No. 4.] FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY. 11 



AMIYERSARY EXERCISES.. 



In opening the anniversary exercises, Ex-Secretary Wil- 

 liam R. Sessions of the State Board of Agriculture, who 

 presided during the entire day, said : — 



It is an auspicious occasion for those who are present, for 

 most of us have been connected with the Board of Agricul- 

 ture, first or last, some of us for many years, different men 

 at different times. It is one of the highest honors of my life 

 that I have been connected with it for so many years. It is 

 twenty-three years since I became a member. 



Massachusetts was one of the fk^st States to provide for 

 official connection between the State and agriculture, and to 

 appropriate money to assist in the development of agricul- 

 ture. She has been generous from that early day until now, 

 and we have seen the liberality of the State government in 

 what it has done for the agricultural societies, for the Agri- 

 cultural College, for the farmers' institutes, and in various 

 ways for the advancement and advantage of the agriculture 

 of the State. But you did not come here to hear an address 

 from me, — a man whom many of you have met repeatedly, 

 almost daily, for years. You came to hear men who are 

 known outside of our immediate circle. It seems to me 

 suitable that you should hear first from the chairman of the 

 committee of the Board of Agriculture, who made the 

 arrangements for this meeting, — Gen. Francis H. Appleton 

 of Peabody. 



REMARKS OF GENERAL APPLETON. 

 General Appleton spoke in part as follows : Mr. Presi- 

 dent, it is as chairman of the committee of arrangements 

 that I appear here, but I want to congratulate our secretary 

 of the Board upon the success of this occasion, for it is he 

 who has executed our plans for this day. 



