446 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



the loss of time of driver and team. There can be no doubt that 

 the future welfare of the prairie farmer must depend largely upon 

 the condition of the roads over which he is to transport the prod- 

 ucts of his laud to a market. 



A National Board of Agriculture was established by this Con- 

 gress, and the following gentlemen were elected members of said 

 Board : G. W. Swink of Colorado, Dennis Denyon of Illinois, 

 G. M. River of Georgia, Gov. John Scott of Iowa, W. J. Bailey 

 of Kansas, P. E. Dunham of Maine, Daniel Needham of Massa- 

 chusetts, W. Pope Yeaman of Missouri, R. W. Furnas of Ne- 

 braska, A. T. Young of Pennsylvania, Chas. S. Flagg of Rhode 

 Island, H. O. St. Clair of Oklahoma. The headquarters of this 

 Board will be at Washington, and tlie general agricultural indus- 

 tries of the whole country will be studied, so that, if possible, no 

 conflicting legislation will prejudice the interest of the several 

 States. 



Prof. M. C. Fernald of Maine read an exhaustive paper, setting 

 forth the relation of science to practical agriculture. His state- 

 ments were established by actual test made at government experi- 

 ment stations. 



In the address which I delivered upon the " Individuality of 

 American Agriculture" I set forth by historical data the history 

 in brief of the tiller of the soil in the old world under ancient and 

 modern government, in his feeble but vain attempt to free himself 

 from the bondage of surrounding conditions, and contrasted that 

 condition with that of the American farmer, who maintains the 

 individuality of citizenship, a comfortable and often a luxurious 

 home, being able with the surplus products of his labor to so edu- 

 cate the children of his family that in mature years they are quali- 

 fied to take the highest positions in social and public life. 



I should not be just to the hospitality of Lincoln did I not men- 

 tion the dinner given in honor of your delegate by persons con- 

 nected with the University of Nebraska, to which the Governor of 

 the State, the Chancellor of the University and many other distin- 

 guished citizens gathered, to recognize the valuable service of 

 Massachusetts by her material helps in the diffusion of learning 

 and the building up of facilities for public transportation in all 

 parts of the United States. 



It was voted to hold the next session of the Congress at Savan- 

 nah, Ga., in November, 1893. 



DANIEL NEEDIIAM, 



Delegate. 



