IV PREFACE. 



" It may be said — and indeed, it often is said — that but 

 little if any thing new can be brought forward in our 

 reports.- This may well be doubted, if taken in a broad 

 sense — but if it be true, what then '? Will not old truths 

 bear repeating "? Do they not need repeating, not merely 

 in agriculture, but in morals and religion? The mere 

 way of stating an old truth or fact, Avill sometimes give 

 to it the freshness of a new truth or new fact. Different 

 minds see things in different lights, and it may be that 

 the view taken of a given subject in a report of this year, 

 will carry conviction to some man, who has heretofore 

 failed of being convinced of the same fact ; it may not 

 only enlighten his intellect, but rouse his ambition and 

 determine his will to enter upon and steadily to pursue a 

 better course of husbandry than he has before practiced. 

 It may form the turning-point of his life ; and to that 

 report — however poorly the writer may have thought of 

 it at the time — belongs the high honor of accomplishing 

 this good result. No one, therefore, should be deterred 

 from putting forth his best efforts in preparing a report, 

 by the apprehension that he can impart nothing new. 

 Let him tell what he knows — tell it, too, in the best way 

 he know^s how, and the report itself will tell with effect 

 on some who read it. " 



The above sensible and judicious remarks should com- 

 mend themselves to the chairmen of committees through- 

 out the State. The object of distributing large sums of 

 money by the Commonwealth, is not merely to encourage 

 the farmer by the hope of premiums, but to elicit and 

 spread abroad useful information. This is a point too 

 often overlooked both by the officers of societies and 

 the chairmen of committees. A glance at the operations 

 of some of the societies will show that they are alive and 



