116 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Prof. Stockbridge was called for by a number of gen- 

 tlemen in the audience, and in response to the call spoke as 

 follows : — 



Mr. Qhairman^ Ladies and Gentlemen^ — Of course, as 

 you all know, I did not come here to make a speech, and I 

 know that I am not going to make one. I have been de- 

 lighted with the words and the sentiments of the lecturer 

 and of his Honor the Lieutenant-Governor ; but as I stand 

 here and look over this audience, it seems to me that every 

 thought that has been uttered upon this platform to-night 

 has been driven from my head. I remember to have at- 

 tended a meeting of this Board of Agriculture in Springfield 

 once before. The lecturer to-night has spoken of the 

 changes which have taken place in the agriculture and in 

 the agricultural community of Massachusetts within the last 

 few years, and what more perfect and astounding proof do 

 we find of the changes which have taken place than the con- 

 trast of this audience with the one which assembled in Spring- 

 field something like twenty years ago, at the first country 

 meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture ? When 

 we met here twenty or twenty-five years ago, to get up a 

 boom and to wake up the lethargic farmers of Hampden 

 County, we came here with Prof. Agassiz, Prof. Johnson 

 of New Haven, Dr. Loring of Salem, and with all the 

 boom, with all the advertising and with all the noise we 

 could make, with these men as the speakers, we hardly got 

 more than three citizens of Springfield to hear them ; and 

 when we had Prof. Agassiz deliver a lecture in the hall 

 across the way, there was scarcely anybody there to hear 

 even him on a most interesting subject and one which was 

 then attracting the attention of the whole scientific world. 

 The farmers were not here and the citizens of Springfield 

 were not here. Here you are, brother farmers, to-night. 

 Has not a change come over the spirit of your dream? 

 Prof. Johnson was here and delivered a valuable lecture, 

 but a baker's dozen was all that he drew that afternoon. 



It is natural that I should think of these things. I do not 

 see a man here to-night who was here then. [Two gentle- 

 men, Mr. Stedman and Mr. Brooks, said they were here.] 

 "Well, you were here, but where were the rest of the crowd 



