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in the world ; but it is not fitted to our own circumstances. What, 

 shall we do? We should collect facts and apply them to our own situ 

 How is this to be done 1 Have we means to accomplish this ? I thir 

 history of our Agricultural Societies shows that we have not hac 

 means adequate to this purpose. I think there has been more said 

 done by our Agricultural Societies. 



I remember to have attended the first Agricultural Society that I bi 

 ever met in this Commonwealth. It was in Berkshire County; and, i 

 recollections are correct, there were many things as far advanced a 

 time as they are at present. I saw as good an exhibition of cattle 

 with a few exceptions, consisting of the English breeds introduced b 

 State Society, as I have seen since. After all the parade of Agricu 

 Societies, why is it that we still remain stationary ? 



I would allude to the remarks made by the President, in the other i 

 this forenoon. It does appear from those statistics that we have nol 

 gressed. We have had a great deal of talk. We have not made adva 

 And why is this ? Every thing that we have done is loose. We me 

 gether and talk about crops and cattle, and there is nothing specified 

 there is an application made for a premium, the details of the improve 

 are not so specific, so determined, that we can apply them in other c 

 Nobody can apply them better, even after the explanation is give 

 which the large crops have been raised. We cannot apply them any 

 accurately to practice than before the experiments were made. The re 

 is, we do not make our experiments specific enough. We do not deter 

 exactly the process by which .they are done. We want that know] 

 that can be obtained by experience. Speculations are worth nothing, 

 want something that will put the thing to the test. The remarks upoi 

 right and left have been the cause of my rising. 



It occurs to me that the cause of our failure, after so much battling 

 that we have not reduced things to practice by actual experiment, 

 crop is to be raised, and the result a certain amount is produced wi 

 much manure and so many days' work, we find perhaps that another 

 of equal value and equal quantity may be produced on a different kir 

 land ; and you have nothing to show which is the best way. It seer 

 me that this is the thing we want. This jistitution, which it is prop 

 to establish, will be the instrument to produce this. You must mak< 

 periments, exhibit them, and show^ what results can be produced in 

 way and what in that way. If we can furnish information from o 

 countries, modify it so as to make it applicable to our own situation, s 

 wherein it is not applicable, and gain what we can from it, we sha! 

 much by the establishment of this institution towards the result whicl 

 desire. 



