EDITOR'S PREFACE. 9 



rotary of the Commonwealth, wrote: "But something it is 

 believed may be safely attempted, a beginning may be made, 

 a Board of Agriculture may be established by the authority 

 of the State ; corresponding in its general features to the Board 

 of Education. Such a board might at once be empowered to 

 employ an able secretary, whose whole time shall be devoted 

 to the work of obtaining and diffusing information on the sub- 

 ject of agricultural education, and whatever else concerns the 

 great farming interests of the Commonwealth." 



An Associated Agricultural Convention was held at the State 

 House in Boston, Thursday, March 20, 1851. At the after- 

 noon session Rev. C. C. Sewall of Medfield, from the business 

 committee, reported several resolutions. Among them was 

 the following : — 



Resolved, 2. That it is expedient to establish a Central Board of 

 Agriculture, to be composed of delegates from the various incorpo- 

 rated agricultural societies of the Commonwealth, whose duty it shall 

 be to meet semi-annually, or oftener, if it shall be deemed expedient, 

 and to recommend to the several societies uniform rules of action, 

 and to take into consideration all subjects pertaining to the interests 

 of agriculture. 



After full discussion, on motion of Hon. George Denny, 

 president of the Westborough Society, it was 



Voted, That the Central Board, provided for in the second resolu- 

 tion, consist of three delegates from each incorporated agricultural 

 society, and that the president and secretaries be requested to inform 

 the societies of this resolution. 



The first meeting of the voluntary Massachusetts Board of 

 Agriculture was held Sept. 3, 1851, at the State House, Boston. 

 The following list of officers for a permanent organization of 

 the Board was reported and accepted : — 



President, Marshall P. Wilder. 



Vice-presidents, Henry W. Cushman, John W. Lincoln. 

 Corresponding Secretary, Allen W. Dodge. 

 Recording Secretary, Edgar K. Wiiitaker. 



The second meeting was held at the State House, Boston, 



