FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE 27. 



beyond the gate, with sheep and cattle; the motto — 

 Source of Wealth: filled upon the garter — around 

 the margin of the Seal, Massachusetts Society for 

 Promoting Agriculture, incorporated 1792." 



At the December meeting the first instance occurred 

 in which the society had called to its attention an 

 improvement in farming apparatus. This was in a 

 letter from one who styled himself "A New Hampshire 

 Farmer," and the article was described as an improved 

 cart "for conveying empty barrels, and convenient also 

 for loading hay." The invention was probably not of 

 much value, as no action appears to have been taken 

 by the trustees; but the inventor is entitled to mention 

 here as being the file leader in a procession of thou- 

 sands, who, in the experience of this and kindred 

 societies in this State, have since come forward, each 

 bearing his peculiar "Yankee notion." Many of these, 

 it need not be said, were at once or after a brief trial, 

 taken out of the rank of "notions" and accepted as the 

 farmer's indispensable appliances, adding height to his 

 stature, strength to his frame, and swiftness and deft- 

 ness to his manipulation. 



At the meeting in January, 1793, a petition to the 

 General Court was prepared, asking for its cooperation 

 and patronage, the appeal being based upon the propo« 

 sition that "agriculture is at the basis of those arts 

 which sustain and embellish life," and that therefore, 

 the grant will be a proper act of legislation in seeking 

 "the best welfare of the State." The petition failed, 

 but later was renewed with good success. At the meet- 

 ing in March, 1793, a communication was received 

 from Benjamin Upton of Reading, giving account of 

 his method of destroying canker-worms and preserv- 

 ing the leafage of his orchard, which in efficacy, he 

 states to be in the ratio of five to one, as compared 



