Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-03-06
Board of Agriculture.
CLOSING MEETING OF THE SEASON A
MONTPELIER


The grand closing meeting of the board
was opened in village hall in Montpelier.
on Wednesday evening, the eth ult.
There were present beside the members of
the board many distinguished gentlemen
of the state. among whom we noticed eX
Gov. Stewart, Hon. N. I. Sprague of
Brandon, Hon. Crosby Miller of Pomfret,
Silas G. Holyoke, Esq, of St. Adams and
others.
The meeting was called 10 order by the
secretary, who announced as the chairman
of the session Hon. j. w. Stewart, who
was governor of the state when the first
board meeting was held in Vermont, after
which prayer was offered by the Rev. Mr..
Hull.
The president said he was not here to
attempt to instruct in farming, but chiefly
for the purpose indicated by the secretary.
1t is characteristic of Il free government
like ours, that its institutions have their
birth in recognized necessity. The
causes are at first remote, but when they
once exist they continue and multiply until
they create need too clamorous to escape
public attention. In the beginning all is
simple and documentary; but as time goes
on society moves, also population increases,
towns and cities spring up, inventions
thicken, business shifts channels and
changes markets, forms of industry multi
ply, wants multiply, new growths spring
up from new needs, new methods become
necessary, old ones are dropped, competi-
ton, sharp and eager, arises, and the lag
CARDS and Rip Van Wrinkles 20 TO the rear.
In my judgment the establishment Of
our State Board of Agriculture was the
natural outcome of II great public need.
The careless and wastetul methods of the
fathers in agriculture had become obsolete
and unremunerative. Emigration had
drawn largely on our best blood. In the
eyes of too many youths the yardslick
seemed nobler implement than the pillow.
The great west was our competitor, farms
were being deserted, rural populations
were diminishing and in not II few instan-
ces farmers themselves Were cchoing the
cry that farming was becoming unproht-
able.
State and county societies had been in
vogue score or more of years, and while
they were not wholly barren of benefit to
the interest they were designed TO foster,
vet it had become quite evident that II day
or two in each year spent in gazing at ihe
COWS and pigs and ruta bagas of our neigh
bors, or at trials of speed between horses
lust fast enough to be valueless to other
people and II detriment to their owners; Oh
in staring ut n sack race Or II balloon u.s.
cension in II vain struggle to discover
|, than ,,if,bt b,1 tT
the science Of agriculture; or in windy
tumult and babel of sounds. striving tt
catch the words of some professional ORA
tor, who was franlically yelling and ges
ticulating in his endeavor to deliver what
the managers, by courtesy, styled an ag-
ricutural address-that these and other
adinncts so familiar to you all-of the av-
crage fair, however they might be regard
ed as a mode of amusement, or us promo
tive of social relations among farmers, had
ceased to be, if, indeed, they ever were Of
value as means of intellectual and scien
tilic advancement among farmers us a
class.
Something different and better was i'm
peratively needed, and am warranted by
the history of the board, brief though il
is, in affirming that it has measurably sup
piled the want, and has justified the wis
dom and expectations of its founders.
This intelligent assemblage Of farmer:
is witness of the truth of my utterance
But the best proof is of record. | poin
Won to the annual reports of the operation
of the board which have been published b,
the state. Ifyou will examine them yol
will notice that the interest of the variou
meetings has been largely, nay, almost eX
clusvcly maintained by " home talent" s.
called; by the farmers themselves. Her
and there you will find " valuable pape
by professional upon purely scientili
topic, but for the most part the reporte
papers are presented by farmers upon TOP
les largely practical, to be sure, but in
large majority of cases ably and admirabl
done.
These discussions have embraced almo:
every variety of question, of interest t
the agriculturist,- dairy, the stoc
ward, the stable, the orchard, grain!
grasses, meadows, pastures, farm built
ings, fertilizers, wool growing, horticu
ture, arboriculture, entomology, apple
chemistry, political economy and educ;
ton as related to agriculture have all bee
ably and intelligcntly considered and di
eussou' "au aI 'I hn ro "I .,nd roGo,
. .i".i' nSd 10 what ,bnT arc t,Ilin
on
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