Address. 9 



The first effort to carry these ideas into practical operation was not 

 made till 1850, when Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, then president of the Nor- 

 folk Agricultural Society and also president of the Massachusetts Senate 

 introduced a bill, which passed the Senate, but failed in the House of Rep- 

 resentatives, authorizing- the Governor to appoint a board of ten commis- 

 sioners who should have power to establish an agricultural school or college, 

 and who should consider the expediency of the formation of a board of 

 agriculture as a department of the state government. The result was that 

 a commissioner was authorized, and Dr. Edward Hitchcock was appointed 

 to visit and report upon the agricultural institutions of Europe. This re- 

 port was made to the Legislature of 1851, and contained a detailed account 

 of more than 350 schools. 



One recommendation of the commissioners, based upon this report, was 

 that the Legislature establish a central agricultural college, with a model 

 and experimental farm Another recommendation was that a state board 

 of agriculture be created with a permanent secretary and office at the 

 State House for the collection of agricultural statistics and information, 

 and the advancement of the farming interests of the Commonwealth. 



The operations of the Board of Agriculture, as recorded in its annual 

 reports, are too familiar to need rehearsal. It has most nobly done the 

 work for which it was created, and, by its constant advocacy of agricultural 

 education, prepared the way for the success of the Massachusetts Agricul- 

 tural College, which was finally incorporated in 1863. 



It has been customary iu years past, for most of the societies to have 

 an annual address, which has usually been printed. These addresses have 

 generally been delivered by distinguished clergymen, lawyers, physicians, 

 professors or editors, and the prominent theme has been education — brains 

 — science fur farmers. Wise and eloquent as these orations have been, it is 

 to be hoped there will, at no distant day, be educated farmers who can 

 speak for their own profession with even greater effect. It should then, 

 however, be gratefully remembered that up to the present time almost 

 every successful attempt at improvement in the agriculture of Massachu- 

 setts has been originated and prosecuted by educated men who did not be- 

 long to the class properly called farmers. 



When, in 1862, the national government granted 360,000 acres of land 

 to Massachusetts for the establishment of one or more colleges for the 

 education of the industrial classes, the advocates of agricultural education 

 perceived that the long-looked-for clay had dawned — that their often de- 

 ferred hopes w r ere about to be realized. It was conceded at once by all, 

 that provision should now be made fur the special instruction of farmers. 



