1858.] SENATE— No. 4. 11 



.fil,000, and made it as a gift to tlie late exhibition liere under 

 the auspices of the National Agricultural Society. The society 

 was not very rich, but had carclully liusbanded its means, and 

 Mr. French had little liesitation in believing that the memliers 

 would not require much urging to use their earnest and best 

 efforts for the progress and improvement of agriculture. Some- 

 thing indeed should be done, for the west was fast running 

 ahead of us, and this should not be allowed. 



Mr. Wilder stated that the -$1,000 in (juestion came from the 

 funds of tiie Massachusetts Society, as he had been informed by 

 the secretary. 



Mr. Phillips, of Fitchburg, enumerated the means which now 

 existed in the shape of agricultural societies in the Common- 

 wealth for the improvement of agriculture, and thought that 

 they were sufficient in themselves to serve the legitimate pur- 

 poses of improvement without the aid of a new society. They 

 would be peculiarly so if, as was stated, the Massachusetts 

 Society was willing to engage in a more active course of pro- 

 ceeding. He was of opinion that the project under discussion 

 was not required. He therefore moved the following reso- 

 lutions : — 



C Resolved, That the establishment of anotlier State agricul- 

 tural society would tend to alienate those kin^d and patriotic 

 feelings which have so uniformly characterized the past and 

 present trustees of our ancient and honorable State society : 

 and whereas it is understood that the present State society 

 would contribute of its funds for exhibitions, under the super- 

 vision of the State Board of Agriculture ; therefore — 



Resolved, That, in the opiraoii of this assembly, it is desirable 

 that the State Board of Agriculture should hold agricultural 

 fairs whenever funds are placed at its disposal, either by the 

 Commonwealth or by the munificence of others. 



Resolved, That we recommend the State Board of Agricul- 

 ture, composed as it is of representatives from, and acting in 

 harmony with, all the incorporated societies in the Common- 

 wealth, to take immediately into consideration tlie expediency 

 of holding agricultural exliibitions, and to make known at an 

 early day the result of their deliberations. 



Inquiry was made wliether there was a State agricultural 



society, and sundry parties replied that such a society did exist. 



Mr. Copeland, of Lexington, complained that nothing had 

 yet been said in favor of establishing a new society. And no 

 one had stated, in describing the advantages held out by the 

 old society, that these advantages were such as the farmcj-s in 

 the State demanded. 



He thought that, as compared with the associations of other 

 countries, tlie labors of the agricultural societies were as nothing. 

 Tiiey hav3 never had, in tha first place, a sufficient support 



