296 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



only in Massachusetts, but in other parts of New England 

 and of other States. I have been over the State of Maine 

 several times, aiding Secretary Gilbert in holding institute 

 meetings similar to this. I have attended the Connecticut 

 Board meetings annually, with scarcely an exception, for 

 fourteen or fifteen years, and I have been West two or three 

 times to attend agricultural meetings. I must admit that I 

 have said privately to some of my Massachusetts friends, that 

 Massachusetts agriculture is not recognized by its own people 

 as it should be. Massachusetts as an agricultural State does 

 not take the position it should ; and, compared with some of 

 our other New England States, it is, and has been for years 

 past, sadly behind. In Connecticut they have a three days' 

 meeting that begins in the morning of the first day with a 

 well-filled house, and continues through as late as ten o'clock 

 of the third evening, with nearly as large attendance as at 

 previous sessions. The interest is kept up all the way 

 through, business crowding all the time. And why is it? 

 It is largely because the wives and mothers, the daughters 

 and sisters, are thqve with their husbands and brothers and 

 fathers. I think it is fourteen years that I have known of 

 the secretary of the Board of Agriculture of Connecticut 

 having his wife present at the Board meetings ; and from 

 that time to this, the leading spirits in that meeting have had 

 their wives present as companions from year to year. That 

 custom has brought an influence into their meetings which 

 has drawn out a large attendance of people in the vicinity, 

 and that is one reason why their meetings have excelled ours 

 in interest. It is very diflerent where the farm-women look 

 upon the agricultural meeting as a meeting of men, to which 

 the husband is going for two or three days, leaving the cares 

 of the farm for them to attend to. I am glad the secretary of 

 our Board could this year announce that a part of this meeting 

 would be devoted to a discussion of Grange matters. It is 

 an excellent omen. It is an encouraging feature, for which 

 we may be thankful. 



I am also exceedingly glad that the secretaries of the differ- 

 ent Boards of the New England States are invited to come 

 here and take part in this meeting. It creates a good fellow- 

 ship. It reminds each that it is not Massachusetts alone, nor 



