8 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



known to you all and needs no introduction, — Mr. Ethan 

 Brooks of West Springfield. 



Mr. BiiooKS then took the chair and addressed the meet- 

 ing as follows : — 



OPENING ADDRESS. 



BY ETHAN BROOKS OF WEST SPRrNGFIELD. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Board of Agriculture^ 

 — In behalf of the Hampden Agricultural Society, at whose 

 invitation we are here to-day, and in behalf of the citizens 

 of Springfield and vicinity, I welcome you most heartily. 

 First, because we feel honored by your presence ; and second, 

 because we confidently hope to be benefited by your stay 

 with us and by the lectures and discussions to which we 

 shall listen. We welcome you to this Connecticut Valley 

 of historic fame, fragrant with the memory of Pynchon 

 and his associates, who braved dangers and endured hard- 

 ships that they might establish a settlement here. We 

 welcome you to this city, which many here will remember as 

 a thrifty town, the home of the late William B. Calhoun, 

 time-honored secretary of our Commonwealth and one of the 

 leaders in the organization of our Hampden Agricultural 

 Society. 



Since our meeting at Barre a year ago, two of our oldest 

 and most honored members have passed away. Hon. Mar- 

 shall P. Wilder, — of world-wide reputation as an hoiliculturist 

 and agriculturist ; active in brino-insj this Board into bein<j 

 and in sustaining it, and (with the exception of one term, 

 from 1864 to 1868) a member from its organization till his 

 death ; the father of our Agricultural College ; a man whose 

 memory Massachusetts will ever delight to honor, — died soon 

 after our last public meeting. 



Capt. John B. INIoorc of Concord, — who had sensed this 

 Board most faithfully a greater number of consecutive years 

 than any other man, having been a member continuously 

 since 1860, who was with us a year ago at Barre and again 

 at our annual meeting in February, — died last August. He 

 will be remembered by his associates as possessing rare 

 qualities for the place so ably filled and his positive presence 

 will long be missed. The counsels of these men are largely 



