Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-01-22
State Board Of Agriculture.

their annual session in the apartments
allotted TO the secretary of state in tie
State House addition, Wednesday forenoon.
there being full attendance.
The followiog new members were
qualified: Cumberland, W. II. Vinton,
Gray; York, d. +. Pease, Cornish; Somer.
set. A. r. Smiley, Skowhsgan; Franklin,
C. f. Wheeler, Chesterville. The board
then organized with the election of the
following officers; President, B. w. Me.
Keen. West Fryebulg; vice president,
B. f. Briggs, Auburn; secretary, u. A.
Gilbert, North Greene; messenger, A. II.
Whitmo;e, Verona.
Members elec. from Franklin county,
Chas + Wheeler. presented resolution
with fitting remarks on the death Of S. r.
Leland, deceased me mber of the board.
1.-THE afternoon session Secretary Gilbert
made his report, reviewing the work of the
Board for the year
Secretary Gilbert stated that there had
been held the past year 10 county institutes,
three days joint State Pathological meeting
and three days State conference. The
sum of SILICA 23 WAS expended in holding
these institutes, an average of $77.0G to
each institute. The board he said recog-
nizes the importance of holding the large
annual cattle shows which are the expouents
Of the condition and progress of agriculture
among US.
At the last annual meeting of the board
4 plan was adopted of choosing an executive
committee to act for the board in an execu-
tive capacity when such authority may be
needed. This plan has proved very salts
factory and it is recommended that the
same be continued indefinitely. This course
relieves the secretary Of measure of re-
spon.ibility while it brings to his aid the
counsel of an exc cutive authority.
The attention of the board Is called to
the Worlds Columbian Exposition in
Chicago in 1893 1t is urged that our State
in common with others do itself justice.
The secretary recommended that the board
take measures whereby the agricultural
interests in connection with other
interests should have a cred
table representation aud that the Kindred
interests of horticulture and pomoloyy
should be granted a share of attention pro-
porti0Date 10 their needs ia the case. What
ever is done in this connection, it is neces-
sary that il shall be done by the present
Legislature.
..In this connection a communication WAS
read from the chief of the department of
agriculture at Chicago, calling the atten.
ton Of the board to this important matter.
Referring to his report the secretary said
that the copy for his annual report WAS
nearly all ready the first of April. The
printers, he said, dil their work to entire
satisfac ion.
The attention of the Board was called to
tendency noticed for several years past
to incorporate agricultural societies repre-
seniing limited territory, and giving them
full rights and privileges of larger societies
from which their territory is drawn, and
the question was raised whether this ten
dency should be encouraged.
Attention was also called to the import
ant measures coming before the present
Legislature, bcsrog directly on the agri-
culture Of this State, and it was urged
that action be taken to the effect that the
Board should make its influence tel. on
these questions in behalf of the interests
it repre- sents.
Reference was made to the measures
taken to secure larger and more appropriate
quarters for this department at the State
House under the new de apartments that have
been made.
In closing, the secretary congratulated
the board in the views favorable in all
respects to The interests of agriculture,
expressed by the chief executive of the
State ia his inaugural address. Through
these u tarances, said the secretary, the
assurance is given that the necessities of
the work that board is carving on are fully
recognized, and that all reasonable demands
for the needed aid to carry it on will receive
cordial support.
The report of the executive COM
mittee was presented in part but
was laid on the table fer consideration
at tea o'clock Thursday forenoon.
The part already reported related TO asking
for 4 change in the statutes to allow the
holding of an annual meeting without time
limitation instead of restricting the session
to two days as at present, also asking for
tmore liberal appropriation go as to
allow OF at least two Farmers Institutes
in each county Annually, at an expense not
to exceed 5000, ard to increase salary of
secretary in proportion to his work. Petit
tons to this effect have been circulated and
presented to the presen. Legislature.
The Board then took up ard considered
the topic, from Thursdays programme,
"Shculd the present tendency to multiply
agricultural societies be encouraged? and
remarks were made on the subject by vari-
Gus members of the Board.
At the afternoon session the question of
the multiplying agricultural societies was
discussed at length by Vinton of Cumber-
land. Nickerson of kenneboc and Moore of
Cumberland, and all took the ground that
this was an element of weakness. The
following resolution was passed:
Resolved, That the preseit tendency to
multiply agricultural societies is hereby
discouraged by this board as being a ten
dency to weaken rather than strengthen.
The member from Cumberland called up
the matter contained in the report of the
secretary regarding rooms in the State
House add introduced the following, which
was passed.;
Resolved. That in the assignment of
rooms to the several departments ia the
State House and especially in the addition
recently made thereto, the board of agri
culture asks that there may be assigned to
it room or rooms, which it may permanent
ly oceupT, which room or rooms shall be
sufficiently commoiious for the work it has
to do an the interests it has in charge.
Messrs. Vinton, McKeen and Briggs
were appointed a committee to confer
with the committee on public building.
regarding the matter.
A Temperance Conferences.
A number of Good Templsrs will be in
Iua pify EYJ1av fnp he 1.