378 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The first committee on these public winter or country 

 meetings was constituted by the appointment of Messrs. 

 John Brooks, George B. Loring, Marshall P. Wilder and 

 Secretary Flint. At a meeting of the Board on February 

 26 this committee was instructed to propose sulvjects for 

 essays at that meeting, and secure competent persons to 

 deliver these essays, which were to be the property of the 

 Board, and to give due notice of the programme of the 

 meeting in the newspapers of the Commonwealth.^ 



The first of these meetings, which have continued an 

 annual featm^e, was held at City Hall, Springfield, Dec. 8-11, 

 1863. The subject of agricultural education was discussed, 

 the chief speakers being Prof. S. W. Johnson and Dr. 

 George B. Loring; there was a discussion on "Soils and 

 Agricultural Resources of Massachusetts ;" Professor Johnson 

 lectured on "The Application of Manures;" Secretary 

 Goodale of the Maine State Board of Agriculture read a 

 paper on "Dairying;" Secretary Flint read a paper on 

 "Milk and Butter Making;" "Grape Cuhure" was dis- 

 cussed by E. W. Bull; "Farm Crops" were discussed; 

 Professor Agassiz lectured on the work performed by gla- 

 ciers in preparing the soil of temperate regions for cultiva- 

 tion ; he also discussed "Cattle Breeding;" and "Sheep 

 Husbandry " was discussed by Dr. Loring and others. 



AGRICUIiTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES, FaRMERS' 



Clubs, etc. 

 The Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, in "An Historical Ad- 

 dress," delivered before the Massachusetts Agricultural Col- 

 lege on the occasion of graduating its first class, July 19., 

 1871, said: — 



The parent societies of agriculture and horticulture, to 

 which Ave have already alluded, still live in a green old age, 

 and are at work with us in the promotion of our good cause. 

 These institutions were founded by men of liberal education, 

 men who knew how to appreciate its advantages in the various 



1 Summer or field meetings were instituted by a resolve of Feb. 3, 1868. The 

 first of these meetings was held at the Massachusetts Agricultural College, 

 Amherst, Aug. 4, 1869. 



