18 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE [Pub. Doc. 



Electricity in the form of the telephone and as a motive 

 power in travelling and moving freight is fast connecting the 

 rural towns with the large centres of business. And ^o the 

 march of progress moves on. What the future will develop 

 it would be simply rashness to predict. The bicycle has 

 come to stay, and the athletic sports, such as base ball, foot 

 ball, tennis and golf, will be admired and patronized so long 

 as our great institutions of learning foster and encourage 

 them. 



I trust that at your next annual winter meeting held in 

 this county the one to whom is assigned the pleasant duty of 

 giving you a welcome will be able to show far great.n" 

 advancement in all that pertains to the progress of our 

 people. 



Gentlemen of the Board and friends, I have detained you 

 perhaps too long, yet I must trespass upon your time to the 

 extent of recording the high position which Franklin County 

 has taken through its representative men in the organization 

 and maintenance of the State Board of Agriculture of ]Massa- 

 chusetts. As early as the year 1850 Hon. Amasa Walker, 

 secretary of the Commonwealth, suggested in his report that 

 a Board of Agriculture may be established by the authority 

 of the State, corresponding in its general features to the 

 Board of Education. In the year 1851 "The Volmitary 

 Massachusetts Board of Agriculture " organized wdth Hon . 

 Henry W. Cushman of Bernardston as first vice-president; 

 and at a subsequent meeting of this volunteer board, held 

 Jan. 14, 1852, the following was unanimously passed: — 



Resolved, That, inasmucli as agriculture is the chief occupation 

 of her citizens, the Commonwealth, in the organization of its 

 goverumeut, should l)e provided with a department of agriculture, 

 with otlices commensurate with the importance of the duties to be 

 discharged, of the abilities to be required, and of the labors to be 

 performed. 



The Legislature of that year almost unanimously passed 

 a law creating the State Board of Agriculture, and it was 

 signed by His Excellency Gov. Geo. S. Boutwell, who still 

 lives to see the results of that wise legislation. The Hon. 

 Henry W. Cushman did much to bring about the desired 



