88 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 



a practical and zealous farmer. This was the first 

 time the society had met at dinner subsequent to the 

 delivery of Mr. Webster's celebrated speech in reply 

 to Hayne. The toast of that dinner of 1832 was: 



Our senator in Congress — a New Hampshire 

 farmer; though he generally manages more by the 

 voice than the goad, he can, on proper occasions, take 

 the bull by the horns. 



At the successive annual dinners, many witty and 

 pertinent sentiments were produced. Among them a 

 few seem to retain something of their original sparkle, 

 despite the lapse of time. At the dinner of 1824 the 

 following was offered by Col. Timothy Pickering: 



The free-masonry of agriculture, which finds a 

 brother in every clime. 



On the same occasion Gen. H. A. S. Dearborn pro- 

 posed the following: 



The memory of Blackstone, who designated the site 

 of Boston, and planted the first orchards in Massachu- 

 setts and Rhode Island. 



At the dinner of 1825 the following was among the 

 regular toasts: 



The memory of the great unknown, who invented 

 the first plough; and honor to Mr. Jefferson, one of the 

 principal improvers of that indispensable implement. 



In 1832 among the guests were Mr. Audubon, the 

 renowned ornithologist, and Dr. Spurzheim, the 



