138 



George A. Rogers, of North Andover. It is simple and 

 complete, and costs only fifty cents, and we recommend 

 it to the farmers of our society. 



Just previous to making this report the writer was 

 grieved to learn of the sudden death of Hon. Nathaniel 

 A. Horton, of Salem, a member of this committee, who 

 was prevented from participating in the present proceed- 

 ings by his last illness. Mr. Horton was for many years 

 a member of our society, and took a lively interest in its 

 aiYairs and frequently served upon its committees. He was 

 well and favorably known throughout the county, and it 

 was his pleasure always to promote our farming interests, 

 through the columns of the Salem Gazette, of which he was 

 the senior editor. While it is not the place in this report 

 to make an extended notice of Mr. Horton's character and 

 services, it is doubtless proper, and is, perhaps, a duty, of 

 the committee, to take this brief notice of the recent de- 

 cease of an esteemed associate. 

 For the committee, 



G, L. Streeter, Chairman. 



COMMITTEE— Gilbert L. Streeter, Salem; D. E. Safford, 

 Salem: N. A. Horton, Salem; John M. Danforth, Lynn- 

 field Centre ; N. M. Hawkes, Lynn. 



IS IT NECESSARILY HARD TIMES FOR GOOD 

 FARMERS ? 



BY GEORGE A. ROGERS OF NORTH ANDOVER. 



Hardly a day passes but we read or hear about hard 

 times. There are those who claim to believe that the far- 

 mers are a much abused class, that all the rest of the 

 world have conspired together to rob them of their hard 

 earned dollars. That the banks, the railroads, the manu- 



