32 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



and may our lectures and discussions promote and improve 

 the agriculture of the Commonwealth. 



I have thus endeavored, gentlemen, to speak to you, let 

 me hope not entirely inconsistent with the time and the 

 spirit of the occasion, and for the honor of your presence 

 we thank you. 



The Chairman. 1 lind by the programme that Mr. Ells- 

 worth of the Worcester Agricultural Society will respond 

 to this address of welcome. He is known to you, and I 

 need not introduce him. 



Mr. Ellsworth. On behalf of the State Board of Agri- 

 culture and also the Worcester Societ}^ from which society 

 I am a member of the Board of Agriculture, I wish to thank 

 the president for his very kind words of welcome, and I 

 wish to assure him that they are appreciated by the mem- 

 bers of this Board. 



I am aware of the fact that these addresses have taken 

 considerable time. I have been very much interested, and 

 I know of no speech that can better afford to be curtailed 

 than mine. I had thought of a few things that I would 

 mention, some of them in relation to the Board of Agricult- 

 ure, but they have been well referred to by the president 

 of the day and by other speakers. 



There is one thing that comes to my mind at your meet- 

 ing to-day, and that is the gradual and the quite wonderful 

 change that takes place from time to time. As we look 

 back we can see the changes, and some of us are not so 

 very old, for all that. Changes here in Worcester have 

 been gradually taking place from year to year. It is but a 

 few years ago that land now occupied by city residences 

 was used for raising crops for the markets of Worcester 

 and elsewhere. I can well remember where cows were 

 pastured and corn and potatoes grown, and now there are 

 beautiful residences built on these places. We can see 

 changes in the farming in Worcester. But a short time ago 

 stock was raised, butter and cheese made, and beef and pork 

 were raised for the market. Now the land is taken up with 

 milk farms. Where the milk farms were formerly located, 

 the places are occupied by farmers who raise early vegeta- 

 bles and fruit for the market. And I might continue to 

 speak in this way. 



