MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 415 



Sir, our young men want something more than their fathers 

 know how to teach. What is known now by the farmer 

 about farming? Precisely what was known about it fifty 

 years ago, with very little variation ! I heard an anecdote 

 from one of the committee to-day which illustrates the position 

 of our young men. A wealthy farmer, with a large farm, died 

 recently in this vicinity. He left five sons, ranging from ten 

 years, upward. He is hardly cold in his grave before they de- 

 termine to give the farm up. When remonstrated with, they 

 say, " We want to know something. We shall know just as 

 much as our fathers did, and we wish to know more." Now 

 it is a fact that our young men want to know more than their 

 fathers. It is desirable that this knowledge shall not be like 

 the Indians' knowledge, traditionary, handed down from gen- 

 eration to generation. But we want the printed page, that the 

 farmer can take in his hands as he sits by his fireside, and that 

 his sons can take in their hands in their leisure hours, — the 

 printed page, upon which are the results of the practical knowl- 

 edge of wise men, brought to bear distinctly upon this subject. 

 Now I pray to ask, if you do nothing else here for this vastly 

 neglected branch of industry, how you can do a better thing 

 than to say that you will send out in into the community just 

 such a man as is spoken of here. He will not only carry 

 knowledge to the young men, but he will create a thirst for 

 knowledge. I think that the time is ripe for the Common- 

 wealth to take this step, at least, and that the people will say 

 amen to their action, however liberal, in sending them such 

 knowledge as that. 



Well, sir, that is one thing that the secretary will do. He will 

 go forth as a scientific and practical farmer, to enlighten the peo- 

 ple throughout the Commonwealth. He will carry informa- 

 tion and he will gain information. But, then, it is proposed 

 that he shall " receive the returns of the incorporated agricul- 

 tural societies, and make a digest of the same in the form of 

 an annual report to the Legislature," instead of having it the 

 duty of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, who has, I be- 

 lieve, always delegated it to other hands, who have annually 

 formed an abstract and thrown it through the press. The 



