CRANBERRIES ON CAPE COD. 145 



sections, particularly adapted to the growth of the cranberry. 

 What has been the result of a few years' growth of the cran- 

 berry in that section ? Last year we marketed from a few 

 towns nearly three hundred thousand dollars' worth of cran- 

 berries, — just from the little county of Barnstable, the shores 

 of Cape Cod, which people scarcely believed had any thing 

 worth cultivating ; and yet that crop has been found profita- 

 ble. That grew out of the impetus which the State gave to 

 agriculture at that time, and the interchange of opinions, 

 such as we are making to-day; and, however diverse they 

 be, still we shall go home and apply in our own farming 

 operations the ideas which we think of value. 



When we find certain farmers growing rich, and others 

 poor, it is not always to be attributed to want of brains on 

 the part of the unsuccessful man ; but it may be owing to a 

 difference of soil : and I conceive that one advantage that will 

 grow out of the Agricultural College will be that young men 

 will come from that college competent to go into various 

 parts of the State, and analyze the soil, so that the farmers 

 themselves will understand it. They have not been able to 

 tell what crops were adapted to their soils ; but, with the 

 help of the young men who will grow up there, they can 

 determine that question, and great benefit will grow out of 

 that. 



I think these discussions of the various matters connected 

 with our farming operations are valuable. We go home and 

 carry with us the views, and opinions of our associates, and 

 a little additional inspiration. 



Mr. Flint. I want to make a single remark in explana- 

 tion of what Mr. Humphrey has stated, that there is a differ- 

 ence in the operations of the State Board of New Hampshire 

 and the State Board of Massachusetts. There really is not 

 any practical difference between their methods of operation. 

 The State Board of Massachusetts holds every year as many 

 as twenty or thirty farmers' institutes, — not protracted 

 three-days' meetings, like this, but meetings occupying one 

 day, morning, afternoon, and evening. Some years ago, the 

 Board passed a vote requesting the county societies receiv- 

 ing the bounty of the State to organize farmers' institutes 

 within their limits, agreeing to furnisli whatever assistance 

 they could, and to do whatever they could to help them 



39 



