342 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



earnestness and energy in their establishment. If it be true — 

 and of this it is too late to doubt — that " where there is a will 

 there is a way," the first great object in starting this enterprise 

 is to secure the hearty good will, the intelligent and the 

 united will, of the farming community in its favor. This, we 

 are persuaded, is vital to its success. With this view, meetings 

 might be held in the winter months in the different counties, 

 the question fully discussed and a vote taken upon it. A series 

 of such meetings might be held in different parts of the same 

 counties, until the subject was brought before its whole agricul- 

 tural population and their minds were known, with some degree 

 of certainty, upon it. And in addition to this, circulars might 

 be issued by the State Society, to be distributed through the 

 county societies, setting forth the advantages of these fairs, and 

 requesting the opinions of those to whom they were addressed, 

 as to the practicability of establishing such fairs in their several 

 neighborhoods, and the times and places at which they could 

 best be held, also desiring each person to say what part, if any, 

 he would take in giving them his support by his attendance and 

 otherwise. When all this had been done, we should be in a 

 position to judge whether it were advisable to proceed in 

 establishing the fairs, or not. If the whole popular current 

 was decidedly against it, or such a degree of apathy and indif- 

 ference was manifested in respect to it as to make its success 

 highly doubtful, then we should say that it was best to wait for 

 " the good time coming," rather than to attempt to force its 

 advent. But if the public sentiment, as thus ascertained, were 

 favorable to the undertaking, especially if a certain enthusiasm 

 were excited in the subject, start it then, by all means, and the 

 sooner the better. There need be but little formality about it. 

 Let individuals in the several neighborhoods near the fair, 

 associate themselves together by agreeing to attend, either to 

 buy or sell, one taking this and another that article, and all 

 determining to lend his aid and encouragement to it. One 

 enthusiastic person in a neighborhood, — an energetic, persistent 

 man, not easily deterred by trifles, one that sees few or no 

 obstacles in the way when a good enterprise is started ; or, 

 seeing them, summons fresh pluck to surmount them, — will 

 certainly succeed in enlisting the hearty good-will and co-opera- 

 tion of nearly all with whom he comes in contact. With book 



