376 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



5. It would awaken a deeper interest in agricultural pursuits, 

 and give them increased respectability. 



6. Opportunity might be given during the meetings of the 

 Institute for visiting some of the best conducted farms and 

 gardens in the vicinity, and thus witnessing the operations of 

 scientific principles. 



I know of but two difficulties in the way of the immediate 

 adoption of such a plan. One is, that as yet we have no secre- 

 tary to the Board, an indispensable pre-requisite. Another 

 is, that we have no pecuniary means placed at our disposal for 

 any purpose. The first difllculty, I trust, will soon be removed, 

 and for getting rid of the second, I take the liberty of suggest- 

 ing that a petition be presented to the Legislature, now in 

 session, for the means requisite for establishing and putting 

 in operation a Farmers' Institute.^ 



Secretary Flint, in his first annual report, under date of 

 Jan. 23, 1854, said that the establishment of farmers' insti- 

 tutes, it was thought, would, to some extent at least, supply 

 the wants for education in agriculture ; that the Board of 

 Agriculture had no means in their power to enable them to 

 take any steps towards the establishment of these institutes ; 

 and that it was desirable that some provision should be made 

 at an early day with reference to this object. 



At the annual meeting of the Board, Jan. 21, 1859, 

 Messrs. John C. Bartlett, Simon Brown and E. W. Bull 

 were constituted a committee to consider and report upon 

 the propriety of instituting meetings similar to teachers' 

 institutes for the discussion of agricultural topics. On Feb- 

 ruary 3 following this committee sul)mitted a report to the 

 Board, from which the following extract is taken : — 



Public meetings, under the direction and control of the 

 Board of Agriculture, will best subserve this purpose. 



Your committee therefore recommend that the Board of 

 Agriculture authorize a committee for each county in the State, 

 tlie members resident in the county, whose duty it shall be to 

 call a meeting of the farmers at such time and place as in their 

 best judgment may be proper, to promote the interests of the 



* Agriculture of Massachusetts, 1852, p. 669. 



