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ON AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES

SECT. III.

THE OBJECTS FOR WHICH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIESHAVE BEEN FORMED.

These vary accbrding to the views of the founders, and thesituation and circumstances of the members. Sometimesthey are limited to one ; in other cases, they include a greatvariety of particulars. Instead of pointing out, however, theprecise object of each society, it may be proper to classify allthe objects which have attracted the attention of agriculturalSocieties in general, and point out the means they have pur-sued for promoting these ends.

1. The diffusion of useful knowledge.

A variety of measures have been adopted for carrying thisobject into effect, of which the following are the most essen-tial: 1. By means of personal and friendly intercourse be-tween the several members of the society. 2. By keeping upa regular correspondence with other societies of a similardescription. 3. By discussing freely at their meetings theseveral subjects connected with their profession. 4. Byforming libraries, containing the best books on all the bran-ches of agriculture, and circulating them among the mem-bers. £. By appointing some of their members to surveyannually all the operations carried on in the district wherethe society is established, and to report the particulars to beannually recorded. 6. By appointing others to travel intodistricts, where agriculture is better understood and prac-tised, and also to report to the society the result of their ob-servations to be likewise recorded. 7. By the circulation of