414 MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The details are to be arranged, provided the principle is 

 adopted, by persons having charge of that matter. 



Mr. Page: — The report of the agricultural commission has 

 not fallen into the hands of many gentlemen in the remote 

 part of the State. How fully it has been understo .a in this 

 part of the Commonwealth, I am unable to say. But I beg 

 leave to read a section to which this resolution has reference. 

 The section refers to a plan for the promotion of agricultural 

 education, that goes before it, but will be sufficiently intelligi- 

 ble by itself: — 



Section third is as follows : — " The undersigned recommend 

 the establishment of a State department of agriculture, to con- 

 sist of a board of commissioners and a secretary, whom they 

 shall annually appoint, which board shall sustain a similar rela- 

 tion to agriculture and the schools connected with it, as the 

 board and secretary of education do to primary schools." 



This recommendation of the commissioners, has reference to 

 a previous recommedation of theirs for the establishment of an 

 agricultural school or a system of agricultural schools. And a 

 part of the recommendations in this section would presuppose 

 the existence of such institutions, and a part of the duties 

 would be dependent on such existence. But if none of the 

 institutions are ever established, there are duties there which 

 would be profitable, if faithfully performed, in my part of the 

 State, and I apprehend elsewhere also. 



" The duty of the secretary shall be, under the direction of 

 the board, to give lectures in various parts of the Common- 

 wealth, whenever it may be deemed expedient, on the science 

 and practice of agriculture." That subject has been hinted at 

 again and again, at agricultural meetings for years. The hint is 

 thrown out in the enthusiasm of the moment, when the people 

 are thought to be more agriculturally inclined than at any other 

 time, and then is forgotten. 



A wise man going among the people would do undoubtedly 

 a vast deal of good to the farmers and to their sons. I am of 

 the opinion, that the establishment of such a secretaryship, in 

 efficient hands, would be as effective an instrument as could be 

 established for the improvement of agriculture. 



