364 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



countered, to the importance of making agriculture a study 

 in our liiglier seminaries of learning and to the proposed 

 school at Springfield, the petition concludes : — 



Under such circumstances, the Board of Trustees of this 

 Institution, believing that they have commenced a system of 

 instruction in Agriculture, that, if generally adopted, would 

 prove of immense advantage to the people of this Common- 

 wealth; — and feeling that with enhanced means they could 

 accomplish a large amount of good for a class of persons who 

 have heretofore received but little assistance, for educational 

 purposes from the State, — and respectfully pray your honor- 

 able body to set aside and appropriate from the sales of the 

 Back Bay Lands, the sum of Ten Thousand Dollars the income 

 from which shall forever be used to support a Professor of 

 Agriculture at Powers Institute in Bernardston. 



These several petitions were referred to the committee on 

 education, which committee reported a resolve (Senate, No. 

 1(35) in favor of the establishment of an agricultural school 

 or college, accompanied by a report. This report closes as 

 follows : — 



Several educational plans were proposed to your Committee, 

 each having merits and worthy of consideration. We however 

 arrived at the conclusion, that these projects are not sufficiently 

 matured for legislative action, and that the whole subject 

 should be referred to some competent body of men to examine 

 fully and report thereon. 



For the Committee, 



R. T. Davis, Chairman. 



The result of all this action was the enactment of chapter 

 98 of the Resolves of 1861, being a "Resolve in favor of 

 the establishment of an agricultm'al school or college," and 

 reading as follows : — 



Resolved, That the governor, by and with the advice and 

 consent of the council, be and he is hereby authorized to 

 appoint three commissioners, whose duty it shall be to pre- 

 pare a plan for the establishment of an agricultural school or 

 college, and report the same to the next legislature. Said 



