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furnish to the secretary of each society such blanks as they 

 may deem necessary to secure uniform and reliable statistics ; 

 shall annually, by their chairman or secretary, submit to the 

 general court a detailed report of their doings, with such 

 recommendations and suoforestions as the interests of agri- 

 culture may require. 



The Board of Agriculture also acts as a board of forestry ; 

 has two of its members on the board of control of the State 

 Experiment Station ; determines the amount of bounty to 

 which a society is entitled for any year and may prescribe 

 rules and regulations to societies for uniform modes of 

 ascertaining the product of crops entered for premium. 



It is the duty of the secretary of the Board in each year 

 to cause to be made and pul)lished for distribution as full an 

 abstract of the returns of the agricultural societies as he may 

 deem useful, and he may also appoint one or more suital)le 

 agents to visit, under the direction of the Board, the towns 

 of the Commonwealth for the purpose of inquiring into the 

 methods and wants of practical husbandry ; of ascertaining 

 the adaptation of agricultural products to soil, climate and 

 markets ; of encouraging the establishment of farmers' clubs, 

 agricultural lil)raries and reading-rooms ; and of disseminat- 

 ing useful information in agriculture by means of lectures or 

 otherwise, and for this latter purpose the sum of $1,400 was 

 appropriated this year. 



By the regulations of the Board an annual business meeting 

 is held at the office of the secretary in Boston, commencing 

 on the Tuesday preceding the first Wednesday in February, 

 and continuing through the following Wednesday, on which 

 day the new members may take their seats and the meeting 

 be prolonged as business may require. At this meeting an 

 executive committee consisting of five members is chosen, 

 whose duty it is to act for the Board in cases of emergency ; 

 also a delegate is appointed to attend the fair of each society 

 represented on the Board, who is to make report to the 

 Board at its next annual meetins: of the fair and of the con- 

 dition and work of such society. The Board also holds an 

 annual three days' public meeting for lectures and discus- 

 sions, at such place within the Commonwealth as it may 

 designate, beginning on the first Tuesday in December. It 



