REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. 137 



cultural societies, to swell alone the volume of their life cur- 

 rent, gladdening their spirits, giving solidity and rotundity to 

 their forms, and making them noticeable among their fellow 

 men for their readiness and ability to labor. 



In journeying in various directions, the observer can easily 

 point out the homesteads of those whose names are unrecorded 

 in the books of agricultural societies ; and with equal certainty 

 the homes of such as are but partially interested in the welfare 

 of such societies, and quite indifferent to their own. These are 

 generally worthy men, sons of sires who worked with a will in 

 the days when a good portion of the value of their surplus 

 product was expended in transporting it to market. They do 

 not yet believe in the expediency of organized effort ; or they 

 fear that if they join an agricultural society, it will sometime 

 become a failure ; or they hope that the society may not be 

 able to do without their personal aid, and wait, expecting its 

 officers to come to them and ask them in. These notions ought 

 to be abandoned. The societies will live without their assist- 

 ance, but would be greatly benefited if these considerate men 

 would come forward and add their influence to the aggregated 

 power of the organizations, while there is room to receive 

 them. If, during the winter months, the officers of the Hamp- 

 shire Society were disposed to meet weekly in every neighbor- 

 hood within their precincts, to discuss practical agriculture, they 

 would, I doubt not, realize all the success and cordial co-opera- 

 tion which their distinguished knowledge and experience would 

 entitle them to expect. 



George M. Atwater. 



HAMPDEN EAST. 



The Eastern Hampden Agricultural Society held its annual 

 exhibition at Palmer, on the 5th and 6th of October last, under 

 circumstances the most favorable. The weather proved auspi- 

 cious and the attendance very large upon each day. It was 

 evident from the great gathering of people of all ages and 

 sexes, that they had been looking forward to the occasion as a 

 jubilee or holiday where families from the remotest parts of the 



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