26 



REMARKS OF HON. MARSHALL P. WILDER. 



Mr. Wilder, in response to the call of the President, 

 said that it was many years since he had the pleasure 

 of visiting the Essex Society, but was most happy to be 

 here again to meet old friends, and to participate in the 

 privileges of the occasion. He recognized Gen. Sutton, 

 the President, as a gentleman whose heart and purse 

 were open to every worthy object ; also Hon. Allen W. 

 Dodge, his good Christian friend, who, from the first in- 

 ception of the project, had stood by him, manfully, in 

 all the efforts for the establishment of the State Board 

 of Agriculture, the State Agricultural College, render- 

 ing thanks to a merciful Providence that they had been 

 permitted to live to see those institutions established on 

 a firm foundation. Nor would he forget his co-laborer, 

 Major Ben. Perley Poore, with whom he had for so many 

 years been associated in official duties, as his Secretary 

 in the United States Agricultural Society, according to 

 him distinguished ability for the various positions he 

 had occupied. 



Mr. Wilder expressed the great satisfoction he had 

 experienced in the exhibition of this day. All the de- 

 partments were respectable, and several were worthy 

 of commendation, but of these he should speak in his 

 report as the delegate from the State Board. He spoke 

 of the Fruit Department, espe(dally its apples and 

 grapes, whi(;h were equal to those of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society in Boston, at their late exhibition. 

 This led the speaker to allude to the influence of Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural Societies, of which he charac- 

 terized the Essex as one of the great pioneers in the 

 way of progress. 



