1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



675 



WHO SHALL DECIDE WHElff DOCTORS 

 DISAGREE? 



It is averred by the farmers of the county of Mid- 

 dlesex, that their society is sixty-three years old. So 

 it was stated distinctly by the President, at the late 

 anniversary dinner. It is averred by the Berk- 

 shirp Au;ricultural Society, that this society is the 

 oldest ao;ricultural organization in the United States. 

 Both these averments cannot be true. It is high 

 time tliat the truth should be made known ; and 

 that error:= of this character should not be repeated, 

 year after year. I am led to this remark from the 

 observation in the Massachusetts Ploughman, of 

 this morning, affirming the claim of the Berkshire 

 Society. I respect an affirmation from such a 

 source, because I presume the senior editor of the 

 Ploughman has personal knowledge of everything 

 agricultural that has transpired in Massachusetts 

 for the last sixty years. In fact, I myself can re- 

 member nearly as long as this. I have always had 

 some doubts of the right of the Middlesex Society 

 to be considered as old as she claims to be — and 

 should never have assented to the propriety of this 

 claim had it not been put forward by authority so 

 respectable as ft has — by yourself and others/ 



Oct. 17, 1857. Essex. 



Remarks. — Everything that becomes a matter 

 of historical interest in the State is of sufficient 

 importance to be correctly stated ; we will, there- 

 fore, give the facts showing how and when the 

 Middlesex Agricultural Society was formed, viz.: — 



"The Massachusetts Society for promoting Agri- 

 culture" was incorporated in 1792, and was the first 

 society, probably, established in the Common- 

 wealth. It has always had members strongly in- 

 terested in its objects, and who have exerted a con- 

 siderable influence upon the practical husbandry of 

 the State. It was this zeal which suggested the 

 following circular : — 



"Middlesex, Dec, 1793. 



CIRCULAR. 



SlR,---Relying on your known actachment to the 

 best Interests of our Country, we address you on a 

 Subject which we think contains a fair Prospect of 

 promoting Improvements in Husbandry. Should 

 the Proposal strike you in as beneficial a Light as 

 it has us, we doubt not your cheerful Acquiescence 

 in the scheme. 



In Pursuance of the Recommendation of the 

 Trustees of the Massachusetts Society for promot- 

 ing Agriculture, we have conceived a Plan of form- 

 ing a subordinate Meeting in this County. With 

 this view we request you to meet us, with such oth- 

 er Members of the Agricultural Society in the 

 Western part of the County, as maybe disposed to 

 attend, at the House of Mr. William Adams, Inn- 

 holder, in Chelmsford, on Monday the sixth day of 

 January next, at two of the clock in the afternoon, 

 to lend your aid in forming such Measures as shall 

 appear calculated to promote its advantages to the 

 Community, and in general to improve the Hus- 

 bandry of the County. 



We are, Sir, respectfully Your 

 Most Obed't Servants— 



John Pitts, 

 Ebexezer Bridge, 

 Dudley A. Tyxg." 



This circular was sent to such gentlemen of , the 

 county — but members of the Massachusetts Society 

 — as it was supposed would be sufficiently interest- 

 ed in the subject to meet and organize a new soci- 

 ety ; the meeting took place as proposed, and the 

 following form and articles of association being read 

 and considered, were unanimously adopted : — 



ASSOCIATION. 



The Trustees of the Massachusetts Society for 

 promoting Agriculture having recommended "that 

 the members in different parts of the State would 

 meet at stated times, in places convenient to them- 

 selves, and invite the aid of others who are desirous 

 of forwarding Improvements in Agriculture ; and 

 that they would from time to time transmit to the 

 Trustees or any officer of the Society, — any infor- 

 mation they may think useful : — We, the subscrib- 

 ers. Members of the said Society — dwelling in the 

 Western part of the County of Middlesex, being 

 desirous of furthering the laudable Designs of the 

 said Society, and of promoting to the utmost of our 

 Power the Husbandry of our Country : Do hereby 

 Associate together and form ourselves into a Soci- 

 ety for the Purposes above expressed, by the name 

 and style of The Middlesex Husbandmen, and 

 do adopt and agree to the following rules and Reg- 

 ulations." 



This Society was incorporated Feb. 28, 1803, 

 has held its annual exhibitions regularly, and has 

 undoubtedly been the means of promoting the ag- 

 ricultural arts, and greatly increasing the dignity 

 and popularity of the calling. 



The Berkshire Society was established in 1810, 

 mainly through the exertions and influence of Mr. 

 Elkanah Watson, who purchased the Van 

 Shaick estate in 1807. In August, 1810, Mr. 

 Watson wrote an "appeal to the public," and says : 

 — "In consequence of this first step, on the first of 

 October, 1810, 1 find the following notice in the 

 Pittsfield Sun : 



"The first Berkshire cattle show was exhibited 

 " with considerable eclat on Monday last. This 

 " laudable measure cannot fail to be highly benefi- 

 " cial, considering its novelty in this part of the 

 " world, and that many have had their doubts, and 

 " even a dread of being held up for the finger of 

 " scorn to point at. The display of fine animals, 

 " and the number exhibited, exceeded the most san- 

 " guine hopes of its promoters, and a large collec- 

 " tion of people participated in the display ; the 

 " weather was delightful. The ice is now broke, — 

 " all squeamish feelings buried, and a general satis- 

 " faction evinced. It will now be impossible to ar- 

 " rest its course ; we have everything to hope and 

 " to expect, the year ensuing." He then adds,— "a 

 committee of fourteen respectable farmers, from 

 different parts of the county, was appointed to take 

 preparatory measures for a real exhibition in Octo- 

 ber, 1811." 



This language is too plain to leave room for the 

 supposition that any agricultural society had exist- 



