8 ■ BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



and expressed desire of Washington might also have been cited 

 as some reason for activity in this direction. 



It seems to me that there can be no doubt that the early 

 exhibitions of the state and county societies of Massachusetts 

 contributed largely to the improvements in our practical farm- 

 ing now everywhere apparent, and did much to awaken tho 

 spirit of inquiry and investigation, now so prevalent among the 

 farming community, and their continuance will do more than 

 any other one thing can, to secure the advancement of agricul- 

 ture among us. 



The Massachusetts Society continued its exhibitions till they 

 "were found to interfere with those of the county societies, which 

 were established in quick succession all over the State, and were 

 then abandoned, and the funds of the society devoted to the 

 importation and breeding of stock, till the different breeds were 

 pretty generally distributed over the Commonwealth. 



Meantime, all the neighboring States had fallen into the 

 practice of holding State fairs, which were known to be benefi- 

 cial in promoting the progress of agriculture in their respective 

 sections, and it was thought by a few individuals in the western 

 part of the State, that Massachusetts would derive an equal 

 amount of benefit from pursuing a similar course. A meeting 

 of citizens was accordingly called at the State House on the 5th 

 of February, 1857, for the purpose of deliberation upon the 

 expediency of establishing a new State Agricultural Society, 

 and the official report of the meeting appeared in the Boston 

 Journal, as follows : — 



The meeting was called to order by Mr. Marston, of Barnstor 

 ble, and on motion, Col. J. H. W. Page, of this city, was called 

 on to preside, and was introduced to liis seat by Hon. Marshall 

 P. Wilder. Hon. Benjamin F. Mills, of Williamstown, was 

 appointed Secretary. 



The chairman in a few words, introduced the subject of the 

 meeting generally, and called on gentlemen to offer tiicir views 

 on the establishment of an association of the description men- 

 tioned above. 



Mr. Comstock, of Springfield, at whose suggestion the meet- 

 ing was called, offered the following resolution : — 



Resolved, That a committee to consist of o)ie member from 

 each county here represented, be appointed by the Chair, to 

 consider and report on the propriety of organizing a State Agri- 



