136 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



familiar to us, and most readily appreciated, is that suggested 

 by the words, " Cattle Show and Fair." It is not required of 

 me to picture the annual ingathering of farmers into an en- 

 closure ; the excitements of the horse trot ; the quiet interest 

 manifest in cattle ; the pleasures of the hall, to those who like 

 to walk in a garden ; the dinner and half-heard speeches ; or the 

 pleasant social reunions and talks of the farm. It is the festive 

 gathering of the year, the rural gala day, and it could not be 

 done away with without almost universal regret. The tendency 

 of the times is to add somewhat to the importance of the occa- 

 sion, and to demand that it be made to impart to us more 

 absolute instruction. 



The central idea of an agricultural fair — aside from that social 

 and moral — is that, by bringing to k one place, occasionally , animals 

 and articles of superior excellence , so that they may be conveniently 

 seen and studied, every one may have opportunity of becoming 

 acquainted with the appearance, at least, of whatever is best. 

 The horse of the most just proportions, either for work or speed ; 

 the cow that does good work, either as milker or butter maker ; 

 the hog that appears the most economical animal, it is well to 

 have brought within the enclosure to be seen of all men, and so 

 of everything agricultural for which high excellence is claimed. 

 Superior excellence is not a fruit which grows upon every tree. 

 It matures only in favoring soils and under the careful guar- 

 dianship of the wise. 



, I think it must be allowed that the only great object a society 

 can propose to itself, in inviting those having choice animals, 

 fruits, tools or anything, to bring them to the fair, is, that they 

 may be conveniently seen by a large number of persons, and thus 

 furnish to the mind, or aid the mind to form to itself, pictures 

 or models of excellence. By furnishing to the farmer originals, 

 or models of what is proved good, or generally accepted as 

 good, of the class to which it belongs, he will soon come to be 

 himself a judge in the matter; without thus seeing he could 

 not hope to be. 



I deem it of the utmost importance in agriculture, as in other 

 things, that whatever one man has which is desirable to all men, 

 or many, all should have opportunity to observe. The minor 

 considerations I pass over. 



To the position here laid down, the one great object of the 



