106 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 



close of the quarter century, in 1817, was succeeded in 

 office in 1823 by John Lowell, sou of John Lowell, the 

 charter member and president from 1796 to 1802. In 1828 

 Thomas L. Winthrop became the president. He yet held 

 the office at the date of his decease, in 1840. This long- 

 continued service, and his devotedness in it, were recog- 

 nized in suitable obituary resolutions, which are contained 

 in both the written and printed records of the society. His 

 successor, chosen in 1811, was John Welles, a resident in 

 Boston, for many years, having a large farm in the adjoin- 

 ing town of Dorchester, and who subsequently carried on 

 still more extensive agricultural enterprises in that part of 

 Natick, which now commemorates his name, the town of 

 Wellesley. 



The society's second half-century begins very modestly 

 in the business record with a gift, in 1842, of $100 to the 

 agricultural society organized for the three counties of 

 Hampshire, Hampden and Franklin, and a like sum to the 

 Plymouth county society. A premium was offered for the 

 best model of a farmer's daybook, by which was meant a 

 blankbook, ruled and arranged with printed headlines, for 

 keeping a record suitable for comparison respecting the 

 planting, growth and harvesting of crops and matters per- 

 taining to stock, the dairy, labor, etc. The intent, appar- 

 ently, was to enable the farmer to judge with accuracy as to 

 whether he was gaining or losing, improving or retrograd- 

 ing, in each particular department, by comparing, under 

 each head, one year with another, or comparing with his 

 neighbor who kept a book classified in like manner. One 

 competitor appeared, but his model was thought to be too 

 complicated, as it required the keeping of four books, and 

 no award was made at this time. In 1848 premiums of 

 $2,800 of a general character were offered, certain tracts 

 were printed, and 8100 paid for premiums awarded by the 

 society of the three counties. 



At the trustees' meeting of Dec. 14, 1844, the subject of 



