FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT 



SECRETARY 



BOAED OF AGRICULTURE 



To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Common- 

 wealth of Massachusetts : — 



In the Annual Reports which I have had the honor to sub- 

 mit to the legislature since entering upon the duties of my 

 office as Secretary of the Board of Agriculture, it has been 

 my practice, after giving a statement of the proceedings of the 

 Board during the year, to devote a considerable space to the 

 investigation and discussion of some special subject connected 

 with agriculture. To collect materials of immediate and per- 

 manent value, it was necessary that extensive inquiries of 

 practical farmers should be made the basis of the greatest 

 possible amount of condensed information, and this involved not 

 only an almost incredible extent of correspondence and travel- 

 ling during a considerable part of each year, but also a vast 

 amount of labor and time in condensing and arranging the 

 materials thus collected. But I was persuaded that much good 

 might be done in this way, and that I could not more advan- 

 tageously employ the time not occupied by the pressure of other 

 duties. During the past year, liowever, principally on account 

 of the State exhibition held under the direction of fhe Board, 

 my labors liave been so much increased that I have been unable to 



