New Britain herald., 1927-02-07
CLUB |S NO MORE
 AFTER Y YEARS
Society With Burritt as Secre-
 tary Formally Disbanded

When the surviving officers and members met at the Jr, D. |. A. M. hall Saturday night and vote3 to disband the New Britain Agri- cultural club. they wrote the mai chapter to clause in the history of New Britain Of which few peo- pie today are aware.
 The New Britain Agricultural club has been in existence for v years. but for the past a5 years has not functioncd, although an occasional meeting has been held.
 Organized in 1850 it had among its membership at that time the most prominent men in the village. I.lihu Burritt, then an outstanding character 40 years old. was its first secretary. Mir. Burritt at that tune N-ls editor of The Christian Citi- znn," published in Worcester Mass. as an anti-slavery paper. He became secretary of the club at Its organization and retained that po- sition until the time of his death in 1S79. During his tenure as sec retarv he visited Europe in the in- tcrests of universal brotherhood and a substitute acted as secretary Of the club.
 The object of the club was to give what aid was possible to the farmers in the village. New Brit ain then was q community Of o,OOo people. and while manufacturing on 8. large scale loomed in the otilng' agriculture was still the outstand- ing industry.
 A story is told Of the experiences while secretary of the Agricultural club. indicating his custom of thinking up new ways to solve old problems and of breaking away from established precedents.
 In discussing the business or raising cattle with some of his farmer neighbors and fellow club members. Mir. Burritt one evening remarked, "Young calves get their nonrishment from the mother COW. The mother COW eats grass ana gives milk. Thus the fluid which the calves drink comes from grass Why isn't it possible to put hay In water, boil it. make hay tea anu feed 1t to the calves in place ol milk?"
 Setting a few calves aside, MT, Burritt made his hay tea and fed II 10 the claves until their unexpected death by starvation put an end to the experiment.
 When the club was formed there were about 50 members. They TO- mained active until 1866 when Bur ritt Grange was formed. This or xanization being considered the logi- cal successor of the agricultural club took the place of the parent or Ranization in agricultural promo ton. The activities of the older club waned until for the past quarter century there have been no activities whatever, beyond the annual election of officers.
 Elihu Burritt left in his will sev- eral hundred dollars for the use or the club. This fund has grown to aDDrOXlI1l1Iely SDoV, NliCi VIII p' turned over to Rev. Dr. John E. I<lingberg for the Childrcn's Home.
 The books containing the minutes which are for the first 27 years in the handwriting of Elihu Burritt, will be presented to the New Brit ain Institute and will be filed with the Burritt memorials now preserved there.
 During its early days the Agricul- tural club was the leading social or ganization in the village. and the country fairs were yearly events to which the residents looked forward.
 One of the carly members and president for gears was the late Levi s. Wells.
 The officers in charge of the club st tho time it voted to disband Sat urday night were Charles s. An drcws president, and Hubert Blake, secretary treasurer.