PUBLIC WINTEK MEETING OF THE BOAKD, 



AT BOSTON. 



The annual public winter meeting of the State Board of 

 Agriculture was held at Horticultural Hall, Boston, on Tues- 

 day, Wednesday and Thursday, December 3, -i and 5. The 

 attendance was fairly large, and the meeting was considered 

 an exceptionally good one. 



The gathering was called to order at 10 a.m. by Secretary 

 Ellsworth, who introduced Gen. Stephen M. Weld, president 

 of the. Massachusetts Horticultural Society, who delivered 

 the address of welcome. 



ADDBESS OF WELCOME, BY GENEKAL STEPHEN 

 M. WELD. 



On behalf of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, I 

 give you, members of the State Board of Agriculture, a 

 cordial greeting to-day, and rejoice with you in our common 

 prosperity. 



In the past the histories of the two organizations show that 

 many of the brightest and ablest agriculturists were members 

 of both, such as General Dearborn, Governor Boutwell, Mar- 

 shall P. Wilder, and others too numerous to mention. They 

 all worked for the common good of both agriculture and hor- 

 ticulture. 



Although varied industries are necessary to the full de- 

 velopment of the resources of a country, agriculture is the 

 foundation of a rich and prosperous community. We in 

 Massachusetts, as well as in the rest of New England, were 

 compelled by the poverty of our soil to develop in every way, 

 such as the sea, in our fisheries and shipping; manufactures 

 of all kinds, — ■ cotton, wool and leather ; and the very fact 



