FARMERS' CLUBS. 29 



product of our farms, the comforts and mental qualifications of 

 the farmer, and raise the standard of agriculture in every 

 respect. 



In the address given this morning, we had indicated some of 

 the means of agricultural education. One, which was not men- 

 tioned, but which I think is prominent, and has been the means 

 of accomplishing great good in our Commonwealth, is the for- 

 mation of agricultural clubs. I think that the discussions which 

 have been carried on in those clubs have been productive of 

 great good to the individuals who have taken part in them, and 

 to the community at large. I am acquainted with several of 

 those clubs whose doings have been extensively reported, and 

 great interest has been created in different localities from their 

 discussions. But that is not all. I am confident that great 

 social benefits have accrued to the individuals connected with 

 them. Our farmers, as a class, have become a more social com- 

 munity, through the influence of these clubs. They have been 

 among the most prominent means which have been employed for 

 promoting the farming interests of this Commonwealth. We, 

 of course, look for great good from the pursuit of agriculture in 

 a college, and I trust when the Agricultural College goes into 

 operation, we shall have connected with it, yearly at least, a 

 series of meetings, corresponding to the one we are now holding, 

 or corresponding, perhaps, more nearly to the one which was 

 holden in New Haven, in connection with Yale College, some 

 four or five years since, which many of us recollect, and whrch, 

 if I mistake not, was continued two weeks. There was a tuition 

 fee, and I know some young farmers who went from Massachu- 

 setts, and made it their business to attend those meetings. I 

 think the tuition was twenty dollars. They paid that, and hired 

 their board in New Haven, and spent two weeks there ; and, so 

 far as I know, they were abundantly satisfied with the way in 

 which they had spent their time and money. I know some of 

 us who were older who spent our time there, were very much 

 pleased with the instruction which we received, and with the 

 interest which was created ; and I hope that twelve months from 

 this time we shall be able to have a meeting at Amherst 

 something like that at New Haven. 



