100 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Feb. 



hibition of an agricultural societ)', or Farmers' 

 Club, or of any public Market Fair held at stated 

 intervals upon regular Market Days, and within 

 one-half mile of the place of holding the same, 

 ^vithout the permission of the authorities having 

 charge of the same, who shall designate the place 

 of sale or exhibition, hawks or peddles goods, 

 wares, or merchandize, or establishes any tent or 

 booth for vending provisions or refreshments, or 

 practic3s or engages in gaming or horse-racing, 

 or exhibits, or offers to exhibit shows or plays, 

 shall forfeit for each offence a sum not exceeding 

 twenty dollars, provided that a person having his 

 regular and usual place of business within such 

 limits, is not hereby require;! to suspend his busi- 

 ness." A committee w;)s appointed to obtain the 

 passage of a law securing these points. 



Mr. Grenxell, of Greenfield, made a report 

 upon the Exhibition at Martha's Vineyard, which 

 gave a somewhat detailed account of the geo- 

 graphical and geological character of the island, 

 with a statement of the increase or decrease of 

 the products of the soil since 183 J. 



On motion, it was voted that the Secretary of 

 the Board be invited to make motions and dis- 

 cuss subjects as he may choose from time to time. 



WEDNESDAY, SECOND DAY. 



Board met at 10 o'clock. Col. Wilder in the 

 Chair. Mr. Fay offered the following resolutions : 



Voted, That the Secretary of the Board be 

 directed to call the attention of the Mayor and 

 Aldermen of the cities, and Selectmen of the 

 towns of this Commonwealth, on or before the 

 20th of xVpril, annually, to the law for the protec- 

 tion of sheep against dogs, and urge its enforce- 

 ments. 



That the Secretary be also directed to ascer- 

 tain, on the first of October, annually, from the 

 cities and towns of the Commonwealth, the num- 

 ber of dogs licensed, and the amount received 

 therefor. 



Professor Clark, of Amherst, read a long and 

 highly interesting report upon Horses, which, up- 

 on some points, elicited long and earnest discus- 

 sion. 



THURSDAY, THIRD DAY. 



Dr. Bartlktt, of Chelmsford, reported upon 

 the destruction of woodlands and other property 

 by fires, suggesting that the Board recommend 

 to the legislature to provide certain regulations 

 that shall be observed by every person before set- 

 ting fire to brush or wood lands. 



Mr. R. S. Fay, of Lynn, from the committee 

 on Agricnlturdl Education, reported what the 

 committee had done in relation to an Af/riculttiral 

 Manual for the use of common schools. An in- 

 teresting discussion followed, in the midst of 

 which, Mr. Stockbridge, of Hadley, introduced 

 the following resolution. 



"Resolved, That in the opinion of this Board, 

 the time has arrived for the inauguration of meas- 

 ures tending to the establishment of an Agricul- 

 tural School of high grade, under the patronage 

 of the Commonwealth." 



This resolution led to a long discussion, calling 

 out decided opinions both in favor and against 

 such a measure, and the following was adopted in 

 its stead: 



Voted, That a committee of three be appointed 

 to propose some plan by which an agricultural 

 school may be establislied in this Commonwealth. 



Mr. Davis, of Plymouth, reported upon the 

 resolutions offered by Mr. Brown, of Concord, at 

 the last meeting of the Bo^rd in relation to the 

 flowage of lands. 



Mr. Fay observed that this was a very able re- 

 port on a most important subject — a subject which 

 for years he had considered. He said that cir- 

 cumstances had much changed since the passage 

 of the various laws authorizing and protecting 

 mill privileges, because land had all the time been 

 growing more valuable, and water power less im- 

 portant, from the improvements in the use of 

 steam. He also expressed the belief that many 

 of the most flourishing and improved water priv- 

 ileges were not worth as much as the land they 

 desti-oyed by flowage. That in many instances it 

 would be desirable to have the water privilege 

 appraised, purchased, and the dam removed by the 

 land owners above it, making thereby an opera- 

 tion profitable to themselves, the owners of the 

 water-power and the community, but that while 

 there was a law for taking land for water privi- 

 leges, there was none for relieving the land in 

 any way from the injury created. 



We have already occupied so much space that 

 we cannot give this report at present, but will do 

 so soon. It is a subject which interests the farm- 

 er in every portion of New England. The report 

 was referred back to the same committee to re- 

 commend to the Legislature a change in the laws 

 of the Commonwealth in regard to the flowage of 

 lands. 



Dr. Loring, of Salem, reported upon the Wor- 

 cester North Society. 



Mr. Fay called up the subject of the manual 

 for common schools, which had been laid upon 

 the table for the purpose of introducing another 

 matter, when an animated discussion followed, 

 which resulted in the adoption of the following 

 vote : 



Voted, To refer the whole subject of the Man- 

 ual of Agriculture back to the original commit- 

 tee, they to present the manuscript to the Board 

 for approval, whenever it is completed. 



Messrs. Busiinell, Sewall and Felton 

 were appointed a committee to procure a change 

 in the laws in relation to the weighing of crops. 



