412 MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



from the beginning they have been treated with the utmost 

 liberality as well from the government of the Commonwealth, 

 as from the county societies. 



But I have said more than once, that if the State society has 

 conferred any benefit upon the Commonwealth, one of the 

 greatest has been this, — that by the impulse which they gave 

 to the study and practice of agriculture, whatever it may be 

 deemed to have been, they led to the formation of the county 

 societies. They were, if they may be allowed to call them- 

 selves, as teachers, in the situation of many other teachers, who 

 very soon taught their scholars to go beyond themselves. The 

 local societies have advantages which no board of a State soci- 

 ety, or of any one society can well have, because the officers 

 who compose any one board, though having the interest of the 

 State in view, cannot well be collected from all parts of the 

 State, because they cannot well meet without inconvenience. 

 I understand that this resolution contemplates that the State 

 society shall be represented as well as the local societies in this 

 board which it is now proposed to establish. I have only to 

 say that any measure calculated to bring together the knowl- 

 edge which exists in the agricultural districts of the Common- 

 wealth in this way, or in any other way, in my opinion ought 

 to meet and would meet the full concurrence of any member 

 of the State society, or of any other agricultural society in the 

 Commonwealth. I am entirely satisfied that we have one 

 object, and I cannot see, for my own part, anything in this res- 

 olution to which the society to which I have the honor to be- 

 long would find any cause to object. 



The question was then taken and the resolution adopted. 



Mr. Page then offered the following resolution, which was 

 adopted : — 



Resolved, That the President and Secretaries of this Convention be a com- 

 mittee with power to take measures for the organization of the Central Board 

 of Agriculture, as recommended by the first resolve, and that such Board be 

 authorized to petition the Legislature for an act of incorporation, if they shall 

 think it expedient. 



The question was taken on the third resolution, and it was 

 adopted. 



