36 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



most scientific physiologist would find in it unbounded scope for 

 the application of all the powers of his mind, while to the prac- 

 tical man on the farm it offers a never-failing source of interest- . 

 ing experiment. If, therefore, the superintendents of these 

 establishments were disposed to enter cordially into this plan, to 

 consider its great importance to the public, and the necessity of 

 taking every step in the right direction, they would soon qualify 

 themselves for it, and take hold heartily to promote its success. 



Nor would they be alone in this grand undertaking. There 

 are men enough in the community^ competent to advise and 

 direct, if it were needed. The appointments upon the boards of 

 inspectors or trustees of these institutions should always be 

 made with some reference to fitness for giving advice and direc- 

 tion in regard to the management of the farms imder their 

 control. The interest of the State demands this, even without 

 any reference to the adoption of the plan proposed. It would 

 seldom happen, therefore, that there would not be one or more 

 men to be found on these boards of directors, who would be 

 competent to lend efficient aid, and who would become intensely 

 interested in it. 



I have heard of some instances, to be sure, where whole 

 boards of these officers have been appointed without the slightest 

 reference to this important field of their duties, as if the economy 

 of the farm, which has, perhaps, cost many thousand dollars, 

 were of no account. In such cases the farms under their 

 charge, and, of course, the interests of the State, suffer in 

 proportion; but I am quite sure that this feature of their 

 responsibilities will not escape the attention of His Excellency, 

 Governor Bullock, and that he will be disposed to consult the 

 highest interests of the Commonwealth in his appointments, by 

 a due regard to this as well as other departments of public 

 service. With this cooperation on the part of the Executive, 

 the difficulties which, under other circumstances, might prove 

 almost insurmountable, would vanish, and there would be no 

 reasonable ground to apprehend a failure. 



I say again, therefore, that, in my opinion, the plan is per- 

 fectly feasible. It does not follow, of course, that the public 

 institutions can go into it all at once. It might be difficult to 

 find a whole herd immediately of pure-bred animals of the 

 highest quality, as breeders and as milk producers. It would, 



