Agriculture. 189 



Agricultural and Horticultural Society " was fully organized. The 

 following is a list of the first officers : — 



President Albert Fearing. 



( Solomon Lincoln, 



Vice-Presidents .... < Charles W. Cushing, 



( David Whiton. 



Recording Secretary .... Edmund Mersey. 



Corresponding Secretary . . Thomas T. Bouve. 



Treasurer Joseph H. French. 



Directors. 



Albert Whiton, Elijah Leavitt, John Lincoln, 



Seth Sprague, Henry Ripley, Warren A. Hersey, 



Henry Gushing, Morris Fearing, John R. Brewer, 



John Stephenson, Amos Bates, Thomas Whiton. 



During the first year after the society was organized meetings 

 were held in different parts of the town ; but before the close of 

 the year the armory of the Lincoln Light Infantry was hired as 

 a permanent place for holding the meetings. In this building 

 most of the meetings of the society were held until the present 

 Agricultural Hall was built, where they have since held their 

 meetings. 



The meetings of this society from its organization to the pres- 

 ent time (1893) have been held for lectures and discussions on 

 subjects relating to the cultivation of crops and the improve- 

 ment of the home, and for the exhibition of the products of the 

 orchard and garden, so that those who attended them might have 

 an opportunity of seeing the best products grown, and of learning 

 from the growers their methods of culture. 



The lectures and discussions, together with the exhibitions at 

 the meetings, have done much to improve the condition of the 

 growers of fruit, flowers, and vegetables. 



The first annual exhibition of the society was held September 

 28 and 29, 1859. The cattle were exhibited on the land of 

 Royal Whiton and Thomas D. Blossom, on Main Street, near the 

 present residence of William Fearing, 2d ; and the fruits, flowers, 

 and vegetables, in the Town Hall, which was located on Main 

 Street, on land where now stands the residence of George Bayley. 



For the exhibition of cattle the second year several acres of 

 land were rented of Moses Whiton, located in the rear of the 

 present residence of Hon. Starkes Whiton ; and this land con- 

 tinued to be used for the exhibition of cattle, and the Town Hall 

 for the exhibition of fruits, flowers, and fancy articles, until the 

 present exhibition grounds were purchased. The vegetables were 

 exhibited in an annex built on the south side of the Town Hall ; 

 this being principally of canvas was kept up only during exhibi 

 tion week. 



