304 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



mensely. And the people of this village, these townspeople, in 

 the reception which they have given to this meeting, in their 

 cordiality, in the respect, the high respect given to it, in the 

 appreciation manifested on every hand, have done a good work. 

 This Convention honored itself, in this same line of influence, by 

 adjourning this evening to yonder church, and thus dignifying and 

 elevating the character of the meeting which you have held. This 

 board did itself honor in accepting the invitation thus honorably 

 extended to it. 



One word more and I am done. The ladies who have given 

 their attendance at the mefetings, and especially the large numbers 

 in attendance this evening, are exerting a still greater influence, 

 and when they thus honor by their presence and by the interest 

 manifested in its exercises such a meeting, there is an influence 

 going out that is greater even than the influence of its delibera- 

 tions, — greater in its effect to elevate the social standard of the 

 farm, and encourage the young of the rising generation to remain 

 with us and till the paternal acres, and rise up into positions of 

 influence among us. 



So you have my congratulations. So my wish is that you may 

 go on, and that yearly, as your meetings are continued, this social 

 standard may be elevated, this educational influence going out 

 from these meetings may be extended, and their usefulness in- 

 crease, until we have built up an aristocracy of the land, which 

 shall pervade the community. 



Thanking you for the invitation to speak, and the attention 

 which you have given to my words, I leave the stand. 



The President. Ladies and gentlemen: It has always 

 seemed to me that the farmers of Connecticut owed a great 

 debt of gratitude to a few old war horses in this State who 

 have been in the front of the battle, fighting for them these 

 many years. Among them have been a Hyde, a Gold, a 

 Webb, a Hart, an Olcott, a Bill, an Augur, a Day, and many 

 others ; and it has always been a mystery to me how these 

 men have been so much of men as they have shown them- 

 selves to be. But as I have sat here on this platform and 

 seen their better halves, whom they brought to grace this 

 meeting, it is no longer a mystery to my mind. 



