Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-10
AUGUSTA LOCALS.
ANNUAL EXPORT
Of Secretary Of Maine State
Board Of Agriculture.
Contains Also Reports Of Experiment
Station and Pathological Society.
Son, Re u'is 0, Work oil Eoard and Historical
Notes Thereon.

The 4ith annual report of the sccre-
tary of the State Board of Agriculture
was made public. Friday, and con-
tains much of interest. Besides mat
tiers relating directly TO the board, the
18th annual report of the Maine En-
pertinent Station at Orono is included
and also he report of the State Pomo-
logical Society.
The book contains writings on the
following subjects: island sheep" by
l.. Il. Harris, Lyndonville, VT: The
Snow Roller for Winter Road Break
ing" by T.. c. Buzzell. road commits
sioner of Fryeburg; Some Errors in
Road Building" by j., a. Roberts of
Norway; domestic Economy" by
Mrs. S. \. Taylor of Fairfield; and
Historical Notes on the Board of AS
riculture and Some Results of Its
Work" by Secretary b. Walker Me
Keen of the board. Mr. Mckeen's re-
port follows:
The Maine Board of Agriculture was
organized in 1853 and the yearly rec
ords of it's work are shown in the A
volumes that are found on the shelves
of the farmers libraries.
From its earliest foundation it has
had as members and as executive Off
GERS, men who We're well versed in
practical problems of agriculture. In
addition to this they have been pos
sessed of an almost boundless enthusi-
asm and Il resolute courage, by the aid
Of which they have succeeded in carry
ing to the farmers Of the State such
lessons of knowledge and of faith in
the soil and in the business of agri
culture as have borne fruit an hun
dred- fold Active and aggressive as
the work of the board has always been
it has carried along with it that can
dor and conservatism which have made
it's lessons of great value. \ leader al
ways, it has never rushed into the ad-
vOcacy of any new or untried methods
and has always been prompt and
strong i'm its denunciation of every
scheme of a doubtful character. BY the
wisdom displayed in these matters it
early won the confidence and esteem
Of the farmers of the State. and for
this reason has been able to do more
and better work than it otherwise
could have done.
The first efforts among the people of
the State in securing and dissent
mating agricultural information found
shape in the formation of societies and
tie holding of cattle shows. which were
widened in their scope when agricul-
tural products and manufactures were
added to the animal exhibits and the
name cattle shows gave place to fairs.
with the broader meaning that the
term implies.
The necessity for the associating to-
gether of the county societies. so that
the information accumulated by them
all might be published and distributed
to the farmers of the State for their
benefit. was apparent and had every
thing to commend it.
This was the cause for the passage
of the law by the Legislature. eStab-
fishing the Board of Agriculture. At
first its membership consisted of one
person from each society that repre-
scented the whole or IA division of a
county. This gave about 26 members
to the board from the time of its origin
until 1860, when the law was changed.
and from then until 1870 its member
ship consisted of only one person from
cdtD county. III lUOSe touIllltS mere
there were more than one regularly
organized society the members We're
chosen from each society in turn. In
1870 an act was passed by the LeSis-
lature empowering the Governor of the
State to appoint five members ut large.
and also giving the right of represent
alton 10 the State Agricultural Soci-
ETY.. In 1873 the State Pathological So
ciety was given membership. and SIM
liar rights were given to the Maine
Poultry Association in 1873. and to the
Maine Dairymen'S Association and the
state Jersey Cattle Association in 1873.
From 1856 to 1880. meetings of three
days each were held twice a year. one
in January and the other in August.
After the establishment of the Agri-
cultural College the law required that
the winter session be held at some
point near enough so that the students
of that institution could attend and
have the benefit of papers and discus
sons of the board. When it was de-
sired to hold the session at some dis
tant place. free transportation and en-
tertainment We're furnished the stu
dents.
In 1880 an act was passed reducing
the membership of the board to one
representative from each county and
two from the State College and prOvid-
ing funds for the holding of farmers
institutes. The summer meetings were
discontinued and the energies of the
board were devoted to the holding of
Institutes in every county in the State
i'm much the same way as IS now done.
At first the work, of necessity. was
slow and heavy. The term Institute
was a new one to the people. in its
application to agriculture. and in many
places the audiences were sparse. and
the work discOuraging to those en-
gagged in it. Institute speakers were
unframed and did not know how to
reach and hold their listeners Twenty
wears of training in the Grange halls
since then, has changed the audiences
that are met in every section of the
State and the lecturers have learned
how to meet them and do better work
Where, at first. places of meeting were
not always easily procured now the
doors of every Grange hall in the state
are open and the people are anxious to
welcome the institute and its work
In the annual reports of this board
are written the history of the a-ricul-
turc of the State for nearly half cen