54 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. No. 4. 



come, in the coming century, as it has stood in the last fifty 

 years, the leading Board of Agriculture in the United States 

 in promoting the cause of agriculture and in increasing the 

 agricultural products of the State. 



I wish I could express to you the pleasure it has been to 

 me to be here to-day, and look upon your faces and realize 

 the pleasure I hope you will all derive from this meeting. 

 Now, as we separate, I hope you will return to your homes 

 full of the spirit of enthusiasm for the cause in which we are 

 engaged. Agriculture to-day is looking brighter and the 

 prospect is better than it has been in any year of the past 

 decade. So we await the benefit which the future has to 

 bestow, confidentl}^ patiently and cheerfully. 



Mr. John G. Avery of the Spencer Society moved a vote 

 of thanks to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for the 

 use of its building for the semi-centennial exercises. Sec- 

 retary Stockw^ell seconded the motion, saying: — 



I want to express the very great pleasure which the Board 

 feels for this hospitality. It was granted courteously, 

 kindly and freely. We are under very great obligations to 

 the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. I am glad we can 

 express it in thanks, if nothing more. 



Chairman Sessions. It is a pleasure to me, as presiding 

 officer, to add my voice to the words of the secretarj^ The 

 Massachusetts Board of Agriculture and the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society have from the first been more or less 

 closely interwoven. It is well known to you that Marshall 

 P. Wilder was one of the original members of both of these 

 organizations. May the future see them continue together 

 in their work for the good of agriculture, which includes 

 horticulture. I call for the adoption of the vote of thanks 

 moved by Mr. Avery. 



The motion was carried unanimously, and the gathering 

 then dissolved. 



