NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



553 



MASSACHUSETTS STATE SHOW. 



Very soon after the close of the Revolutionary 

 war, when the excitement of that contest had sub- 

 sided, and cannons and muskets had given place to 

 plows and reaping hooks, the attention of our peo- 

 ple was very naturally given to the means of sup- 

 plying exhausted granaries, of finding the true way 

 of employing those returned from the war, of build- 

 ing up the rural homes of the State, and furnishing 

 their families the means of a comfortable and in- 

 dependent support. They turned to the soil, hard 

 and rough, it is true, but the primitive, sure and 

 permanent source of supply, and of ultimate riches 

 and grandeur. Washington had already set a no- 

 ble example in the cultivation of the soil, and quite 

 likely, even amid the strife and horrors of war, had 

 imbued many minds with the principles of the art, 

 and awakened a desire in many to retire to the qui- 

 et of country life, and repose, during their remain- 

 ing days, amid the interesting scenes of nature, that 

 had never been disturbed by encampments or any 

 of war's alarms. Thousands returned from the 

 arts of war, to the arts of peace, and soon the pub- 

 lic journals and fireside themes, talked of plowing 

 and sowing, cf grain and hay fields and bountiful 

 harvests and bursting barns, instead of devastated 

 crops, slaughtered men and homeless families. — 

 This good spirit of the few pervaded all, and soon 

 suggested some systematic and organic modes of 

 proceeding. 



We do not find that men of learning and ability 

 had given special attention to agricultural matters, 

 in their scientific relations, and had written upon 

 them, until about the year 1800. But considera- 

 ble thought must have been previously bestowed 

 upon them, for as early as the year 1792, "■The 

 Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture" 

 was incorporated. This Society, during its growth, 

 held annual exhibitions at Brighton, and was the 

 means of carrying out the intentions of its found- 

 ers in a very considerable degree. These exhibi- 

 tions were continued until societies had been estab- 

 lished in most or all the counties of the State, when 

 it was supposed there was no further necessity for 

 them, and they were discontinued. But the inter- 

 est and fostering care of the old Society did not 

 cease, — for wherever, in any part of the State, an 

 opening presented itself for "promoting agricul- 

 ture," the genial influences and pecuniary aid of 

 that time-honored association have been felt. In 

 this spirit, it contributed the sum of $2,000 to aid 

 the First Exhibition of the Massachusetts State 

 Board of Agriculture, of whose recent Exhibition 

 these preliminary remarks seem to be necessary. 



There is one agricultural society in each county 

 in the State, and in some of the counties two or 

 three. These societies, as well as the Massachu- 

 setts Society, each receive the annual bounty of 

 $600, from the public treasury ; they are generally 



conducted with prudence in their administrative 

 concerns, and economy in their finances, but do not 

 seem to have answered all the purposes desired. 

 They are local, and isolated, working well and per- 

 haps accomplishing all that was expected of them 

 in their own limits. But the people desired a 

 broader field of action. They wished to meet their 

 brethren at a common centre from all parts of the 

 Commonwealth, and find presented there, side by 

 side, the products of the garden, the field, the stall 

 and the family, and keep bright that chain of friend- 

 ship that had so indissolubly bound them together 

 in the dreadful struggle of the war through which 

 they or their fathers had just passed. About a 

 year ago this feeling became so strong, as to mani- 

 fest itself in a public meeting held at the State 

 House in Boston. It was evident there that a State 

 Exhibition was desired, and the Board of Agricul- 

 ture promptly proposed to co-operate with the old 

 Massachusetts Society in supplying this want of 

 the people, and the exhibition now just closed is 

 the result of their harmonious action. 



The Fair was opened on the morning of Tues- 

 day, Oct. 20th, with a large collection of animals, 

 fruits and agricultural implements and machines, 

 but with comparatively few men and women to see 

 them, on account of the sudden change from soft, 

 sunny and delightful October days, to those worthy 

 of the chill and clouds of November. There was 

 room for pleasant anticipations, however, and those 

 that were present were good natured and social, 

 and determined to turn the affair to good account, 

 if it were possible. It was this spirit that prompt- 

 ed the 



OPENING ADDRESS BY PUESIDENT WILDER. 



In commencing, he congratulated the guests 

 present upon the auspicious change in the weather, 

 and the prospects before them for a glorious inaug- 

 uration of the Fair. He said that from the great 

 number of entries of the various classes, he believed 

 that they could anticipate a fair that in magnitude 

 and its results, would be well worthy of the noble 

 old Bay State, and that while he sympathizes with 

 the public in their great commercial troubles, and 

 the gloomy prospects of trade, ha still looked up- 

 on agriculture as the real back-bone of the coun- 

 try, and said that so long as Heaven vouchsafed to 

 us prolific harvests, and Massachusetts farmers could 

 make such a display of implements, animals and farm 

 products, as are seen here, the prosperity of the 

 country was sure ; that although stocks might fail 

 and banks break, yet we can look confidently to 

 the great agricultural resources of our country as 

 a sure means of restoring to all the industrial pur- 

 suits that happiness and prosperity which has char- 

 acterized our country for so many years. 



He then pronounced the exhibition duly open, and 

 said it would remain so for the four succeeding days. 



In continuing our account, little attention will 



