No. 4.] FIFTIETH ANNIVERSAEY. 53 



public benefactor ; but the Agricultural College has con- 

 ferred a greater benefit upon the public, by the service 

 which it has rendered to the young men of the farms of 

 New England. In the next fifty years it may reasonably 

 be expected that the conditions of farms and of the farmers 

 will be greatl}^ improved. 



Mr. Elmer D. Howe of Marlborough, former master of 

 the State Grange, prophesied a broader future for the fixrm- 

 ers of New England, and quoted Albert Shaw as saying at 

 Leland Stanford University that there was no better place 

 for bringing up children than a New England farm. 



To conclude the exercises. Chairman Sessions called upon 

 Secretary Stockwell of the Board, who, after referring to 

 his remarks as the closing ones of the ^Sby, continued : — 



I know we have all enjoj^ed this day. It has been a day 

 of reminiscences, a day in which we have taken account to 

 some extent, but not a full account, by any means, of the 

 work of this Board of Agriculture of Massachusetts. The 

 Board of Agriculture is as dear to us now as in any year of 

 its existence. The future is before us. The people are 

 looking to us, and they have a right to look to us ; they 

 have a right to hear what Ave are doing, what work Ave are 

 accomplishing, to make the agriculture of the State better. 

 If we look forward, true to the interests of our calling and 

 the ijiterests of the State, we cannot fail. The future has 

 great possibilities. It is estimated that this century will 

 bring us a population of 200,000,000 people in this country. 

 Other countries will increase in population also. In this 

 century, if Ave are reaching forAvard from a population of 

 80,000,000 to 200,000,000, then the agriculture of this 

 country must also dcA'^elop accordingly Avith its full strength 

 in order to satisfy the demands upon it. In the last fifty 

 years Ave liaA'^e sent out 80 per cent of the exports of this 

 country. That has been the proportion of agricultural 

 exports. So it must be in the future. AVe of the Board 

 of Agriculture are just learning the future possibilities, the 

 future openings for our products, and Ave have got to meet 

 these opportunities promptly. AVe believe that the Board 

 ©f Agriculture of Massachusetts will stand in the years to 



