No. 4.] FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY. 23 



duce any bad effect. My idea was, that out of the Agricul- 

 tural College and the Board of Agriculture there might be 

 produced a system by Avhich the State should have the 

 benefit of annual teachings in different localities and 

 municipalities by the professors, and that those who were 

 educated upon the scientific side of agriculture would speak, 

 and that thus every agricultural town in the State would be 

 visited by such a person, and such lectures would be given 

 as might be adapted to the situation. I don't know how far 

 that idea has ever obtained a position in the minds of the 

 people, or how far it has been practised by professors of the 

 college. I still think that there is something in it, therefore 

 I venture to refer to it. Possibly some person ma}^ con- 

 sider it and carry it forward. The first thing necessary in 

 attempting to carry out any effort systematically is to get 

 hold of the idea which underlies the scheme. You may 

 believe that a machine is useful, yet in order to succeed with 

 it you nmst understand the idea of the man who made it ; 

 you must be able to grasp his idea in order to use it suc- 

 cessfully. You may believe that a thing is unsound, but 

 you want to be able to point out the unsoundness, in order 

 to be sure of your ground. Therefore, the intellectual part 

 of what the farmers employ in agriculture should be con- 

 stantly educated and stimulated, so that they may not only 

 observe and profit by what their neighbors do, but find out 

 in each case the reason for what he is doing. The reason 

 may be a good one, or it may not. A man may do some- 

 thing just right, without making mistakes, but he is not 

 sure unless he understands the reason for Avhat he does. In 

 the end, you want to find out Avhat is wise in any particular 

 branch of business, and then pursue it. If somebody dis- 

 covers a better way of doing things than your way, then 

 accept that. 



I believe in progress. I believe that things may be 

 better here if they are worked out according to some con- 

 trolling idea ; and that we ought not to abandon agriculture 

 in Massachusetts because we can make a little more money 

 in the west than we can here. Consider whether, on the 

 whole, your situation is not as desirable- as that of other 



