NORFOLK SOCIETY. 269 



NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Norfolk Agricultural Society was incorporated by an 

 act approved March 27th, 1849. In submitting the returns 

 of its doings, the President and Secretary, (Hon. Marshall P. 

 Wilder and Hon. Edward L. Keyes,) desire to call attention to 

 one or two facts, which should be considered in estimating the 

 relative credit due to the society, for the complete or partial 

 success of its eiforts in the first year of its existence. 



The society was instituted under favorable auspices, and 

 early attracted the attention and secured the aid and cooperation 

 of the most public spirited and eminent citizens of the county. 

 The farmers, generally, approved of its establishment and plans, 

 and above five hundred memberships, obtained within a brief 

 period and with little exertion, attest the general favor. 



The officers and trustees of the Norfolk society might, also, 

 gratefully acknowledge the information and benefit derived 

 from the eff'orts and experience of the Massachusetts Society 

 for the promotion of agriculture, and of the various county 

 societies, which, together, for more than half a century, have 

 been contributing to the comfort and happiness of the citizens, 

 and to the welfare and prosperity of the State. Aided and en- 

 couraged by these favorable circumstances, the society was 

 still embarrassed by one disadvantage, which neither knowledge, 

 experience, nor eff"ort could overcome. The products of agri- 

 culture are not matured in a moment. The seed must be 

 planted before the harvest can be gathered, and time and due 

 notice are especially required for those experiments and pro- 

 cesses, by means of which agricultural knowledge is to be pro- 

 moted and extended for the general good. The secretary of 

 the Commonwealth, in his advertisement to the abstract of the 

 transactions of the several societies for the year 1847, has de- 

 clared that " what is more especially needed, is a copious and 



