It has brought together from time to time a band of the 

 most intelligent, practical, and scientific co-workers that the 

 State possessed, and it is to this centralization that we are 

 much indebted for the progress we have made. If any one 

 doubts this, let him examine the reports of the Secretary for 

 the last quarter of a century, and I think he will have his 

 doubts removed. 



With the Report now in press there will have been pub- 

 lished twenty-five yearly volumes, containing more than 

 sixteen thousand pages of matter pertaining to agriculture 

 and kindred pursuits, including numerous engravings of 

 cattle, horses, swine, farm-implements, and other illustra- 

 tions, some of which are of high character as works of art. 



These annual volumes, embracing in all an issue of more 

 than two hundred and fifty thousand copies, have gone forth 

 not only to the farmers of this Commonwealth, but have 

 been distributed throughout our own and foreign lands. 

 They constitute a comprehensive library in themselves, 

 embracing essaj^s, reports, and discussions on almost every 

 subject in agriculture, and are eagerly sought for with every 

 issue. 



These reports have greatly promoted the objects for which 

 the Board was established, and extended its influence far 

 and wide. No similar publication, within my knowledge, 

 contains more practical and useful information for farmers. 

 Complete sets have already become valuable, and are more and 

 more apreciated. By these reports young men have been stim- 

 ulated to become farmers ; and by the example of the Board, 

 and the correspondence of its members, other States have been 

 led to establish State Boards of Agriculture on our plan. 



Nor must it be forgotten, that, from the first, the Massa- 

 chusetts State Board have been the firm friends of agricul- 

 tural education, and have always co-operated heartily for the 

 advancement and welfare of the agricultural college, whose 

 influence is now beginning to be felt, not only at home, but 

 in the far-off islands of Japan, where, to the honor of our 

 Commonwealth, William S. Clark, the president of her agri- 

 cultural college, has erected the first agricultural college 

 of Japan, and installed in its faculty (under the auspices 

 of that nation) a president and two professors, all of whom 

 were grafl"ates of the Massachusetts Agricultural College. 



