SECRETARY'S REPORT. 261 



The time required to weigh an acre of corn, wheat, oats, 

 rye or roots, on a small phitform-scale, to be had temporarily 

 from the neighboring store, woukl not necessarily be more than 

 one hour, or at most, an hour and a lialf. For hay, if tliere 

 were any occasion for it, as is very rarely the case, the difficulty 

 is a little greater, as larger town scales would be required, and 

 they might not be at hand ; but the extra lal)or for all the small 

 grains and roots is but trifling in the way indicated. 



The Committee on Agricultural Education, appointed a year 

 ago, having been authorized to obtain an Elementary Manual of 

 Agiiculture for the use of our common schools, made an 

 arrangement with Messrs. George B. Emerson and Charles L. 

 Flint, to prepare such a manual, to be submitted for approval 

 to the Board. The Manual was submitted to the Board at an 

 adjourned meeting, held on the 22d of January, and after a 

 full and patient consideration, it was 



Resolved, That this Board approve of the Manual of Agriculture, 

 submitted by its authors, Messrs. George B. Emerson and Charles L. 

 Flint, and recommend its publication by these gentlemen, as a work well 

 adapted ibr use in the schools of Massachusetts. 



THE STATE CABINET. 



The efforts to increase the collection designed to illustrate 

 the Natural History and Industrial Resources of the Common- 

 wealth have l)een continued without interruption during the past 

 year. It is important that this collection should be complete 

 in all its departments, an object of pride and satisfaction to 

 every citizen. 



Tlie contributions during the past year are as follows: — 



Mammalogy. — W. II. Floyd presented a specimen of the Silver- 

 haired Bat ( Vespertilio noctivagans). 



This animal is not common in this State, but occurs frequently in Con- 

 necticut, and is common in the southern counties of New York. Its 

 history is yet incomplete. It is black, with silvery hairs above and be- 

 neath ; above, a whitish collar across the shoulders extends upwards 

 towards the ears. The tail extends beyond the wing membranes. In 

 common with the other species it takes refuge during the day in hollow 



trees. 



33* 



