6 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 



has in all civilized nations been ranked among the first 

 objects of their attention ; that different climates produce 

 different soils and different kinds of manure, which has 

 made a different cultivation important. Hence it is that 

 the beneficial effects of the best writers on the subject of 

 agriculture have been exceedingly, limited. In conse- 

 quence hereof it has been found necessary, not only among 

 the nations of Europe, but among the United States and 

 the British colonies in America, to establish under the 

 sanction of law, agricultural societies, whose particular 

 business is to make experiments themselves and invite 

 others thereto on the subject of agriculture ; and means 

 have been found by which monies have been placed in 

 their hands, which has put it in their power 'to give hand- 

 some premiums to the men of enterprise who have by 

 their inquiries made useful discoveries and communicated 

 them to the public. 



The undersigned beg leave farther most respectfully to 

 represent that from the fullest conviction of the utility 

 of such an institution in this Commonwealth they are 

 willing to undertake the burden of being members there- 

 of, if the General Court shall think proper to vest in 

 them and their associates corporate powers, competent to 

 embrace all the purposes which may be derived from such 

 an institution. And as in duty bound shall pray : 



B. Lincoln 



S. Holten J. Lowell 



Moses Gill M. Brimmer 



Azor Orne Benj. Guild 



Edw d Cutts Aaron Dexter 



Thomas Russell Cotton Tufts 



Thomas Durfee Sam'l Adams 



John Avery Jr. C. Gore 



Joseph Barrell Jona. Mason Jun r 



Sa : Salisbury Jona n Mason 



Chas Vaughan Henry Hill 



Chas Bulfinch D. Sears 



Ja : Sullivan John Cod man 



Sam'l Phillips Stephen Higginson 



Thomas L. Winthrop 



The act of incorporation bore the signature of John 

 Hancock as governor of the Commonwealth. In it the 

 petitioners were named as the corporators in alphabetical 



