20 HINTS TO THE TRUSTEES. 



tion, at Topsfield, about seven hundred names were enrolled. Since 

 then, there have been additions annually, of such as voluntarily of- 

 fered themselves, — but not so many as have been lost by death and 

 removals. It is believed, that a careful revision of the list of num- 

 bers would show not more than five hundred names, if so many. 

 While the population of the County has nearly doubled, our mem- 

 bers have diminished almost one half. Ought this to be so ? Ought 

 not some measure to be adopted to save the edifice from crumbling 

 to ruins ? Is the object for which we associated of any less impor- 

 tance now than it was then ? Is there less public spirit among our 

 citizens now, than there was then ? Are they less able to encourage 

 an institution of the kind, or less intelligent in appreciating its ad- 

 vantages ? Few, we believe, will readily answer either of these in- 

 quiries affirmatively. 



The continued liberality of the State, which has enabled the So- 

 ciety to offer our premiums annually, although to a limited extent, 

 and the adoption of a system of economy that has kept its expendi- 

 tures within the income, have had a tendency to prevent the enlist- 

 ing of new members. Especially, while those who were not mem- 

 bers, were permitted to enjoy equal privileges, in competing for pre- 

 miums, as those who were. If care had been taken to increase the 

 funds by the addition of seven hundred new members, who have come 

 upon the stage since our operations commenced, who would have 

 been ready to join, if properly solicited to do so, this addition could 

 have been advantageously? appropriated, in the new modes of im- 

 provement, that would have been brought forward. 



In fact, those who have directed the concerns of the Society, have 

 always felt themselves constrained, not by the want of objects of 

 premium, but by the want of means to afiford them ; and b y the de- 

 sire to give permanency to the funds, that should enable the Society 

 to continue its operations, if perchance, anything should happen to 

 discontinue the Legislative bounty. But there is no reason to fear 

 any such discontinuance. Whatever party may be in power will 

 not presume any such thing. Among all the fanciful projects of 

 economy that have been agitated, we have never heard an intimation 

 of the expediency of withholding the bounty to agricultural socie- 

 ties. On the contrary, the appropriation has been very generally 

 approved ; and it remains with the farmers, themselves, to say, 

 when insiead of six hundred dollars annually, there shall be given 



