MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 407 



are substantially the same, so far as my observation of the bills 

 of fare has gone, throughout the Commonwealth ; differing 

 somewhat according to the peculiar features of the industry in 

 the different parts of the Commonwealth ; but, on the whole, 

 they are about the same. The amount of premium offered, 

 differs very essentially. The amount of encouragement which 

 it is thought necessary to bestow upon different branches, dif- 

 fers very materially in different places, though the subject is of 

 equal importance in different parts of the Commonwealth. 

 The mode of operation, the mode of putting on paper that 

 which is thought worth recording, and the extent to which 

 that is done, differs materially in one county from another. 

 There is no concentration. There is no permanent recording. 

 There is no distribution of information. So that these socie- 

 ties, though they have accomplished vast good, have failed, in 

 my judgment, to accomplish the greater amount of good that 

 they might have done. 



The proposition before you is for the organization of a Cen- 

 tral Committee. The details of the constitution of that body 

 are not carried out in the resolve. But the idea has been sug- 

 gested that it should be composed of some of the officers of the 

 different societies of the Commonwealth ; that they should pe- 

 riodically meet, as suggested in the resolve itself, to devise and 

 recommend to the other societies some uniform mode of action ; 

 and that they, beyond that, should take into consideration all 

 those subjects which are useful in agricultural societies. 



Now it seems to me, that this proposition needs only to be 

 stated, in order to commend itself to the approbation of every 

 gentleman. It is a very innocent matter, at any rate. Wheth- 

 er the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall or shall not ex- 

 tend that aid to agriculture, which it has given already to almost 

 everything else, — whether the action of this day shall result in 

 any important good or not to the farmer of Massachusetts, — 

 whether any dollar shall nqw or hereafter be appropriated to 

 the promotion of agriculture or not, this matter is required 

 equally to be done under the existing state of things, and un- 

 der any possible future state of things, — whether you have 

 schools or not. They are necessary in order that little county 



