35G BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Legislature, for the encouragement or support of institutions 

 for instruction in agriculture, for charitable purposes, and 

 for education. 



The report Avas referred to the committee on agriculture 

 on March 12, which committee on April 4 reported a bill to 

 establish a State Board of Agriculture. ^ One of the provi- 

 sions in this bill was, that the proposed board of agriculture 

 might " receive, hold in trust, and exercise control over any 

 donations or bequests from private sources, made to advance 

 agricultural education." This bill, however, was refused a 

 third reading on May 12. 



By chapter 112 of the Acts of 1851, however, the Massa- 

 chusetts school fund was allowed to increase from $1,000,000 

 to $1,500,000. 



Associated Agricultural Convention. 

 At a meeting of the trustees of the Norfolk Agricultural 

 Society, Jan. 28, 1851, Pres. Marshall P. Wilder made 

 certain suggestions ; and, acting on those suggestions, the 

 trustees — 



Voted, That the president and secretaries be a committee to 

 mature and adopt a plan for a convention of delegates from the 

 various agricultural societies of the Commonwealth, to be 

 holden at some convenient time and place, the object of which 

 shall be to concert measures for their mutual advantage, and 

 for the promotion of the cause of agricultural education.^ 



At the morning session of that convention, held in the 

 Green Room at the State House, March 20, 1851, President 

 Wilder, announcing the subjects for discussion, said: "It 

 is also to be hoped that the cause of agricultural education, 

 now about to receive the consideration of the Legislature, 

 Avill not l)e overlooked in the deliberations of this body." 



At the afternoon session, in Representatives' Hall, many of 

 the leading agriculturists of the Commonwealth being pres- 

 ent, Mr. Charles C. Sewall of Medfield, from the business 

 committee, reported for the deliberation of the convention 

 certain preambles and resolutions, the fourth, fifth and 



» House, No. 126, 1851. * Agriculture of Massachusetts, 1851, p. 398. 



