12 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



FAEMERS' CONVENTION. 



The winter meeting of the Board was held at Rockville, 

 beginning on Wednesday, Dec. 13th, and continuing three 

 days. The attendance was unusually large, and the proceed- 

 ings of much interest and importance. 



The meeting was called to order at 11 o'clock on "Wednes- 

 day, Dec. 13th, by J. P. Barstow, Esq., of Norwich, Vice- 

 President of the Board, who called upon Rev. J. W. Backus 

 of Rockville to invoke the Divine blessing. 



prayer. 



Lord ! Thou art the maker of our bodies and the father 

 of our spirits, in whom we live and move, and have our being. 

 Thou art the benefactor of our days. We adore thee as the 

 God of our homes, of our hearts, and of our industries. Thou 

 givest sunshine, and rain, and fruitful seasons, and fillest our 

 hearts with food and gladness. We desire to thank thee, 

 Lord, for the pleasant auspices under which these meetings 

 begin, and we invoke thy blessing upon this Board of Agri- 

 culture, representing so large and important an interest in 

 our ancient and beloved commonwealth. We desire, Lord, 

 to invoke thy blessing on all the proceedings of this institu- 

 tion this day, and the days that are to follow. Wilt thou 

 give light and wisdom. In all their deliberations may there 

 be new light and new knowledge added to what we already 

 have, that may be available in the promotion of this great 

 work, which is the primeval work of man. 



Lord, do thou enable us, in all these deliberations, to 

 acknowledge thee as the giver of these great gifts. We de- 

 sire to thank thee tliis morning for our homes, their indus- 

 tries, and their social life ; for the habits of reading and 

 study, and good neighborhood, and honest work, that have 

 been fostered in the home ; and we desire to thank thee for 

 the wonderful influence the home has had on these hills and 



