ADDRESS 



THE OPPORTUNITIES OF TEE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Friends and Fellow Members of the Eousatonic Agricultural Society: 

 — I congratulate you upon an reassembling on this twenty-eighth anniver- 

 sary of this flourishing association, under such auspicious aspects. The 

 heavens smile upon us as they generally do upon the efforts of the farmers 

 of Southern Berkshire and we need not anticipate their frowns so long as 

 we continue the proud work of striving to elevate our calling by the best 

 means within our reach. I rejoice with you upon the fine weather, the 

 great display of cattle, of horticultural specimens from your gardens 

 and fields, of the handiwork of our female associates exhibited in this hail, 

 and last, but not least, on the brave show of men, women and youths here 

 assembled to grace the occasion. 



All nations, ancient and modern, have in some form attested their vene- 

 ration for agriculture, either by ceremonies at the beginning of the year, 

 or by festivals at its close ; but it has been reserved for the Yankee mind 

 to invent and perpetuate a system by which the advantages of common fairs, 

 town meetings on agricultural subjects, and agricultural sermons arc 

 combined. 



In August, 1810, Elkanah II. Watson, then an amateur fanner in 

 Pittsfield, with twenty-six others, prepared and presented an appeal for an 

 exhibition in the square in the village of Pittsfield, on the first of October 

 ensuing, from nine to three o'clock, at which time the first Berkshire cattle 

 show was exhibited with considerable eclat, though the farmers in the 

 vicinity held back many of their animals for fear of being laughed at, 

 " which," says Mr. Watson, " compelled me to lead the way with several 

 prime animals," and as he had previously purchased some blooded pigs from 

 Dutchess county, and Durham, or, as they were then called, English Bulls 



