42 



Col. Wilder said :— 



3fr. President, — I thank 3'ou for bringing my name to notice, 

 and 3'ou my friends for tlie very cordial manner in wliich 3'ou have 

 received its announcement. But I suppose all you wish of the 

 young man is simply to see him once more, or to hear his voice if 

 it be but for a moment. (Applause.) No one, I can assure 3'ou, 

 Mr. President, rejoices more than I do in this glorious exhibition of 

 your Society. But, sir, I believe the audience will give me credit 

 of having had some experience in this way, and I stand here to- 

 day to say that I have never seen a better exhibition of the old 

 Norfolk Agricultural Society than has graced its festival to-day. 

 It does ni}' soul good, sir ; I ft el that I live anew. I recount the 

 days past when we assembled together on some of those very re- 

 markable occasions, but I assure 3'OU of these days that none ever 

 surpassed this, if we may except its first exhibition, which was 

 crowned with an amount of distinguished talent that has scarcel3' ever 

 been seen at an3' simihir assemblage. But in every other respect — 

 and I pa3' most cordial liomage to the gentlemen I see around me, 

 and I would not bring them in invidious comparison with the splen- 

 did galax3- of that da3'- — in most every other respect this exhibition 

 closes the most prosperous year that the Societ3' has ever had. I 

 rejoice in it, sir ; for ever3' institution of age has its da3'- of 

 decadence — has its ups and downs. Now, sir, to-day the old Nor- 

 folk Society takes lier stand in the front rank, and there may she 

 stand forever ! I am extremel3' obliged to this old Norfolk County 

 boy for his excellent effort. He has given 3'ou an epitome of what 

 we have gone through for the advancement of agriculture. 



In those earlier days when a man brought up in his remarks the 

 word science, all the papers would be down on him. Now we 

 have our Agricultural College which teaches science as applied to 

 farming, and we have its President here to-day who knows how to 

 teach it. (Applause.) Now brighter days have fallen upon us, as 

 has been illustrated b3' the orator to-day. 



In looking over the exhibition to-day, and the splendid horses 

 raised l\y our worth3' President, all honor to him (applause) — 

 why, look back and compare them with the horses in the da3-s 

 gone by that were but mere shadows ; would that the3- 

 might always remain so. (Laughter.) And this remarkable pro- 

 gress in the breeds of stock ; look at your more than fifty Jerse3'' 

 animals — some that would grace any exhibition. I can remember 

 the da3' when there was not a Jersey animal in the County of Nor- 

 folk. Now what is this but progress and improvement? M3- 

 friend has alluded to the cultivation of fruits and flowers. I agree 

 with all he sa3^s about flowers ; but let me go back to m3' depart- 

 ment of fruit. When I was young we did not know even the 

 names of the fruits we raised. The apples of a particular tree 

 were often distinguished only b3' naming them after some object 

 near which the tree stood. They were known as the "hog pens," 

 or by some other equall3' outlandish appellation. But in the ad- 



