384 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. [Pub. Doc. 



And here it may be stated, that, twenty-five years ago, the 

 agricultural literature of the country was far from being credit- 

 able to us. Most of the works of ability were reprints of Eng- 

 lish publications, and were not generally read, or adapted to 

 our location. The Board has contributed largely to the im- 

 provement of the agricultural literature of the country, raising 

 it to a much higher standard of merit, until it stands on a par 

 with that of any other science.^ 



Manual of Agriculture. 

 At the third meeting of the State Board of Agriculture, held 

 in September, 1852, Messrs. J. W. Proctor, Edward Hitch- 

 cock and Stephen Reed were appointed a committee to con- 

 sider the expediency of preparing a manual on agriculture 

 for the use of common schools. At the succeeding annual 

 meeting of the Board, in January, 1853, this committee 

 submitted the following report, which was accepted : — 



The committee who were instructed to consider the expe- 

 diency of introducing to our public schools the study of the 

 elements of agricultural science, report : — 



That studies of this description might be attended to with 

 much benefit under competent teachers. The surprise is, that 

 they have been omitted so long, while so many of less practical 

 utility have been introduced. 



Probably the want of text books adapted to the understand- 

 ings of pupils has been one cause of this. 



The committee have examined "The Progressive Farmer," 

 by Prof. Nash,^ of Amherst, and think it better adapted to the 

 wants of the community, than any work of the kind that has 

 come to our knowledge.^ 



At a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture, held in 

 October, 1856, Messrs. John C. Bartlett, Benjamin V. 

 French and Secretary Flint were appointed a committee to 

 take into consideration the propriety of having a text-book 

 on agriculture, prepared under the sanction of the Board. 



1 Agriculture of Massachusetts, 1877 (Part I.), pp. 263, 265. 



2 Member State Board of Agriculture, 1852-55, Hampshire Agricultural 

 Society ; also, instructor of agriculture in Amherst College. 



^ Agriculture of Massachusetts, 1852, p. 669. 



