ANNUAL MEETING. 251 



We can hardly doubt as regards the abundant resources of 

 nature, or cherish a hesitating faith in respect to a future supply 

 of all our wants in feeding the plant-children of our fields. 

 Our mother earth holds within her bosom all the various 

 materials needed for the preservation and well-being of her 

 children. When the woodman's axe ruthlessly stripped her of 

 her rich vestments of umbrageous forests, and by so doing, 

 awakened apprehensions as regards the supply of materials 

 needed to furnish household warmth, we were directed to the 

 outcroppings of black carbon in our immense coal-fields ; and 

 when the Nantucket and New Bedford whalemen returned to 

 their wharves, with the alarming announcement of the partial or 

 complete failure of the ocean harvests of oil, the little rivulets 

 of petroleum which oozed from the rocks in Pennsylvania were 

 sounded to their depths, and forthwith the oil spouted forth in 

 such quantities, as taxed all our energies to secure. Let us 

 look forward then with confidence, and trust to the future, and 

 feel assured that chemistry, which holds the key which has 

 unlocked so many rich chambers in the storehouse of nature, 

 will open others fully capable of supplying all the wants of the 

 husbandman. 



On motion of Mr. Johnson, of Framingham, it was 



Voted, That the thanks of the Board be tendered to Dr. 



Nichols, for his very able and instructive lecture. 



The Board then, on motion of Mr. Bull, adjourned without 



day. 



ANNUAL MEETING IN BOSTON. 



The Board met at the office of the Secretary, on Thursday, 

 January 31st, at 12 o'clock. 



In the absence of His Excellency, Mr. Davis, of Plymouth, 

 was requested to preside, and accordingly took the chair. 



After the records had been read and approved, attention was 

 called to the Act of 1866 in relation to Agricultural Societies, 

 and the fact that the society at Blandford had elected a mem- 

 ber of the Board, having made a return in manuscript, which 

 was supposed to be a compliance with the law. It was 



Voted, To refer the returns of the society to a committee to 

 consider whether it can be regarded as coming within the 

 terms of the law, and report thereon to the Board. 



