1889.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 299 



years came on from Dakota. I met him on the day of his 

 arrival. He had come by way of Montreal, and over the 

 Boston and Albany Railroad. He said, " What a country 

 this is ! I would not give a quarter section of Dakota for 

 all the land between Boston and Wilbraham." I said, " You 

 did not know you came through a county that produces 

 the largest aggregate value of agricultural products of any 

 county in the whole country ? " He said, " No." But that is 

 true. The county of Worcester produces more dollars' 

 worth of agricultural products than any county in America. 

 The capacity of Worcester County has not been commenced 

 upon. The value per cultivated acre of products is some- 

 thing like fifty dollars, but only about one-third of the land 

 is cultivated. What are you going to say to that ? We have 

 one town in Massachusetts that produces agricultural prod- 

 ucts to the value of two hundred and eighty dollars per cul- 

 tivated acre. You see the capacity for improvement is suffi- 

 cient for our day and generation, and for the generation of 

 our children, if they will stay here. You have heard of the 

 capacity of our cranberry bogs, and of the size of the apple 

 crop, and of the opportunities for strawberry and currant 

 culture, for creameries and the butter product. There are 

 opportunities enough, if we will only put energy and enter- 

 prise into our work. I think we have received some instruc- 

 tion from the gentlemen here this afternoon which will help 

 us put our shoulders together and accomplish something. 

 Let us go away from here feeling that we have no need of 

 apologizing for New England agriculture. There is no need 

 of it. The product of the Western States they boast of is 

 only about seven dollars per cultivated acre, while the value 

 of the product of the whole State of Massachusetts is fifty- 

 four dollars per cultivated acre. Let them boast of the 

 West, but let us stand up for our section, and do something 

 for its improvement. 



Now, I want to thank these gentlemen that are here for 

 the support they have given me in my endeavors to make 

 this a successful meeting. I am indebted to the Grange, to 

 the speakers, who have done better than I expected ; and I 

 thank you, and especially the people of these towns, for we 

 have been cordially received. We have received all the help 



