58 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



trifling to kindle enthusiasm by mutual admiration and congrat- 

 ulation, but few things pay better in the long run, if only our 

 praise be honest and well earned. 



We pass now to the methods of maintaining the agricultural 

 fair whose value we have vindicated. A first condition of suc- 

 cess is intelligent, enthusiastic, self-denying officers. Some 

 farming communities come under the condemnation, " from him 

 that hath not shall be taken away that which he hath." There 

 is not sufficient percussion and tinder in them to build a fire 

 with ; there are not those who have the energy, the knowledge, 

 and the good will requisite to organize and maintain a vigorous 

 society. The first recipe, therefore, for success in the fair is, 

 have some good, disinterested men among you ; and if you have 

 not such, pray for them and try to make them. There is no 

 seed more prolific than generous, liberal thought, ready for work 

 and sagacious in it. Let us congratulate ourselves that we have 

 men, like our late president, who had gathered the knowledge 

 of long experience with a diligent and liberal hand, and who 

 not only sits under his own vine, but has given many of the rest 

 of us vines to sit under, and fruit to feast on there. 



A second necessity in the management of a fair is, that the 

 end of instruction and justice should be kept continually before 

 its committees, and they should never be content with simply 

 striving to please the largest numbers, to divide the spoils sat- 

 isfactorily. Let there be justice though the heavens fall, is a 

 good proverb. I have observed, however, that the heavens seem 

 to stand remarkably firm after every stroke of right doing. It 

 would signally strengthen this integrity and good judgment of 

 our committees, if they were required to give, in a few lines, 

 the reason on which all important awards were based. One 

 cannot give a reason till he has one — nor is he quite inclined to 

 give it, till he thinks that he has a good one. These reasons 

 appearing in the annual report, would be freely canvassed, and 

 all would be instructed, both as to what is regarded as best, and 

 why it is so regarded. Our reports would thus be made manuals 

 of farmers principles and precepts. The class of persons who 

 are alienated by unsound and unjust awards, are those a society 

 can least aiford to lose, on their own account and on account of 

 their influence over others. It should then, be the first aim of 

 a society to justify its premiums to the best judgment of the 



