DR. TODD ON FARMING. 191 



region, at some more genial season, that whatever may be the 

 grandeur and beauty of the Berkshire hills, whatever may be 

 the fertility and verdure of her vales, whatever may be the ex- 

 cellence and purity of her stock, whatever her agricultural pro- 

 ducts may have been, we have had the evidence that her best 

 crop is her worthy men, who have honored these meetings with 

 their presence. It has given me great pleasure to see present 

 on this occasion our venerable friend. Dr. Todd, whose peculiar 

 province is the care and cultivation of the soul, but who has man- 

 ifested during our meetings in this hall so lively an interest in 

 the cultivation of the soil, that I desire to ask him if he will 

 favor us with an address. 



Rev. Dr. Todd. We Berkshire people live so far one side of 

 Massachusetts, that we do not often have the honor of a visit 

 from the people of the eastern or middle part of the State. If 

 the good old mother builds a hospital, or an insane asylum, or 

 a college, or any State institution, she stops before she gets here ; 

 and when the folks come up from New York to see our hills and 

 breathe this air, and find that this is Massachusetts, they some- 

 times look around and wonder where the institutions of Massa- 

 chusetts are ! The time may come when our good mother will 

 feel that it may be best to plant something here, and when it 

 does, we promise to take good care of the child t/iat she sends 

 here. 



I claim to be a farmer myself, because, by the kindness of my 

 friend, Mr. Plunkett, I once bought a farm for $1,550, and it 

 will give you an exalted idea of the powers of that man to know 

 that he actually got the pay for it ! I ran that farm until I 

 found my salary would not support it, making all manner of 

 experiments, to my own satisfaction ; and when I sold the farm 

 I took ample revenge, for I have been eating it up ever since. 



J desire, in behalf of the Pittsfield people and the Berkshire 

 people, to thank the Board for coming here. I am glad that 

 they have come and have had a good meeting, and are satisfied. 

 If they are satisfied with Pittsfield, I have only to say that Pitts- 

 field is perfectly delighted with the Board. We shall remember 

 this meeting, and hope the time is not far distant when it will 

 be repeated. 



Dr. LoRiNG. The endeavors that have been made at this 

 meeting to report the proceedings in the public press have been 



