BRISTOL SOCIETY. 533 



produced in a year over a hundred thousand pounds of sugar 

 from this tree ; and the annual production of a single New 

 England State, containing not one-third the population of our 

 own, has exceeded five million pounds, which, at the average 

 price at retail among us, amounts to a sum nearly sufficient to 

 defray the annual expenses of the whole judiciary, executive, 

 and legislative departments of our own Commonwealth. 



Last, but not least, we would mention the forest as a source 

 of fuel. To pass over the thousands of cords consumed annu- 

 ally by the various railroads and steamboats, if the average 

 supply of fuel for each family in the Commonwealth were but 

 ten cords a year, and there be a hundred and fifty thousand 

 families in the State, our annual fuel for family use alone is 

 purchased at a cost of over $7,000,000. And this does not 

 include the vast quantities used on raikoads and for manufac- 

 turing purposes, nor the thousands of tons of coal which are 

 annually imported and sold within our borders. 



We have not time to pursue this investigation further ; 

 but enough has been given to demonstrate that the value of 

 our forest trees is far beyond our ordinary estimation or con- 

 ception. 



In view of these facts, and because of the rapidity with 

 which our woods are disappearing, this society has offered 

 premiums for the most extensive forest of any sort of trees, 

 suitable for fuel or timber, and in the most flourishing condi- 

 tion in September, 1851. 



The committee are gratified to see the spirit beginning to 

 be awakened among our farmers on this subject, and that the 

 prejudice once existing against planting trees is fast disap- 

 pearing. 



Many have commenced planting pines on barren, worn out 

 land ; and already their fields have advanced more than five 

 hundred per cent, in value. 



The committee have examined several handsome fields of 

 pine in this part of the county, and award the first premium 

 of $25 dollars to John B. Newcomb, of Norton. 



The second, of $20, they award to J. Calvin Crane, of 

 Norton. The committee also award the same premium of 

 $20 to Samuel Carpenter, of Attleborough, for the greatest 

 number of forest trees to the acre. 



