1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



349 



So little was known of the operations of this 

 Societjs that at a publia meeting at the State 

 House, in Boston, on the 5th of February, 1857, 

 for taking measures to form a new State Agricul- 

 tural Society, one gentleman said of it, that "it 

 had a respectable existence, he believed, in State 

 Street, and was likely to be a money-making con- 

 cern. The State paid it $600 a year, and some 

 said it was spent in good dinners !" A very brief 

 discussion, however, dispelled all such delusions, 

 and it was unanimously voted inexpedient to 

 form a new society. A decent respect for the 

 dead, as well as the living, seemed then to de- 

 mand of the Society some exposition of its 

 transactions, and we have in this little volume, 

 in a simple statement of facts, a vindication of 

 its course, alike creditable to the present and for- 

 mer members of the Society, and to the country. 



For nearly seventy years, men of the highest 

 social and political position, in aristocratic Bos- 

 ton, and neighboring towns, men whose time and 

 business talent could coin them money in all de- 

 partments of life, have laid aside their everyday 

 cares, and met regularly, to take counsel togeth- 

 er, for what they rightly deemed the great and 

 fundamental interest of their country. Among 

 the great names of early members of this Soci- 

 ety, we find Samuel Ada:\5:s, John Lowell, 

 Fisher Ames, Thomas Russell, Christopher 

 Gore, James Sullivan, Martin Brimmer, 

 Theodore Lyman, Thomas L. Winthrop, 

 Aaron Dexter. In 1805, John Adams, ex- 

 president of the United States, was chosen Pres- 

 ident, in place of Gov, Strong, and Dudley 

 Tyng and Josiaii Quincy were elected trustees. 



In 1821, Rev. Mr. Coleman delivered the ad- 

 dress, and the next year. Col. Timothy Picker- 

 ing rendered the same service. In 1828, Hon. 

 Thomas L. Winthrop was elected President, 

 and Col. Thomas H. Perkins a Vice President. 

 Further on, we find among the officers, Peter 

 C. Brooks, Dr. James Jackson, Daniel Web- 

 ster, Elias Phinney, J. P. Gushing, Josiah 

 Quincy, Jr., Dr. John C. Warren, Abbott 

 Lawrence and Edward Everett. George 

 W. Lyman was President in 1858, and Charles 

 G. Loring and Robert C. Winthrop, Vice 

 Presidents, Thomas Motley, Jr., Treasurer. 

 It is doubtful whether the i-ecords of any agri- 

 cultural society in the world can show a list of 

 more distinguished names among its officers. 

 And its records of what it has done, are worthy 

 of the names of its members. An article by the 

 editor, in the monthly JV. E. Farmer for Marcli, 

 1859, gives a list of some of its more important 

 premiums, and notices its valuable importations 

 of live stock of approved breeds, from time to 

 time, commencing with Merino sheep in 1802, 

 including Hereford, and Alderney cattle. 



In 1820, it appears that a stallion of the breed 

 known as the Suffolk Punch, bred in England, 

 was presented to the Society. Of this breed of 

 horses, we had an excellent opportunity, while in 

 England, to form an opinion, which has been al- 

 ready expressed in this paper. Our belief is, 

 that the world does not afford another breed cf 

 horses, so well adapted to farm labor and general 

 purposes of heavy draft, as the Suffolk Punch, 

 and we have some curiosity to know what has 

 beeome of the posterity of this hoi'se. 



Verily, there is nothing new under the sun. 

 In this record, in 1801, we find a proposition fci" 

 holding market fairs "on Cambridge Common," 

 in May and October, and this seed has just veg- 

 etated, after fifty-eight years, into market fairs in 

 Essex county, which will now spring up every- 

 where, with great advantage to the farmer. 



In 1800, a seed-sowing machine was exhibited 

 to the trustees. In 1812, the model of a double 

 plow was ordered to be procured. 



In 1827, a letter was received fromN. Biddle, 

 Esq., of Philadelphia, describing a mowing ma- 

 chine. 



In 1820, a pistol was exhibited, so constructed 

 as to discharge seven balls successively, with 

 once loading and priming, but the committee say 

 that they do not deem themselves authorized to 

 recommend any premium for it, "it not being an 

 instrument of use in agriculture, and having no 

 certificate of its having been used and improved 

 by any practical farmer !" 



Corn-shellers, straw-cutters and threshing ma- 

 chines were shown and discussed nearly a half 

 century ago, in this Society, and a Iiay-making 

 machine was presented to the Society in 1823, 

 an implement which we have seen at work in 

 England, and which should, and soon will, be 

 found on every hay farm in our country. 



There is hardly a new implement that has l>een 

 introduced, or a valuable breed of animals, or a 

 new and valuable plant or root or seed, or a hint 

 as to a plan for aiding the interests of agricul- 

 ture in any way, that may not be traced back to 

 the influence of this Society. 



From tim'e to time, men who are "tired of hear- 

 ing Aristides caijid the Just," have cried out 

 against its members, as book farmers, and gen- 

 tlemen farmers, and as an aristocracy, and no- 

 body can deny that all these appellations belong 

 to them. For ourselves, we have no antipathy 

 to books or gentlemen, and only wish the aris- 

 tocracy of learning and benevolence and public 

 spirit could be largely increased in numbers. 



The commonwealth of Massachusetts is the 

 model State of the world, at this moment. No- 

 where is she excelled in the general edification 

 of her people, in the true spirit of freedom in 

 the hearts of her citizens, in the equal and just 



