33 



associated with liini Dr. Gilbert, a niau of great scientific at- 

 tainment and of nnbonnded perseverance, and they have done 

 a trnly noble work for agriculture, and ha-se built a monument 

 for themselves more durable than brass. 



Now it is just such experiments, careful, accurate, question- 

 iiig nature to ascertain her laws, that every society should en- 

 courage. Every effort of the kind ought to be imderstood and 

 appreciated as it deserves, and any man who is willing to 

 spend the time and apply the laljor to conduct such experi- 

 ments, deserves well of the community and of the whole body 

 of intelligent and progressive farmers everywhere. 



Well, now, I merely throw out these suggestions as hints 

 that may l:)e worth considering, and to show that there may be 

 other wavs than those ii'enerallv adonted, of creatinir an inter- 

 est in our shows. Every society that is alive to its own inter- 

 ests, and to the interests of the conimunity, Avill study new 

 methods of doing c-ood, and guard against falling into a dull 

 routine and into the ruts of custom. 



Let me, in conclusion, urge you to renewed effort, taking 

 the grand success of your Fair to-day as a starting point, and 

 entering upon a new era of usefulness and labor, so that here- 

 after, if there should ])e any cavil in the Legislature or in the 

 conimunity, about the good of tlie societies, you can point 

 proudly to your record, till no one shall care to go beyond the 

 year 1870, to establish your claims to the bounty of the Com- 

 monwealth. 



