No. 4.] ADDRESS OF H. S. STOCKWELL. 25 



Society, by Preisdent Wm. J. Hogg. This morning a 

 letter has been received from the president of this society, 

 saying that he will not be able to be here, because of a busi- 

 ness call that takes him out of the city, and he has dele- 

 ofated Hon. H. S. Stockwell to give this address of welcome 

 in his place. 



Mr. Stockwell. In behalf of the Worcester Agricultural 

 Society I tender to you our most hearty and sincere wel- 

 come. We welcome you to this city, to the heart of the 

 Commonwealth, and to this agricultural society that has ex- 

 isted over eighty years, — nearly the whole of the nineteenth 

 century. This has been a society for the promotion of agri- 

 culture. In looking over its history, we feel that there is 

 no society in the Commonwealth that has done more for 

 agriculture than the old Worcester Agricultural Society. 

 It was organized in 1818. Its first president was Hon. Levi 

 Lincoln ; its first secretary was Mr. Wheeler ; the present 

 secretary is a descendant of our first secretary. It held its 

 first agricultural fair on the grounds opposite where we are 

 now located. It has been successful in all its undertakings, 

 always paying all its bills, and has at the present time prop- 

 erty valued at over $100,000. We have been fitting up 

 grounds purchased some two or three years ago at an ex- 

 pense of some $70,000, and we have $50,000 at interest. 

 We feel that this society has done a great deal for Worces- 

 ter County in its agricultural interests. We feel, too, 

 that this society is identified with the State Board of Agri- 

 culture. We have selected some of our best members to 

 represent us upon the State Board ; the State Board in re- 

 turn has come to this society for three of its secretaries, — 

 Mr. Flint of Grafton, Mr. Russell of Leicester and Mr. 

 Stockwell of Sutton. You can naturally see the fraternity 

 that exists between this society and the members of the 

 State Board, and we feel that it is fitting and proper that 

 you should be with us at this time, upon the eve of the 

 twentieth century, to look over the past with this old so- 

 ciety that has lived almost through this century. 



In speaking of Worcester County and its agricultural in- 

 terests, I think the old Worcester Society has done more to 

 inspire this county in its efforts for agriculture and has done 



