294 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



animals, we have the blooming fields and all the opportunities 

 that the country gives, and have them for twelve months in 

 the year, as the essayist called to our attention this forenoon. 

 The people from the city have them for two or three or four 

 weeks, and consider that a great opportunity ; but we have 

 them for twelve months, and can enjoy them and develop 

 our minds and our muscles, and bring forth results in the 

 fields that people from the city and country alike will come 

 forward and compliment. I esteem it a privilege to live in 

 the country, and to be the head, if you please, of a country 

 home. 



Now, a home in the country, as well as in the city, must 

 have a center, and the center of the home should be the 

 housewife and mother. It is necessary for the body to have 

 a head. Is it not as necessary that it should have a heart? 

 That good mother in the home represents the heart of that 

 home. She should represent it, and we should do those 

 things that will assist her in bringing out those other features 

 that the essayist mentioned this forenoon. It seems to me 

 that, while these facts have been brought so vividly before us 

 this morning, it is our opportunity to profit by them, and 

 carry them with us to our homes in the country ; and I cor- 

 dially indorse that suggestion of the gentleman a moment 

 ago, that we bring our wives into these meetings of the Board 

 of Agriculture. I believe that it is one of the ways to 

 strengthen these meetings, and make them more beneficial. 



Now, I hope you will pardon me, but I wish to say one 

 word more. I believe the day is coming when we shall have 

 such homes on the farm as were pictured to us this morning, 

 and I believe they will be brought about largely through the 

 influence of such organizations as were described in Mr. 

 Hubbard's paper, where the families of the farmers of the 

 State may come together, and become cognizant of the privi- 

 leges and opportunities they may enjoy, and of the difiiculties 

 they have to overcome. If we can intelligently understand 

 the difficulties, it is more than half the work of overcoming 

 ihem. I have been in the Grange but a short time compara- 

 tively, but I find it is a benefit to the farmer, and I believe 

 it is your privilege to join it and be profited thereby. I be- 

 lieve it is your duty as a farmer to come forward and enjoy 



