xxii BOARD OF AGKICULTUKE. [Pub. Doc. 



in the first place in the experiments to be demonstrated, 

 and the improvements that shall be valuable, and in the 

 laws that shall be wholesome. Asking no favors as farmers, 

 and allowing no discrimination without vigorous and united 

 protest, until the right shall obtain and equality of burden 

 and equality of privilege be the law of the State and the 

 right of all its people. 



The changed conditions of to-day working out their legit- 

 imate result, — the rural mail delivery, the electric roads, 

 the enlarging uses of electricity, the improved methods and 

 more profitable returns, the home market, the best in this 

 country, — are fraught with benefit to the farmers of the 

 State. No man is more enterprising than the farmer, as 

 he feels the thrill of prosperity. His home has lacked 

 comforts, his buildings have lacked neatness, his roadsides 

 have lacked beauty, because the burden of labor was too 

 heavy and the returns for his toil too meagre. He was 

 disheartened and discouraged, and a disheartened and dis- 

 couraged man can never develop into the best citizenship. 

 The change in the last decade is marked, and every in- 

 cident of farm life shows the improvement, and I believe 

 it is to continue to improve for the advantage of the towns 

 and the benefit of the State. And 3^ou of this Board, 

 representing more than 27,000 of the leading, progressive 

 agriculturists of the State, members of these societies that 

 you represent, will and must carry forward this work. 

 You represent the enterprise that has made our fairs in- 

 structive and helpful, that has instilled into farming of the 

 State the newer and better ideas, the new and improved 

 product, and demonstrated the way to more profitable 

 returns. 



Hold your societies to the primal thought of advance- 

 ment and improvement of agriculture. This Board is and 

 must continue to be the dejmrtment of af/ricidtnre for this 

 Commonwealth, not only for the improvement of its methods 

 and products, but for safeguarding of its funds and wisely 

 administerincr its laws for the benefit of the ao-riculture 

 of the State. Helpful and efiicicnt as it has been in the 

 past, it must assume these responsibilities, and its Avisdom 



