MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 423 



the effects of the Bristol Agricultural Society, I believe if you 

 make the additional appropriation of one hundred dollars to 

 every society, raising a thousand dollars, that these societies 

 will do much more than at present. 



Simon Brown, of Concord, made a short and practical 

 speech, suggesting that if the secretary should only present a 

 single new idea to his auditors in each of his lectures, it would 

 prove very valuable to the farmers ; illustrating his position by 

 stating that if he should only teach them how to analyze the 

 soil in such a way as to be able to determine what are the 

 constituents of a given amount of earth, and what parts are 

 wanting in order to make it yield the largest crop of a certain 

 article, an incalculable amount of good would be derived by 

 the community. 



Evening Session. 



The Convention was called to order at 7 o'clock. The seventh 

 resolution having been taken up for consideration, the chair 

 called upon his excellency, Governor Boutwell, who addressed 

 the convention as follows : — 



This resolution has reference to what has been accomplished 

 already by the societies which exist in our State. They con- 

 stitute a part of the imperfect system of agricultural education. 

 There are various town societies, — few in number at present, 

 but efficient in their operation, — which constitute another part 

 of this system. And it would seem expedient, if efforts are to 

 be made to extend and elevate agricultural education, that those 

 means which exist ought to be employed. 



The first question which a convention of this character 

 would naturally consider, is, whether there is a necessity for 

 improvement in agricultural education ? And, upon this point, 

 I suppose there would not be much difference of opinion ; for 

 it cannot but be as true of agriculture, as of any department 

 of industry, that it is to be advanced and perfected by the 

 operations and labors of intelligent and scientific men. 



It cannot be denied, that while other departments of indus- 



