THE CULTIVATOR. 
32 
culture, as we can and ought to do, to the level of that of 
any country on the globe. Fortunately, we are not left in 
doubt as to the prominent means of effecting this desirable 
■object. Other governments have made the experiment 
for us; have set us the example, and in a measure demon¬ 
strated the certainty of success. Those governments have 
patronized and aided this noble art, by protection and re¬ 
wards; by instruction, in the primary schools, in the ele¬ 
mentary principles of husbandry; by national boards of ag¬ 
riculture; by agricultural surveys, and by schools of sci¬ 
entific and practical instruction in the diseases and ma¬ 
nagement of domestic animals, and in the business of agri¬ 
culture generally. 
The state of Massachusetts was among the first to en¬ 
courage the establishment of agricultural societies, and to 
dispense to them the public bounty. Her continuing to 
persevere in this policy to the present time, by a renewal 
of the law making an annual and liberal appropriation to 
this object, is at once an evidence that she has found such 
expenditure salutary, and in perfect unison with the feel¬ 
ings and wishes of her enlightened population. 
The state of Maine has also given an example of great li¬ 
berality and wisdom, in recent efforts to improve her agri¬ 
culture. The bounty which she this year pays to her citi¬ 
zens, to encourage the culture of wheat alone, will draw 
from the treasury a greater sum, than all the expenditures, 
which the “ empire state ” has made directly in aid of her 
agriculture, put together. 
Several of the states have likewise, with a view to en¬ 
courage a useful and lucrative branch of home industry, 
offered liberal bounties for the cultivation of the mulberry, 
and the production of silk. A slight reference to the pro¬ 
ceedings of the current legislatures of several of our sister 
states, at this moment, may show the position which our 
own proud state should assume on this important subject. 
A bill is now before the legislature of Massachusetts for 
giving a bounty to her citizens for the production of wheat. 
A bill is in discussion in the legislature of Kentucky to 
establish a board of agriculture, and state and county soci¬ 
eties. 
A bill is before the legislature of Maryland to establish 
and patronize agricultural schools, &c. 
A bill is under consideration in the young and en¬ 
terprising state of Michigan, for the establishment of state 
and county agricultural societies, with appropriations from 
the state funds for their support. 
And even Wisconsin, that wild, though fertile and ra¬ 
pidly increasing territory of the great west, is engaged in 
the same laudable work. 
Nor do we lack a useful lesson of instruction at home. 
The law passed in 1819, “to improve the agriculture of 
this state,” did do what its title purported; it did im¬ 
prove the agriculture of this state. It improved our farm 
stock, our farm implements, our farm crops, and modes of 
culture; and it gave a new impulse to useful enterprize 
and improvement. And although the manner of its exe¬ 
cution was in many cases faulty, as all new experiments 
are liable to be in the outset; yet it effected a great public 
good. That law involved a public expenditure of twenty- 
five or thirty thousand dollars, and no like sum, your com¬ 
mittee are induced to believe, has been expended from 
the state treasury with greater public advantage. Its be¬ 
nefits are now palpable, and are acknowledged by all in¬ 
telligent men. Indeed, it has been stated, upon no slight 
grounds, that the expenditure has been more than thrice 
returned to the treasury, in the form of canal tolls upon 
the extra products of the soil, which it virtually created. 
There is another subject to which the committee deem 
it proper to call the attention of the legislature. The in¬ 
sect denominated the grain worm, has, for several years, 
been greatly destructive to the wheat crop in the northern 
and north-eastern counties of the state. It is progressing 
south and west, and threatens to cut off, or at least seri¬ 
ously to diminish, the great staple of our soil, and the 
source of much of our wealth. If the attention of natural¬ 
ists, and the critical observation of practical farmers, were 
directed to the character and habits of this insect, by offers 
of a liberal bounty for the discovery of an efficient pr-even- 
tive of its depredations, it is believed that great public be¬ 
nefit might result from the measure, while it seems cer¬ 
tain that no injury could ensue from it. 
Your committee believe that in all the arts of produc¬ 
tive labor, and particularly in agriculture, it is highly im¬ 
portant, to the attainment of excellence, to commence in¬ 
struction in the primary schools. And as we now have 
published, in our state, agricultural journals of as high and 
useful character as are published in the world, and at a 
price less than one-fourth the cost of an equal quantity of 
matter in a book form, they consider their introduction in¬ 
to our common schools as occasional class books for our 
youth, a cheap and efficient means of improving both the 
mind and the soil. 
From the best consideration which the committee have 
been able to give to the important matters which come 
within the purview of their duties, they have come to the 
unanimous conclusion, that the time has arrived, when the 
public interest, and the popular will alike require the exer¬ 
cise of legislative wisdom, and legislative bounty, to im¬ 
prove, the condition of our agriculture; the business, as 
has been already remarked, which gives employment to 
the mass of our population, and which is the main source 
of prosperity to all the other classes of society. The com¬ 
mittee, therefore, recommend that, with a view of pro¬ 
moting the desired improvement, a law be enacted to or¬ 
ganize a state board of agriculture, and to establish agri¬ 
cultural societies in the several counties of this state; and 
that an annual expenditure of 25,000 dollars be authorized, 
for five years, with suitable provisions and under proper 
restrictions, to improve the agriculture of this state. The 
committee have prepared a bill in accordance with their 
views upon this subject, and have directed their chairman 
to ask leave to present the same. 
An Act 
TO IMPROVE THE AGRICULTURE OF THIS STATE. 
The People of the State of JYeiv-York, represented in 
Senate and Assembly , do enact as follows: 
§ 1. That the sum ef twenty thousand dollars per an¬ 
num shall be, and hereby is appropriated, for the term of 
five years, for the promotion of agriculture and household 
manufactures, in the several counties of this state, in the 
manner following, to wit: To the county of Albany five 
hundred and twenty-one dollars; to the county of Allega¬ 
ny, three hundred and forty-eight dollars; to the county of 
Broome,onehundred and seventy-four dollars; to thecoun- 
ty of Cattaraugus, three hundred and forty-eight dollars; to 
the county of Cayuga, five hundred and twenty-one dol¬ 
lars; to the county of Chautauque, five hundred and twen¬ 
ty-one dollars; to the county of Chemung, one hundred 
and seventy-four dollars; to the county of Chenango, five 
hundred and twenty-one dollars; to the county of Clinton, 
one hundred and seventy-four dollars; to the county of 
Columbia, five hundred and twenty-one dollars; to the 
county of Cortland, three hundred and forty-eight dollars; to 
the county of Delaware, three hundred and forty-eight dol¬ 
lars; to the county of Dutchess, five hundred and twenty- 
one dollars; to the county of Erie, five hundred and twen¬ 
ty-one dollars; to the county of Essex, one hundred and 
seventy-four dollars; to the county of Franklin, one hun¬ 
dred and seventy-four dollars; to the county of Genesee, 
six hundred and ninety-five dollars; to the county of 
Greene, three hundred and forty-eight dollars; to the 
county of Herkimer, three hundred and forty-eight dollars; 
to the county of Jefferson, five hundred and twenty-one 
dollars; to the county of Kings, three hundred and forty- 
eight dollars; to the county of Lewis, one hundred and 
seventy-four dollars; to the county of Livingston, three 
hundred and forty-eight dollars; to the county of Madison, 
five hundred and twenty-one dollars; to the county of 
Monroe, five hundred and twenty-one dollars; to the coun¬ 
ty of Montgomery, five hundred and twenty-one dollars; 
to the county of Niagara, three hundred and forty-eight 
dollars; to the county of Oneida, six hundred and ninety- 
five dollars; to the county of Onondaga, six hundred and 
ninety-five dollars; to the county of Ontario, five hundred 
and twenty-one dollars; to the county of Orange, five hun¬ 
dred and twenty-one dollars; to the county of Orleans, one 
hundred and seventy-four dollars; to the county of Oswe¬ 
go, three hundred and forty-eight dollars; to the county of 
Otsego, five hundred and twenty-one dollars; to the county 
of Putnam, one hundred and seventy-four dollars; to the 
county of Queens, one hundred and seventy-four dollars; to 
the county of Rensselaer, five hundred and twenty-one dol¬ 
lars; to the county of Richmond, one hundred and seven¬ 
ty-four dollars; to the county of Rockland, one hundred 
and seventy-four dollars; to the county of St. Lawrence, 
three hundred and forty-eight dollars; to the county of 
Saratoga, three hundred and forty-eight dollars; to the 
county of Schenectady, one hundred and seventy-four dol¬ 
lars; to the county of Schoharie, three hundred and forty- 
eight dollars; to the county of Seneca, one hundred and 
seventy-four dollars; to the county of Steuben, five hun¬ 
dred and twenty-one dollars; to the county of Suffolk, 
three hundred and forty-eight dollars; to the county of 
Sullivan, one hundred and seventy-four dollars; to the 
county of Tioga, one hundred and seventy-four dollars; to 
the county of Tompkins, three hundred and forty-eight 
dollars; to the county of Ulster, three hundred and fifty 
dollars; to the county of Warren, one hundred and seven¬ 
ty-five dollars; to the county of Washington, three hun¬ 
dred and fifty dollars; to the county of Wayne, three hun¬ 
dred and fifty dollars; to the county of Westchester, three 
hundred and fifty dollars; to the county of Yates, one hun¬ 
dred and seventy-four dollars. 
§ 2. That when an agricultural society shall be formed 
in any county, or in two contiguous counties, and the 
members thereof shall annually procure, or raise by volun¬ 
tary subscription, any sum of money, the president and 
treasurer shall make and subscribe an affidavit of the facts 
of the formation of such society, and of their having raised 
a certain sum, specifying the amount thereof, which affi¬ 
davit shall be filed with the comptroller of this state, who 
shall draw his warrant on the treasurer for a sum equal to 
double the amount of such voluntary subscription, not, 
however, exceeding the amount to which such county or 
counties would be entitled, according to the apportionment 
aforesaid. 
§ 3. That the several agricultural societies which shall 
be formed in this state, during the continuance of this act, 
shall annually elect such and so many officers as they shall 
deem proper, all of whom shall be actually engaged in 
carrying on the business of farming; none ofwhom, how¬ 
ever, shall receive any emolument from his office; and it 
shall be the duty of such officers annually to regulate and 
award premiums on such articles, productions and improve¬ 
ments, as they may deem best calculated to promote the 
agricultural and household manufacturing interests of this 
state; having especial reference to the nett profits which 
accrue, or are likely to accrue, from the mode of raising 
the crop or stock, or the fabrication of the article thus of¬ 
fered, with the intention that the reward shall be given 
for the most economical or profitable mode of competition: 
Provided always, .that no individual shall receive more 
than two premiums at any anniversary meeting, nor more 
than one first and one second premium at any subsequent 
time upon the same animal, and that no person shall re¬ 
ceive any premium from an awarding committee of which 
he is a member thereof: And provided further, that before 
any premium shall be delivered, the person claiming the 
i same, or to whom the same may be awarded, shall deliver 
in writing to the president of the society, as accurate a de¬ 
scription of the process in preparing the soil, including 
the quantity and quality of manure applied, and in raising 
the crop, or feeding the animal, as may be; and also of the 
expense and product of the crop, or of increase in value 
of the animal, with the view of showing accurately the 
profit of cultivating the crop, or of feeding or fattening 
the animal. 
§ 4. That if an agricultural society shall not be organized 
in any county, or shall neglect to raise by voluntary sub¬ 
scription, a sum which shall entitle them to the apportion¬ 
ment made to said county by this act, the board of super¬ 
visors of said county are hereby empowered, at their 
pleasure, during the continuance of this act, to raise an¬ 
nually, in the manner the contingent charges of said coun¬ 
ty are required to be raised, a sum equal to one half the 
amount hereby appropriated to said county. And when¬ 
ever the president of said board of supervisors shall certify 
to the comptroller that such board of supervisors have re¬ 
solved to raise such sum, it shall be the duty of the comp¬ 
troller to draw his warrant on the treasurer of the state, in 
favor of the treasurer of such county, for the sum appro¬ 
priated for said county by the first section of this act. 
§ 5. That it shall be the duty of the supervisors of every 
such county, to cause all the money so raised and received 
for agricultural improvement, to be paid and expended at 
an annual agricultural exhibition, to be held in such county, 
at such time as they shall appoint, in such manner as shall 
in their judgment best promote the legitimate object of 
this act, and subject to all the provisions contained in the 
third section hereof. 
§ 6. That the several presidents of the said societies, 
and of the boards of supervisors, who shall receive or ex« 
pend any of the moneys hereby appropriated, shall annu¬ 
ally, in the month of December, transmit all such reports 
or returns as they are required to demand and receive, to 
the secretary of the state board of agriculture, hereafter 
named and organized, together with an abstract of their 
proceedings, exhibiting a detailed account of the expendi¬ 
ture of all the moneys which shall come into their hands 
under this act, and stating to whom and for what purpose 
paid, with the vouchers thereof. 
§ 7. There shall be organized a state board of agricul¬ 
ture to consist of five members, who shall hold their offices 
for five years from the second Tuesday of February, one 
thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, and shall receive 
while necessarily employed in the duties enjoined by this 
act, the same compensation as members of the legislature. 
They may choose such officers as they may deem neces¬ 
sary, and shall hold quarter-yearly meetings in the city of 
Albany on the first Tuesdays in February, May, August 
and November; and may also meet at such other times as 
may be found expedient to fulfil the duties hereafter en¬ 
joined upon them. 
§ 8. There shall be assigned for the meetings of the state 
board of agriculture, and as a museum for models, geolo¬ 
gical specimens, and agricultural productions, a suitable 
apartment in the state buildings now erecting; which 
room and museum shall be kept in order by the secretary, 
or by some person to be appointed by the board, and shall 
at all reasonable hours be open and accessible to the pub¬ 
lic without charge. 
§ 9. It shall be the duty of the state board of agriculture 
to examine all reports and returns made by the presidents 
of the county agricultural societies, and boards of agricul¬ 
ture; to select, for publication, such of them, and such 
other essays as they may judge advisable; and shall annu¬ 
ally publish a volume, to be distributed in the several 
counties of this state, by the county agricultural societies, 
or by the boards of supervisors thereof: And they shall 
examine, when in session, and determine by practical ex¬ 
periment on the merits of all new farm implements or ma¬ 
chinery offered for their examination, and may award dis¬ 
cretionary premiums, upon such as may be found truly 
meritorious and deserving of public patronage, provided 
the whole amount expended in any one year shall not ex¬ 
ceed the sum of one thousand dollars for that purpose; and 
provided further, that no such premium shall be delivered 
to the person claiming the same, until he has deposited 
with the board a model of his implement, machine or im¬ 
provement. 
§ 10. There shall be deposited in the room assigned to 
the board, a complete set of mineralogical and geological 
specimens, properly arranged and labelled, from the col¬ 
lections now being made by the geological corps in the 
public employ; specimens of choice or rare agricultural 
productions, models of implements, drawings of choice 
animals, books, and other articles which may be present¬ 
ed to the museum, a registry of all wffiich shall be made 
by the secretary, and open to the public inspection. 
§ II. The said state board of agriculture shall report an¬ 
nually to the legislature, in the month of January, a state¬ 
ment of their expenditures and of their proceedings du¬ 
ring the previous year; and also all matters that they may 
deem calculated to promote the improvement of agricul¬ 
ture and of household industry. 
§ 12. A reward of five hundred dollars shall be and is 
hereby offered to any person who shall discover and will 
communicate to the state board of agriculture, for the pub¬ 
lic benefit, a sure and efficient preventive of the depreda¬ 
tions of the insect denominated the Grain Worm; the effi¬ 
cacy of the said preventive to be tested by the said board 
during at least one year, and satisfactorily confirmed before 
the said award shall be given; and if the discovery shall 
prove but a partial remedy of the evil, it is made discre¬ 
tionary with the said board, or a majority of them, to award 
such part of the sum hereby appropriated as its importance 
may seem to justify. 
§ 13. That the treasurer of the state shall annually pay 
on the warrant of the comptroller to the said state board of 
