280 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



Massachusetts, Charles S. Sargent. 



Middlesex, John B. Moore. 



Worcester Sotifh-East, Wh^liam Knowlton. 



Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden, . . Elnathan Graves. 



Hampden, Horace M. Sessions. 



Hampden East, Horace P. Wakefield. 



Berkshire, Ensign H. Kellogg. 



Hoosac Valley, John M. Cole. 



Housatonic, Henry S. Goodale. 



Bristol Central, John A. Hawes. 



Hingham, Albert Fearing. 



Marshfield, George M. Baker. 



Appointed by the Executive, .... Louis Agassiz. 



N. S. HUBBAED. 



The report was accepted. 



Mr. McElwain submitted a report as Delegate to the Frank- 

 lin Society. 



Mr. Slade, from the Committee appointed to revise the 

 times of holding the various county fairs, recommended that 

 the Norfolk Society begin on the last Thursday of September, 

 the Bristol Central on the last Wednesday but two, and the 

 Plymouth on the last Wednesday but one of September. 



The report was accepted. 



Voted, To appoint a Committee of three to nominate a list 

 of Delegates to the exhibitions. 



Messrs. Hadwen, Davis and Hubbard. 



Mr. Hubbard, Chairman of the Committee on that subject, 

 submitted the following essay upon 



THE RELATIVE VALUE OF FARMING AMONG THE 

 OCCUPATIONS OF LIFE. 



Were we to speak of the real value of farming among 

 the occupations of life, it would be something like speaking 

 of the real importance of the heart compared with other mem- 

 bers of the body. The very foundation and prosperity of all 

 other branches of industry depend almost entirely upon the 

 prosperity of agriculture, and cannot thrive without it. K 

 we take any branch of industry we shall trace it to the prod- 

 ucts of the soil for its foundation. 



The retail dealer in cotton-goods, who grows rich in the 

 traffic, goes back to the wholesale dealer, and he to the manu- 



