The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-05-29
farMlers' Gngnnlll.
IS Speed the EsEOac.o
An Address to the People of Hartford
County.

The Board of Directors of the Agricultural
and Mechanical Society of Hartford county
have thought it advisable, at this time, to
make to the friends of the enterprise brief
report gifts progress and to solicit their ear
nest and united cooperation and assistance
to accomplish its early and assured success
The benefits OF such society as ours are no
longer matter of speculation-they have
been proved by the experience of hundreds of
similar societies in as many counties of the
various States of the Union. That our own
county has been for so long debarred from
those benefits is certainly to be regretted and
the object of this appeal is to secure ample
means to enable our society to enter at once
upon what is hoped will prove a long career
of usefulness.
Our present object is to obtain q paid up
subscription of stock to the amount of ten
thousand dollars, which, it is believed, will be
sufficient to buy the necessary grounds, to
fence it and erect such buildings as will enable
us to commence, in modest way, without
being encountered by debt. tits not expected
that the amount of capital named will enable
the society to accomplish its full measure of
usefulness, but it has been thought best to
begin with that moderate sum and keeping
our expenditures within our means, to leave
the further development and extension of the
society to the future discretion of its friends.
The capital stock has been divided into one
thousand shares, often dollars each, which are
to be paid in four monthly installments, the
last of which will be paid on the first of
August. Ofthese shares about seven hundred
have already been disposed of, in amounts
varying from one to ten shares to each sub
scriber. Of the first installment, which was
due on the first Of May, about eleven hundred
dollars haVe been paid in. The purpose of
the society, in dividing its capital stock into
small shares, was to distribute it as widely as
possible among the people Of the county, and
to enable those of small means, as well as
the more wealthy, to participate in its man.
agement. The number of the present stock
holders, distributed as they are in every por-
ton of the county and representing all the
various avocations of life, shows the general
interest which is felt for the success of our
society. To realize that success fully requires
only small eXertion on the part of each one
of our friends. If each of our present stock
holders will make it point to induce some
! neighbor to buy an amount of stock equal to
his own, our present limits will be at once
more than reached. There is certainly moth
ing difficult in this proposition every one
has his influence, and it cannot be doubted
but that each stakeholder can, with very little
eXertion, sell few shares of stock in his own
neighborhood. This, then, is one of the things
which we urge upon our friends to do. We
appeal to each one of our present stockhold-
ers to thus double his subscription, by dispos.
ing of an equal number of shares among his
neighbors, and as much more as possible.
The grounds selected by the board of Di-
rectors are beautifully located about three
fourths of mile from Bel Air, on the Balti-
more turnpike. The land is now in good
state of cultivation, and WILL no doubt easily
produce each year all the grass and hay which
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level that halfmile track can be made with
very little expense for grading. The price to
be paid for it is one hundred and twenty-five
dollars per acre, which is probably about what
such quality of land, located as this is, is
worth for farming purposes Contracts have
already been made for lumber TO fence it, and
the purpose of the Board of Directors is to
proceed, with as little delay as possible, to
put up the fencing and the requisite shedding
and buildings. To enable them to do this
without embarrassment it is necessary, not
only that the remainder of the stock should
be promptly taken, but also that the monthly
instalments should be punctually paid. The
amount which has been paid in on the first
instalment indicates that the present stock
holders are in earnest in what they have
undertaken and do not mean that the enter
prise shall fail. If each individual will exert
himself, to even n moderate degree, success is
nor only certain but immediate.
The agricultural interest in Hartford is
clearly paramount to all others-upon it the
other trades, professions and callings are i'm
mediately dependent. Representing, as the
Agricultural and Mechanical Society does an
interest so universal, the Board of Directors
feel that they have been selected to the posi-
ton which they hold, not for any individual
benefit to themselves, but to promote and adj
vance the public interests. The duties which
they have assumed they intend to perform
faithfully and honestly but in so doing they
feel that they have right to expect the cor
dial cooperation and assistance of those who
are equally interested with themselves-that
is of all the people of Hartford county.
r. HARRIS ARCHER.
JOHN r. STREET., Committee.
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