THE GROWING OF CORN. 77 



of the same intelligence, something of the same activity, 

 something of the same invention, something of the same 

 effort, "vvhicli make otlier businesses successful. 



I can only put these random thoughts in a randonj way ; 

 but, if I can in any way express the interest which INIassa- 

 chusctts must feel in the art of agriculture, I shall in some 

 measure have done my duty. 



]\lajor IIexry E. Alvokd (of Easthampton). Allow me, 

 before we adjourn for dinner, being outside of the Board, 

 and engaged at present in other occupations besides agricul- 

 ture, to express the satisfaction that I believe is felt by all 

 present in seeing at last — and it certainly must be ten or a 

 dozen 3'ears since such an event took place — the Governor 

 of INIassachusctts presiding over a country meeting of the 

 Massachusetts Board of Ao^riculturc. It is full time. But 

 " all's well that ends well." And now let us hope that it 

 will keep well, and that there will be a recognition of the 

 fact at some places, and at some times, that there arc farmers 

 in Massachusetts. 



Gov. LoxG. There is one thing you can do better than 

 that, major, and gentlemen : you must make some farmer 

 governor. 



Adjourned to two o'clock p.m. 



Afteexoon Sessiox. 



The Board met at two o'clock, Mr. E. F. Bowditch of 

 Framingliam in the chair. The first speaker was Dr. E. 

 Lewis Sturtevaxt of South Framingliam, who delivered a 

 lecture on 



THE GEOWIXG OF COEX. 



EY DR. E. LEWIS STUETEVAXT. 



The corn-plant is a vegetable of wonderful aptitudes. At 

 the time of the discovery it had secured adaptations from 

 Brazil and Chili in tlie south, to Canada and California in 

 the north, and had branched out into numerous varieties. 

 There seems to have been as great a difference between the 

 maize of Lake Titicaca, scarcely three feet high, and ears not 

 larger than one's finger, but closelj^ covered with compact 

 vitreous grains, as Squier describes it at present, and the 



