EXPEEBIENT STATIONS. 257 



Barrington iuid vicinity for their assistance at this meeting 

 and their kind reception of us. 



I may say that I regret that, in a farming community like 

 this, instead of a fevv hundred who have had the benefit o'i 

 these meetings there have not been thousands ; for, as I said 

 to a reporter at the table half an hour ago, the lecture to 

 which we listened this morning, if it had been improved as 

 it should have been by the attention of the people of this 

 vicinity, would have been worth a hundred thousand dollars 

 a year to this region for an indefinite period. 



The Chairman. I think I am authorized to speak for the 

 citizens of Great Barrington and for the district society, 

 and to return our thanks to the Board of As^riculture. 



Mr. Kline. Mr. President and gentlemen of the Board 

 of Agriculture, I wish I had the power of speech that would 

 enable me to excuse our citizens for their neglect to attend 

 these meetings in greater number^ ; I have not the power to 

 do that. The facts are before you ; but I hope you will be 

 consoled by the belief that the best of our people have been 

 here, and that they have been very much entertained and 

 instructed by the excellent essays and the discussions. I 

 think that those who have been here will put these ideas into 

 practice, and those indifferent ones who have stayed away, 

 will, in time, be educated by your having been here. 



As I was riding here yesterday morning by the side of one 

 of my neighbors, one of the best farmers of southern Berk- 

 shire, I remarked to him, " There are three classes of farm- 

 ers. First, farmers who spend a little time in riding around, 

 comparing notes and attending agricultural meetings. I 

 notice that they are the most successful farmers in any 

 community. The second class consists of farmers who sta}' 

 at home and drudj^e from morninor until nio-ht, never s^o 

 anywhere, and never learn anything but what they can learn 

 at home. They are a hard-working class ; they get a living, 

 but do not get far ahead. The third class do not stay at 

 home a great deal, but spend most of their time in the grog- 

 shops and other places. These are the farmers who have 

 dilapidated buildings, never take their families out for any 

 enjoyment, and are going behind the times altogether." 



