Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-04-22

IT'S ORIGIN AND GROWTH


As the time draws near for the holding
of the sl7.th annual meeting of the New
England Agricultural Society, it may be
well to look back upon the history of the
organization, and glance for a moment at
its origin, its growth, and its present po-
sition.
Tho New England Agricultural So
ciety grew lcgitimately out of the neces-
stiles and wants Of the farmers OF New
England The Massachusetts, Board of
Agriculture was accomplishing for Mas
sachusotts that which no system of organ.
lied effort had ever before accomplished
for the agricultural interests of the State.
Massachusetts, looking upon agriculture
as the basis of State and National pros
perity, IN he's organization of a Board of
Agriculture, sought TO bring together the
wise~t and most able of her citizens, at
stated intervals, 10 consider and discuss
the wants. the necessities, and the inter
osts Of those of her sons who earned their
bread by the Gw"at of their broWs, and
gave character and prominence to the first
occupation i'll which mankind engaged,
and the occupation out of which all
others grew, and upon which all others
depended.
One far seeing man, stimulated by the
same noble motive which inaugurated and
brought into cxistincc the Massachusetts,
Board Of Agriculture, conceived the idea
of giving to the New England States an
organization similar in its character to
that Of the State Board, but broader in it,
influence, and more efficient, if possible,
in Its organization.
Thus the New England Society, appar-
emily growing ont of the State Board,
actually originated with one OF its mem
bers; by his energy was inaugurated by
his enterprise and Intelligence has been
pushed forward and 10y his self sacrifice
has been placed in the foreground Of all
organized agricultural associations to
be quoted as authority 10 bo hooked up
to as loader, aud to bc en- ulated as IA
success. The readers of this article need
not 10 b. reminded that To George b. .
Loring are the New England States and
the nation indebted for the origin, growth .
and sue 'css of the New England Board
IF Aaricu>ture.
When the young society was born at
Worcester, il was the object of some
jealousy and no iuronSidcrablc amount of
criticism. Some narrow minded men saw
in its origin aud inception a rival to the
State Board OF Agriculture others
it would clash with the several
Stete Agricultural Societies, and instead
Of Intusing new agricultural life into
the great interests of agriculture would
awaken jealousios and suspicious which
would engender disturbance and disor-
But what has been the hist
cry la its organization calling to its
board of officers the most influential, the
most learned. and the most judicous men
in the New Engla States, it has every
where throughout New England
lllayed jealously, fostered new enterprise,
md awakened a new interest in the great
art which its founders sought to promote.
With an influence limited only by the
towering prescience Of Agassiz and An
lrcw, aud the leading minds of New
England and the Union, it gathered at
Springfield at its first annual fair, the
largest and best collection of domestic
and the largest and noblest BODY
IF men ever assembled on New England
soil.
Our county; fairs which had been lam
gushing and which it had been feared
would die for want of support, were slim
Hated with new life and new activity. /
food men who had supposed that County
Fairs had done their work and who had
'etired from the field looking for some
hing else to supplant the County Agri-
cultural organizations, came back to the
work with fresher life and energy than
,ver before. The discussions at Spring
ield, and the addresses of Louis Agassiz
md John A Andrews, had given a new
ace to the great interests of Agricultural
Exhibitions; and not only were all the
County Societies rejuvenated, but town
began to spring up all over
he Commonwealth; and the new life
pread far and wide, invigorating old and
'oung, and giving freshnesi to subject
heretofore looked upon as stale and worn.
From Massachusetts, the New England
society went into New Hampshire. not
o create jealousy in the State organiza-
ion, but to aid the New Hampshire State
Agricultural Society in the great work of
disseminating information upon the Sci
nee of Agriculture. The leading men
# New Hampshire welcomed the New
England Society to the Granite State,
nd co-operated in the great work of hold
ng an exhibition. By means Of this CO.
peration, another great success attend
d the labors Of the New England Socie-
y; and as in Massachusetts,, 20 in New
were the county and town :
gricultural societies stimulated and