26 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



more to help it — and we stand in the foremost rank of 

 any county in the United States in our agricultural prod- 

 ucts — than anything else. I think you may go where you 

 will in the United States and you will not find a county that 

 has such beautiful scenery, such magnificent farms so well 

 tilled and cared for, and such a contented people as you find 

 here in the heart of the Commonwealth. 



Gentlemen, we are happy to welcome you here on this 

 occasion. We hope that your stay with us will be most 

 pleasant and profitable. 



The Chairman. I have been informed, since I called on 

 Mr. Stockwell, that he is the new president of the Worcester 

 Agricultural Society. Since the programme was printed, 

 he has been elected. We will listen to a response to the 

 welcome of the Worcester Society, by Mr. Augustus Pratt, 

 second vice-president of the Board. 



Mr. Pratt. It has been my pleasure many times during 

 my life to attend the agricultural fairs of the Worcester 

 Agricultural Society. On all these visits I have received 

 the same hearty welcome which has been extended to the 

 Board of Agriculture to-day. Certainly the Worcester 

 Agricultural Society is entitled to all the honor and credit 

 that has been given it this morning. It was one of the 

 earliest societies to receive the act of incorporation. I be- 

 lieve there are but three before it, — the old Massachusetts 

 Society for the Promotion of Agriculture was incorporated 

 in 1792, the Berkshire Agricultural Society was incorpo- 

 rated in 1811 and the Hampshire in 1814. These are the 

 only three that started earlier than your society, Mr. Pres- 

 ident ; and during these eighty-two years which this society 

 has existed, I believe it has accomplished much good for the 

 agriculture of Worcester County and other sections of the 

 State. This society has reason to be proud of its record. 

 It has truly been a successful society. 



There was wisdom displayed by those men in early days 

 in selecting the grounds for the fair. These grounds ad- 

 vanced ra{)idly in value, and have continued to increase in 

 value each year until the day of the sale. If I rememljer 

 correctly, your president, Mr. Ellsworth, ten years ago, in 

 1890, in addressing the State Board at their gathering here, 



