture shall receive the same compensation 

 for travel and attendance, which, for the time 

 being, is paid to the members of the Legislature. 



Book Farminc;. — Show me a thrifty, practical 

 and experimental farmer, and I will show you a 

 man who reads works on Agriculture, or who 

 borrows his bints from a neighbor that takes an 

 agricultural paper. Show nie a farmer whose 

 fences are going to decay — whose half-starved 

 cattle are strolling over a brush-field — and I will 

 show you n man, who, if he is not on aretrogade, 

 path takes too little interest in agriculture to pa- 

 tronise an agricultural paper. 



