No. 4.] AGRICULTUEAL SOCIETIES. 425 



The suljjcct of the ])enefits of these societies is one that 

 could be theorized upon to almost an indefinite extent, but 

 perhaps some practical illustrations maybe quite as inter- 

 estinof. I know of no more marked illustration than is 

 shown in the abundance of fruit, especially pears, which 

 Avas seen in the fall of 1891. A great portion of the 

 orchards, in whatever locality, will be found to date back to 

 the time when such magnificent displays were made at the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the old Norfolk 

 Society, by the late Marshall P. Wilder. Other practical 

 illustrations could be made quite as prominent as this ; but 

 I have a short article taken from a publication, which con- 

 veys my own views, and which, from an experience of thirty 

 years and more, I could illustrate practically. * "Those who 

 look only on the surface, or Avho have never got in the 

 stream of progress, often assert that we have too many 

 agricultural societies, or that they do but little good. The 

 fact is, our agricultural societies are making such continued 

 progress, and do their work so silently, that the most active 

 members do not realize how nuich they have done. How 

 many stop to ask the question, AVhat would be the condition 

 of agriculture to-day if there had l)een no agricultural 

 societies? Alas, how few even think of it! When agri- 

 cultural societies were formed, and exhibitions held where 

 the products of the farm were placed side by side for com- 

 parison, it stirred up a desire to secure the best breeds of 

 animals and the l)est varieties of fruits and vegetables ; 

 every portion of the globe was carefully examined to find 

 the best specimens of animals and vegetables. When these 

 were collected together, and exhibited by the side of what 

 we had been producing, the people saw the difference, and 

 rapidly introduced the improved productions on their own 

 farms ; so that to-day improved fruits and vegetal)le8 are so 

 wide-spread that the poorest man can every day place on his 

 table better fruits and vegetables, and in greater variety, 

 than could the richest monarchs of Europe a hundred years 

 ago. By comparing the products of our farms at the 

 annual shows, a desire has been created for higher cultiva- 



* Edmund Hersey in. •' Ihe Old Farmer's Almanac," 1893, p. 44. 



