PUBLIC WINTER MEETING OF THE BOARD, 



AT SOUTH FRAMINGHAM. 



The annual public winter meeting of the State Board of 

 Agriculture was held at the Opera House, South Framiiig- 

 ham, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, December 6, 

 7 and 8. 



Secretary Ellsworth called the meeting to order at 10 a.m., 

 and introduced First Vice-President Wm. R. Sessions as the 

 presiding officer. 



Prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Charles H. Daniels. 



The Chair. We are here upon invitation of the Middle- 

 sex South Agricultural Society and the people of this town. 

 A representative of the people of Framingham, Mr. John 

 M. Merriam, has a word to say to us. 



ADDRESS OF WELCOME, BY J. M. MEEEIAM, ESQ. 



Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen : At the request of 

 a committee from the Framingham Board of Trade, and in 

 their behalf and generally in behalf of the people of Fram- 

 ingham, I shall endeavor to bid you, members of the State 

 Board of Agriculture and the many visitors who will attend 

 these meetings, a most cordial welcome. 



The people of Framingham are distinguished above their 

 neighbors by two very commendable characteristics. In the 

 first place, every Framingham man is, and always has been, 

 of very modest disposition. There is an old quotation 

 which seems to have special force at this time, "Modest 

 men are dumb." In keeping with this modest disposition, 

 they have in this instance passed over the officials of their 

 town, especially their capable and res])ected representative 

 in the General Court, Mi-. Samuel O. Staples, who, by 



