Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-02-21
State Board Meeting,

The meeting of the State Board of Az
riculture at East Calais is in session Will
we go to press, with very good attend
ance and good and increasing interest
We shall give u report of the meeting il
our next. Below we give the address o
welcome by A. Dwinoll, Esq, of Eas
Calais:
Progress is the watch.word which
seems to be the inspiring theme of tn,
present age; progress in science, in art
in manufactures, in agriculture. BY sci
ence and its application we have IL net
work of iron bound roads, and may sec al
all hours of the day the steam horse thun
dering on its course, harnessed to its
coach and freight. BY science and its 40
plicntion may be seen the trail and curling
smoke OF the ocean steamer on every sea
OF the globe. BY science and It's applica-
ton messages are sent under the ocean
ana across the length and breadth of the
land with lightning speed. BY science
and Its application Il master machinist from
Rhode Island was enabled to erect ut the
late Exposition an engine ponderous in
weight, mighty in strength, furnishing
and giving power 10 acres of machinery,
yet doing it with the apparent ease and
symmetry of swan gliding on the lake.
AS it is with these so it is with agricul-
ture. Progress is being made. Men of
culture and of wealth are turning their at
tention to this important subject, giyinp
to the world the benefit of their expert
ments and research, pursuing their voca-
ton to scientific results. The time has
been when the farmer was stigmatized
with the title of plow-jogger, and if he
could sow, reap and NOV he was Thought
TO nave the necessary qualifications for II
farmer. But the scene has changed now
an elevator has passed over the land.
lifting the farmers from the old ruts. The
scales have fallen from our eyes; we now
see that agriculture involves principles un.
DERIVING many sciences Of which we are
ignorant and cannot flthom. Thus we see
the need of the aids which are being fur
nlshed to help us to educate ourselves I'D
to that degree of progress which is the in
spring theme of to-day. 70 this end we
welcome the members of the Vermont
State Board of Agriculture in our midst
to-day; for the farmer of the present is
not the ignorant plow-boy of the past, but
a strong man, bold in experiment. frank
in conviction, confcssing ignorance and
many wants. He wants to know how to
make gilt edge butter and the best cheese.
lie wants to know how to grow twoI
spears of grass where but one grows now.
lie wants to know the value of manures
ana how to Sarc ond apply them. He
wants to know the comparative value of
'ootS and how to raise anil fced them. lie
wants to know the value of his products
md when and where to market them. lie
wants to know if it will pay to invest in
Irainage and foreign fertilizers. He wants
o know more about irrigation. These are
few OF the many topics Of interest to the
lrmer of the present day.
In behalf Of the citizens of Calais |
would say to the members of the Board
nd all who are here to make this occasion
ne OF interest and profit, we welcome YOU
a our midst, hoping and trusting there
vii he II manifest freedom of thought and
peech, and from the subjects here pre-
ented and discussions had there will an
l1uence go out which will tend TO elevate
ne farmer to that high and noble position
'hch his calling demands.