Annals of Horticulture. 



that the society adopted the following resolution at a meet- 

 ing held in Albany, January 20, 1848 : 



" Resolved, That the plan which was adopted by the for- 

 mer secretaries of the New York State Agricultural Society, 

 Institutes Daniel Lee, Joel B. Nott and Benjamin P. Johnson, in ad- 

 inNew dressing, at suitable times, county agricultural societies, 

 onc ' meets the decided approbation of the committee, and they 

 trust it will be continued hereafter ; and they recommend the 

 adoption of the resolution." 



Massachusetts early took steps to inaugurate a series of 

 farmers' institutes through the endeavors of the State Board 

 of Agriculture. The first reference to such meetings is to be 

 found in the records of the Secretary of the State Board of 

 Agriculture under date of January 21, 1859, when it was 

 voted by the board " to appoint a committee to consider and 

 report upon the propriety of instituting meetings similar to 

 teachers' institutes." This committee reported February 3, 

 1859, in favor of holding such meetings, and recommended 

 that they be commenced as soon as possible. February 1, 

 1871, the board voted " that the various agricultural socie- 

 ties of the commonwealth be requested to organize an annual 

 meeting for lectures and discussions at such time and place 

 as may be convenient for each society ; these meetings to be 

 denominated ' The Farmers' Institutes of Massachusetts."' 

 February 7, 1878, it was voted: " That the agricultural 

 societies receiving the bounty of the commonwealth, be re- 

 quested to arrange and hold one or more farmers' institutes 

 each year within their limits ; and that they be informed 

 that the board will render all the assistance in its power to 

 make such institutes instructive and useful to the public." 

 February 6, 1879, this vote was amended by substituting 

 the word "required" for "requested," and changing the num- 

 ber to be held each year from ' ' one " to " three. ' ' February 5, 

 1880, it was voted : "That in the opinion of this board it is 

 expedient that the secretary attend as many farmers' insti- 

 tutes as the other duties of his office will allow." February 

 3, 1887, it was voted : " That the rule requiring societies re- 

 ceiving the bounty of the state to hold at least three institutes 

 during the year, be restated and enforced. ' ' February 7, 1889, 

 the board adopted the following rule: "Each agricultural 

 society receiving the bounty of the Commonwealth is hereby 



