SOCIETY THOUGHTS. 



AN ESSAY BY FRANCIS H. APPLETON OF PEABODY. 



In this connection the first thing to be urged upon 

 citizens of the County is to increase the membership of this 

 Society by joining it. 



Our Society has a most honorable, as well as an exceed- 

 ingly successful record, in the past and present, of which 

 all citizens must be truly proud. We ought to have repre- 

 sented in our membership, a much larger per cent, of our 

 citizens than we can boast of to-day. We have had it in 

 the past and we deserve to have the higher per cent, of the 

 recent past made applicable to-day. 



In my own town I, last autumn, mailed about 150 postal 

 cards, stating some interesting facts, and inviting citizens 

 to become members ; the result being that four new mem- 

 bers from Peabody joined our ranks in 188-i, upon such 

 invitation. 



Those who are interested enough to attend our annual 

 dinners, should all be, or be induced to become, members 

 of our Society, and the attendance there should be fully as 

 large as now. 



While my own attempt to secure new members may not 

 appear, from the number secured, encouraging, I do not 

 think it need deter anyone from making the proposed 

 attempt, and showing how much greater in numbers future 

 efforts in this direction can be made. 



We hear much said about keeping the boys on the farm, 

 and urging young men to enter public life. A good begin- 

 ning in either of these ways would be for the young men to 

 take the same active interest in the Essex Agricultural So- 

 ciety that their fathers have done. 



It has been truly said that our Annual Meeting is made 



