HOUSATONIC SOCIETY. 363 



HOUSATONIC AGllICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



This society was incorporated by act of the legislature, on 

 the 10th of April, in the year 1848. It had previously been 

 organized some eight years as a voluntary society, and strug- 

 gled into life with no aid from the Commonwealth, and attained 

 comparative prosperity. Its character was then highly respect- 

 able. From three to five hundred dollars was annually contri- 

 buted by the farmers of southern Berkshire, and distributed in 

 premiums for the general encouragement of agriculture in this 

 highly productive and beautiful section of the State. Since 

 its incorporation it has acquired a high and permanent posi- 

 tion, and fairly rivals any society in the Commonwealth. For 

 the past year a greater interest has been manifested in its pro- 

 ceedings, — a greater competition has been exhibited in the 

 honorable and manly strife for excellence, and the amount ac- 

 tually expended for premiums was greater than in any previous 

 year. 



The objects for which premiums have been offered appear 

 in the reports hereto annexed, and made a part of this report 

 and statement. The nature of the encouragement proposed 

 by the society is agriculture in all its varied interests and ob- 

 jects, — to elevate the standard of agricultural labor and excel- 

 lence, and contribute our influence, so far as it may extend, to 

 make the farmer what God intended he should be — the noblest 

 specimen of independence and manliness, and the best repre- 

 sentative of humble toil. 



During the past agricultural year great prosperity has pre- 

 vailed among our agricultural population. The warm summer 

 matured the various grains and grasses, the only short crop 

 being grass, owing to the long drought in the month of June. 

 No signs or appearance of the potato rot has yet developed 



