110 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Ex-Governor Hoard. It seems to me, Doctor, that ques- 

 tion needs division ; it is a little complicated. You are an 

 advocate of a system which has much merit, but there is one 

 difficulty, and that is, that you cannot, nor can anybody 

 else, make an individual man over, and consequently to make 

 the system practical there needs to be education. 



Dr. TwiTCHELL. That is the point I have been aiming at 

 all the afternoon. 



Ex-Governor Hoard. I agree with you, sir, that we do 

 lack an intelligent system. If you have proposed one, I 

 think you are a public benefactor ; but after you have got the 

 system, then you require men to carry it out. 



Dr. TwiTCHELL. Certainly, and the question is, how are 

 you going to reach that result ? There are men who have 

 made this a study and are able to apply the system, but to 

 bring them in to award the premiums involves expense. 

 Shall we, then, confessing the utter failure of the old system 

 to educate, continue its practice simply because the new way 

 is attended with some difficulties ? This knowledo:e we must 

 have in order to discriminate in breeding. It is one of the 

 essential factors in successful husbandry to-day, the only 

 thing which can give power and stability. It is to be gained 

 by such an object lesson as we have been having for the past 

 hour, and again I say it may readily be acquired by practice 

 work among yourselves. It was for this mutual helpfulness 

 that your societies were created, for this they are sustained. 

 There's not an agricultural society in Massachusetts but 

 what, if the members will meet two evenings a month, bring 

 together their fruit, vegetables and stock, supply themselves 

 with the scales adopted by the Board, take up the work of 

 judging, and then examine and criticise each other's scores, 

 discussing the why and wherefore of each credit, will, before 

 September, 1894, have within their own ranks men who can 

 go out and apply this system with better results and greater 

 satisfaction than was obtained at the exhibitions of 1893. 

 Medium work done with the score-cards will satisfy better 

 than any comparative work can, for the simple reason that 

 the evidence is in writing, to be examined by every ex- 

 hibitor. 



Mr. P. A. Russell. I want to inquire if it is obligatory 



