FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE 23 



"The society possesses means of causing useful in- 

 formation to be published and diffused, and to reward, 

 in some degree, the efforts of the ingenious and in- 

 dustrious in any new attempts of improvement, which 

 they have intrusted the trustees with the application 

 of. Our central situation, and nearness to each other, 

 give us the advantage of frequently meeting, and re- 

 ceiving information. We do not, however, affect to 

 disguise that our usefulness is, and will be, very much 

 circumscribed without the aid of the practical farmer, 

 and that it is only as an organ of information, that we 

 can be extensively of importance." 



Nearly every issue of the society at this early 

 period contains a cordial or urgent invitation to "prac- 

 tical farmers" to communicate information, and in one 

 of them it is remarked that grammatical defects are 

 no hindrance and that the trustees will "methodize" 

 the writing before printing. 



It is proper to say that this opposition or jealousy 

 does not appear to have been general, but it lurked 

 here and there and manifested itself in various ways 

 and must have been a hindrance. The experience is 

 here recalled only as being a part of the history of the 

 society, and as showing that the early stages of its 

 march were not a mere holiday or picnic excursion, but 

 called for some exercise of the virtues of perseverance, 

 patience, magnanimity and good nature. 



What has thus far been said has been with intent to 

 indicate the motive in which the society had its 

 origin, the character of its founders, the standard in 

 discussion and action which they sought to abide by 

 and the conditions under which it began. These last, 

 so far as relating to the art itself, are to be regarded as 

 the zero point from which its attainment in one hun- 

 dred years is to be measured. This prehminary state- 



