

REPORT. 



To the Senate and House of Representatives : 



The winter public session of the Board of Agriculture under 

 the law of last year was held at Lisbon Hall, in the city of Lewis- 

 ton, January 18th to 21st inclusive. The attendance of farmers, 

 both from the immediate vicinity and from various parts of the 

 State, was much larger than at the autumn meeting' previously 

 held in Bangor, and a most gratifying degree of interest was 

 manifested. 



Organization having been effected together with the usual pre- 

 liminary business, the public exercises were opened by an address 

 from D. H. Thing, Esq., member from Kennebec county, on 



Agricultural Organizations and Industrial Fairs. — Their In- 

 fluence UPON THE Various Interests of the State. 



"As iron sharpeneth iron so man sharpeneth the countenance of 

 his friend," is an adage as true to-day as when uttered by divine 

 inspiration three thousand years gone by. 



To suppose that we can profitably live in the world and neither 

 do good to, or get good from, our fellow creatures around us, is 

 equivalent to supposing that Adam might have continued to dwell 

 in, and profitably cultivate the garden of Eden without .Eve to 

 associate with him. If it be true that in those circumstances he 

 would not have fallen, may it not be equally true that he never 

 would have attained to a social and intellectual elevation high 

 enough to have harmed him seriously if he had. But it is not 

 my intention to go into any other investigations at this time than 

 those strictly relevant to the subject under consideration. It is 

 for our purpose, suflScient to know that Adam in his farming 

 operations was associated with Eve ; that they tilled the soil to- 

 gether, and as their farm became suddenly enlarged, and in conse- 

 quence of their transgression of law the weeds and briars 

 increased, just as they do in our day, both morally and literally, 



