404 " BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



no individual to lead oS, will only lead to failure. We have tried 

 it hei'e, and have succeeded. We have had some very interesting 

 papers read from various individuals. Besides this we hope to see 

 good results from the competition in regard to improvements in 

 buildings, and in other respects, about which Mr. Leland has told 

 you. 



I am deeply interested in agriculture. I am not a practical far- 

 mer, as I said before, but the son of a farmer, and a born farmer. 

 I have been so much exercised upon that point sometimes, that I 

 have doubted whether I have not mistaken my calling. I am per- 

 sonally so much interested in practical agriculture and in seeing 

 every branch of farming prosper, that I have sometimes queried 

 whether I had not got off the track and spoiled a good farmer, as 

 I hope I might have made, to make a poor minister. But I cer- 

 tainly think it is one of the noblest of human occupations, and is 

 coming to be more and more a profession, and certainly one of the 

 noblest of all professions. Every farmer ought to aim to noake his 

 business more and more honorable, more and more a profession. 

 In all his common farming he ought to strive to act up to his ideal. 

 Every one has his ideal of what ought to be done on the farm, and 

 we ought to strive every day and every year more and- more to 

 realize that ideal. That is one of the ends of these agricultural 

 institutions, to aid us, by the experience of others, to realize our 

 own ideal more perfectly, to enable us to accomplish more, and 

 bring this science of agriculture to perfection. I hope we shall be 

 benefitted by the meeting of this board here at this time. 



Mr Lucas. I am not aware of the presence of any delegate 

 from farmers' clubs in the county of Somerset. I do not know how 

 many there are, but there are at least two in successful operation; 

 one at Anson, the doings of which may be seen all over the State. 

 The meetings were continued through the winter and into the 

 spring. 



There is another in the town of Norridgewock, which has pur- 

 sued about tlie same course, but their discussions have not been 

 publislied, and hence the public are not in posijession of what has 

 been done there, as they are of the proceedings of the other. The 

 Anson club, I understand from a former member of the board, has 

 been of vast benefit to the community in the vicinity of which 

 Anson is the centre. I presume there is a club at Skowhegan, but 

 do not know certainly. 



Mr, Chamberlain. We would be glad to hear from Mr, Gold on 



