No. 4.] AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 423 



best brought about by the association of persons interested 

 or engaged in that occupation. 



The country at the close of the revolutionary war was in a 

 somewhat cri})[)led condition, but soon recovered, and from 

 1800 to 1820 tiie business of the country was in a prosper- 

 ous condition. New agricultural societies were established 

 during this period. Among them were the Berkshire So- 

 ciety, in 1811; the Hamjishire, in 1814; the Essex, in 

 1818; the Hampshire, Franklin and Ham})den, in 1818; 

 the Plymouth, in 1819 ; and the Bristol, in 1823. It was in 

 1818, through an act of the Legislature, that the bounty 

 from the State was first 2:ranted to ao-ricultural societies, 

 which still continues. From 1819 to 1844, a quarter of a 

 century, with the exception of the Bristol in 1823 and the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural in 1S29, no new asrricultural 

 societies were organized. From 1844 to the present time 

 these societies hav^e gradually increased in nuinl)er. Three 

 new societies were organized between 1844 and 1850, eleven 

 between 1850 and 1860, six between 18G0 and 1870, one be- 

 tween 1870 and 1880, and seven between 1880 and 1890, 

 according to the acts of incorporation. 



AVe now arrive at the period of the agricultural societies 

 of the present day. Some progressive methods have been 

 advanced in regard to conducting these societies and the 

 aifricultural interests of the State. It has been said that 

 "the success of an agricultural society does not depend 

 upon holding a fair." That may be true ; but would the 

 ao-ricultural interest throughout the State derive the benefit 

 that it does under the present system, where the individuals 

 of the town or county bring together their live stock and 

 the products of the soil, meet and compare them and sug- 

 gest improvements ? The fair is an educator. It educates 

 through this method the whole community, and creates an 

 interest which, if fairs were omitted, might be lost to a 

 great extent. Another statement is that " it is not necessary 

 that these societies should have grounds to hold these fairs." 

 This also may l)e true, for every society has features pecu- 

 liarly its own. If the old Essex chooses to hold its annual 

 fairs in the open, in the old primitive style, after the real 

 original, solid foundation of all these societies, that is all 



