HOLDING THE COUNTRY MEETING. 317 



to the superior character of the female sex, we can only retain 

 this high eminence by constantly enlarging their intellectual 

 sphere contemporaneously with that of the other sex. 



And whilst we have no fear that there will be any such rever- 

 sion to barbarism as the compulsion of American women in any 

 class to perform the rough labor of the fields, there is a well- 

 grounded distrust that unless the future mothers of our agricult- 

 urists take a higher view of the calling of their husbands and 

 sons, the latter may not pursue it with the ambition and knowl- 

 edge requisite to its complete success. But if they are in- 

 structed in the arts of agriculture and its kindred sciences, we 

 may hope to see our farmers' wives cooperating with their bus 

 bands in the management of the farm, and instructing their 

 sons in the elements of that scientific knowledge which will give 

 such a different hue to their employment ; whilst to themselves 

 untold benefits will accrue from the substitution of useful 

 knowledge and subjects of mental investigation for the idleness, 

 sauntering gossip, frivolous reading and other modern female 

 dissipations ; and even the coarse and common things — the 

 meat, drink and household cares — will be elevated by the differ- 

 ent spirit in which they are ministered by the educated woman. 



R. Goodman, 



For the Committee. 



The Report was accepted. 



Mr. Stone, from the committee appointed to consider the re- 

 port upon the time and place of holding the country meeting of 

 the Board, reported in favor of holding it at Barre on the 

 12th, 13th, and 14th of November. 



Mr. Stockbridge objected to this time as it would bring the 

 meeting in term time at the Massachusetts Agricultural Col- 

 lege. 



Mr. Clark then advocated holding the meeting on the 3d, 

 4th, and 5th days of December. This amendment having been 

 carried the report as amended was adopted. 



Voted, That Hon. Marshall P. "Wilder and the Secretary be 

 appointed delegates from the State Board to the Convention 

 called by the Commissioner of Agriculture, to be held at Wash- 

 ington on the 15th inst. 



