144 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



regular market days, to be held in different places at stated 

 times throughout the Commonwealth. That essay sets forth ia 

 a clear light the numerous advantages accruing to the farmer 

 from the establishment of such days, and we should rejoice to 

 see tiiem established in every large town or representative dis- 

 trict in the State. But a moment's reflection will suffice to con- 

 vince any one that that does not cover the whole ground. 



Much of the produce of the farm is of a perishable nature, 

 and must find its way to the consumer without delay. Such is 

 the case with milk, some of the small fruits and early vege- 

 tables. Although regular market days would be of incalculable 

 value to the farmer in a great variety of ways, yet we cannot 

 conceive how it would help him in the sale of the articles above 

 enumerated. Now, the farmer is certainly entitled to remuner- 

 ating prices for his produce, — such prices, in fact, as the con- 

 sumer is able and willing to pay. To devise some practical 

 method by which these prices shall be secured to him is, I 

 understand, to be the object of this discussion. While I do not 

 feel competent to devise any plan which shall be entirely unob- 

 jectionable, it does seem to me that the cooperative system, a 

 system wherein the farmer would have a common interest with 

 the seller, would be found eminently practicable, and if adopted 

 would speedily insure the best results. Besides offering him 

 facilities for marketing, this system might be made to fur- 

 nish him with important information relating to prices, the "best 

 time and method of forwarding his produce, and also the kinds 

 and quality which the market demanded. I suggest tliis system 

 without proposing to enumerate all its advantages, or to adjust 

 the machinery by which such an organization is to be kept in 

 running order. 



Confidently believing that men can be found in every farming 

 community — and in this meeting — capable of engineering the 

 whole thing into successful operation, I submit the matter to 

 your further consideration. 



Mr. S. n. Howe, of Bolton, gave an exceedingly humorous 

 account of his experience, demonstrating, as he contended, that 

 amateur farming, at any rate, does not pay. 



Hon. Charles G. Davis of Plymouth. I understand some- 

 thing of what may be called the egotism of travel, but, at the 



