MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 669 



The committee on the introduction of an elementary work 

 into common schools, submitted the following report : 



The committee who were instructed to consider the expe- 

 diency of introducing to our public schools the study of the 

 elements of agricultural science, report : 



That studies of this description might be attended to with 

 much benefit under competent teachers. The surprise is, 

 that they have been omitted so long, while so many of less 

 practical utility have been introduced. 



Probably the want of text books adapted to the understand- 

 ings of pupils has been one cause of this. 



The committee have examined " The Progressive Farmer," 

 by Prof. Nash, of Amherst, and think it better adapted to the 

 wants of the community, than any work of the kind that has 

 come to our knowledge. 



J. W. PROCTOR, ^ 



E. HITCHCOCK, ( Committee. 



a REED, 3 



Dr. Hitchcock, having been requested, at a previous meet- 

 ing, to present his views on some topic connected with the 

 improvement of agriculture, read the following, 



ON farmers' institutes. 



Since the last time I attended a meeting of the Agricultural 

 Board, I have had an opportunity of witnessing the operation 

 of a Teachers' Institute, under the admirable management of 

 the Secretary of Education, and I was impressed with the 

 great and salutary influence which such a system must exert 

 upon the cause of education in Massachusetts. But another 

 thought has occurred to me. "Why should we not have Farm- 

 ers' Institutes, as well as Teachers' Institutes. We have agri- 

 cultural chemists, scientific farmers, practical farmers, botanists, 

 vegetable and animal physiologists, geologists, meteorologists, 

 abundantly qualified, and, I doubt not, willing to go into the 

 different districts of the State, and instruct the farmers there 

 in their several departments. During the winter months, I 

 presume that multitudes of farmers, with their families, would 

 assemble for this purpose ; nor can I doubt that their hospi- 



