The History of the Essex Agricultural Society 



The earliest Societies for the Advancement of Agri- 

 culture in America were established in 1785 in South 

 Carolina and in Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia So- 

 ciety was organized in March of that year, became in- 

 active after a few vigorous years, but was revived and 

 incorporated in 1809. 



The Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of Agri- 

 culture was incorporated in 1792, the first of its kind 

 in the Commonwealth and in America. Having raised a 

 fund by annual assessments and by subscription amount- 

 ing to $4,000, it proceeded to import valuable animals to 

 improve the domestic stock, to study the improvement 

 of agricultural implements, and, in 1797, to establish 

 the Agricultural Journal, which was continued more than 

 thirty years. It promoted the establishment of County 

 Societies, contributed to the founding of a Professorship 

 of Natural History and the institution of the Botanical 

 Garden at Harvard College, and erected a hall in Brigh- 

 ton for the exhibition of domestic manufactures and 

 agricultural products. In the year 1818 it began a series 

 of addresses by eminent men. 



The first County Society to be organized was the 

 Western Society of Middlesex Husbandmen. It was in- 

 corporated February 28, 1803. Its name was changed 

 to the Society of Middlesex Husbandmen and Manufac- 

 turers January 24, 1830. The Berkshire Agricultural 

 Society was incorporated February 19, 1818; the Wor- 

 cester Agricultural Society, February 23, 1818. 



The men of Essex were already moving. An adver- 

 tisement appeared in the Salem Gazette on February 6, 

 1818: 



The Farmers and others in the County of Essex, who 

 are desirous of promoting the Agricultural interests, are 



