12 



ed, if for no other reason, that they may take this one topic into consi 

 eration. It has been a great pleasure to me, out of my own County 

 attend the agricultural exhibitions in other parts of the Commonwealth 

 should be very glad, on one occasion in a single year, to see all the A 

 cultural Societies together, in order that I might institute a comparison 

 tween one and the other ; in order that I might institute a comparison 

 tween all the others and that of my own County ; that we might take r 

 in that in which we excel, and that we might improve in those thoui 

 things in which others excel us. But now each Society goes on in its 

 way ; each Society has its own meeting when it chooses ; and it has 1 

 pened before, that meetings have sometimes been held on the same day 

 in adjoining Counties, on successive days, so that one cannot attend b 

 It is supposed that this central association, formed of delegates from < 

 of the Societies, would come together at stated periods, and have meet 

 other than stated ones whenever occasion may require ; that facts of ir 

 est may be laid before them ; that the light of minds from all parts of 

 Commonwealth may be brought to bear ; that they may devise rules w 

 may be presented to the several Societies throughout the Commonwea 

 and that we might, by concerted action, accomplish that, which, by ac 

 separately, it has been heretofore impossible to produce, and probably t< 

 time, in the past desultory mode of action, would be impossible to prodi 

 As I said in the outset, I rose merely because I desired that this nu 

 shoul^ be explained by somebody, and should not be permitted to pas 

 silence. I have said that I supposed this would commend itself to 

 judgment of each person, when he considered it. 1 may be mistaken. 

 I hope that this, as well as all the other resolutions, will receive not only 

 silent vote, one way or the other, of the gentlemen, but that we shall } 

 the spoken word, in order that we may know what members think of 

 these matters from every part of the Commonwealth. 



SPEECH OF JOHN W. PROCTOR, ESQ., PRESIDENT OF THE ESi 

 COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



MR. PRESIDENT 



I am exceedingly glad to hear from my friend, the President of the E 

 tol Society, the exposition of his views in relation to this matter. I h 

 had some little experience in connection with one of the Societies in 

 Commonwealth in the County of Essex, and fully accord with most of 

 views that have been suggested, and believe that there is room, by d 

 gates coming together from the different Societies, of very much impro 

 their mode of administering the affairs of the Societies. I think, sir, th 

 Societies owe to the Commonwealth something of this kind. They have i 

 been established, many of them, about thirty years. The Commonwe 

 has appropriated $5,000 to $7,000 annually, for the support of these 

 cieties, Generally, if I understand it, sir, they are in a good degre 



