No. 4.] ADDRESS OF WELCOME. 27 



them. They look upon you as having your fields laid in 

 pleasant places. The husbandman who looks over this 

 western portion of the State can hardly refrain from a feeling 

 of envy as he sees the ideal places for orchards, especially 

 for that most important Kew England fruit, the apple, which 

 is every year coming to hold a more and more important 

 place in the balance sheet of the farmer at the close of the year. 



The interests in and benefits from this meeting depend 

 very largely upon the local farmers and others interested in 

 agriculture ; and, from our experience in this immediate 

 vicinity, where some of the largest meetings of the Board 

 have been held, we have every reason to believe that this 

 meeting will be no exception, — that there will be a good 

 attendance, and that the speakers who have been requested 

 to give lectures during the meeting will be able to interest 

 the farmers and others who may attend, and that the meeting 

 will not only prove interesting but beneficial to the agricult- 

 ure of the State. 



We will now listen to an address of welcome by Mr. H. 

 K. Herrick, president of the Union Agricultural and Horti- 

 cultural Society of Blandford. 



Mr. Herrick. I am very happy to meet with you and 

 welcome you here. It gives me pleasure to do so as a rep- 

 resentative of the Union Agricultural and Horticultural 

 Society. And yet I have regrets, because I am trying to fill 

 a position assigned to another, as you will see by the pro- 

 gramme. Mr. C. M. Blair looked forward to this meeting 

 with pleasure, but on account of illness he is unable to be 

 here. You may rest assured his mind and heart are with you. 



The Union Society which I represent is a thrifty one. It 

 has a membership of over twelve hundred. Its fair grounds 

 are situated upon the hill-top, from which views can be had 

 for miles in any direction. Its light cannot be hid, if it 

 would. 



The soil of that section is adapted mainly to hay and grass, 

 corn, potatoes and fruit. From the hay and grass are raised 

 some of the finest steers and oxen, with nearly all of the 

 leading breeds of cows. An inspection of the secretary's 

 entry books would have shown a list for premiums of over 

 five hundred head of neat stock at the last annual fair. 



