No. 4.] BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 399 



bureau, and the Executive of the State or the Board of 

 Agriculture to select such members as shall be best for the 

 work assigned, whether it be within the Board or within the 

 State. 



I am not prepared to subscribe to the idea that there are 

 too many of these societies. I have given this matter care- 

 ful observation and much study since these inequalities were 

 suggested, and my conclusions lead to an opposite result. 

 I find that where there are the most State societies there are 

 the most town societies and farmers' club and grange 

 exhibits, and here are found the finest and most instructive 

 fairs. And, again, just where you find the abundance of 

 these societies, there do you find the most progressive and 

 intelligent agriculture, the most prosperous and contented 

 farmers, the finest products, the best herds and the most 

 improved methods, and the most happy homes. We shall 

 take from agriculture when we take from the pride in success, 

 and the emulation in our work induced by these frequent 

 exhibitions in which comparisons are made and methods 

 studied. Neither is there any lack of attendance at any 

 of our fairs, instead, an increase in numbers and an increase 

 in interest. 



Again, it is wrong to take from the farmers these happy 

 re-unions and joyous occasions looked forward to with 

 bright anticipations and remembered with pleasure. The 

 flowers grow to add beauty to them ; the tidies we men so 

 love, and the wonderful crazy quilt, are wrought in the quiet 

 evening hours with bright anticipations of these festivals. 

 Take away the annual fair and substitute a scientific school 

 in its place, — the man who would do this knows nothing of 

 the solitude and self-denials of the poorer rural home to 

 which this autumn festival comes with a brightness he cannot 

 appreciate. 



It is a misguided policy that would take away one of these 

 festivals or take from them one of their innocent pleasures 

 or amusements. We stand before this Board and boast our 

 delight in horse-trotting and the running horse, and with 

 the folly of pretended morality shut out the farmer and the 

 farmer's family from the same pleasure, because they cannot 

 afford to enjoy them except at these fairs. 



