52 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The officers of the Housatonic Agricultural Society ten- 

 dered a banquet and reception to the Board of Agriculture 

 at the Berkshire Inn, Tuesday evening. The bringing to- 

 gether in this manner the Board of Agriculture, invited 

 guests and citizens of the neighborhood was in every respect 

 delightful and was thoroughly appreciated. A male quartette 

 from Pittsfield added much to the enjoyment of the evening. 



SECOND DAY. 



The meeting was called to order at 10 o'clock by the 

 Chairman, Hon. J. H. Roavley, who said : Gentlemen, the 

 time has arrived for the opening of this meeting. The lect- 

 ure this morning will be from a gentleman whom many or 

 all of you have seen and all will be pleased to hear from, on 

 the subject of " The Handling and Feeding of Dairy Cattle," 

 by Ex-Gov. W. D. Hoard of Wisconsin. 



Ex-Gov. W. D. Hoard. Mr. President, ladies and gen- 

 tlemen, and members of the Massachusetts Board of Agri- 

 culture, friends and brethren : I owe you an apology that is 

 difficult to make — that is, one in advance. I prefer always 

 to apologize after the offence rather than before it, for then 

 I am more sure of my ground. Mark Twain said that he 

 always preferred to introduce himself to an audience, be- 

 cause then he could get in all the facts, and I am somcAvhat 

 in that condition in regard to this proposition. 



My paper to-day is in many particulars too long, and I 

 shall have to ask your good and kind indulgence. I tackled 

 a big question, and the more I contemplated it and drew 

 upon the conclusions of my lifetime, the more important 

 some thins^s seemed. And still I shall not be able to deal 

 technically with the question, but strive to reach down and, 

 if possible, get hold of principles. 



