1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 285 



annual donation of about $17,000 a year to her society. 

 Certainly there is something suggestive in the statement. 



Recognizing the value of a purely agricultural show, the 

 trustees of the funds entrusted to the Massachusetts Society 

 for Promoting Agriculture (the organization which, I have 

 said, nearly a century ago began to encourage the promotion 

 of Massachusetts agriculture, and the improvement of her 

 stock) have twice guaranteed the Bay State Society's prize 

 list of $10,000; and for its other Fair the guarantee was 

 provided by local interest, supplemented by voluntary sub- 

 scriptions from many members of the society. 



With whatever were their short-comings, or their merits, 

 and they both must have existed, the two fairs at Boston 

 and one at Springfield have received much praise. 



In 1892 the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agricult- 

 ure will round out a century of successful existence, and 

 proposes to suitably celebrate that event. Whether that 

 event shall be celebrated, and, if so, how it shall be done, 

 remains as yet undecided. 



As she was instrumental in the formation of our original 

 county agricultural societies, and set an example by holding 

 fairs of her own, until the successful establishment of the 

 former made her own fairs superfluous, when she withdrew 

 from that field of usefulness, it would seem eminently 

 proper that an extended account of her work during the 

 century should find place here, but that can be reserved for 

 1892. 



Myself a believer in the value to a State of extensive, 

 purely agricultural fairs, where specimens of the best live 

 stock and best agricultural products can be seen, I hope that 

 sach may be continued in this State at proper intervals. 

 They help the State in two particular ways : directly by 

 benefiting the producer and tending to his advancement, and 

 indirectly by educating the consumers to appreciate the value 

 to them of intrinsically better articles, and training such 

 consumers to be willing to pay fairly for those articles. 



The Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics' Association, 

 after endeavoring to support annual exhibits, some years 

 ago decided to hold their fairs triennially, and have met 

 with great success. 



