160 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The Chairman. Having had some experience in regard to 

 market days, and having been engaged on the committee to 

 which the gentleman alhided, who made the attempt to estab- 

 lish them in this State, I want to say a few words on the subject. 



So far as free markets are concerned, I agree with Mr. Davis 

 entirely. I have never been able to see the slightest reason 

 why such a monopoly should exist as now exists in the city of 

 Boston. 1 cannot comprehend it. I see no argument for it, 

 even from its friends ; none which an intelligent citizen ought 

 to accept. But this system of market days was found to be 

 entirely inconsistent with what may be termed the feelings, 

 tastes and interests of the producer. Let me illustrate. We 

 were told by the gentleman who brought the system from Eng- 

 land, where he had observed it carefully, that it would afford us 

 an opportunity to go into the market squares of the towns 

 where these markets are held, and buy hay and other produce 

 by looking at the samples, and leaving our orders ; so, if I 

 wanted two hundred bushels of oats, I could go to Danvers, for 

 instance, on market day, look at the samples of oats, make my 

 choice, and have them delivered ; and so of hay and other 

 articles of that description. But it was found that there were 

 no samples there. The grain coming from the West in large 

 quantities was held in the great centres, in the large towns and 

 cities, and it was a great deal easier for a man to go to his own 

 dealer, and order fifty or a hundred bushels of grain, than to 

 rely upon samples brought in exceptionally on market days. 

 We were told, too, that any parties having cows to sell would 

 drive them in there, and the purchasers would naturally appear ; 

 but it was found that the competition was not of that kind 

 which was what the sellers wanted, in order to give them a fair 

 price for their commodity. There were a few cows in the little 

 market, but very few purchasers, and it was soon found that the 

 whole system of trade, as established in this country, was 

 deranged by that method ; and the gentlemen who brought 

 their cows were glad enough to get them back on their own 

 farms, and the gentlemen who came there to buy, were glad 

 enough to follow them up, so as to sit down and make the 

 trade right on the threshold of the door. It was found to be 

 utterly and entirely inconsistent with our organization of 

 society and our methods of doing business, and it could not be 



