1906.] BREEDING ANIMALS ON THE FARM. 161 



West, and I found that the average yield per acre in those 

 seven States for the same time was twenty-nine and a fraction 

 bushels per acre. Then I sat down and wrote an editorial for 

 the Orange Judd Farmer, and wound it up by saying that I 

 would recommend to the people of the corn States to send on 

 a delegation of thorough farmers to New England to find out 

 how to grow corn. So I came to New England to talk on 

 agriculture, or to attempt to talk on agriculture. I know, fel- 

 low-farmers, it is a bold undertaking. I know it better than 

 some of you know it, if you have never tried it. To go to a 

 country in which you never have set foot before, and to look 

 into the faces of an intelligent audience, and to talk to them 

 on the agriculture of their country — I tell you, farmers, it 

 takes a little nerve. But I may tell you that I am delighted to 

 be able to say that while I never took much stock in that ques- 

 tion of abandoned farms, I take less than ever I did before I 

 came to New England. Now I want you to understand that 

 this abandoned farm business is something serious. It is hurt- 

 ing you people. It is hurting your reputation, and it is hurting 

 you unjustly, as I am glad to find, and I want to have you un- 

 derstand that the people of the West are not responsible for 

 those views which they hold in regard to your country. It is 

 due to the pamphlet and magazine articles that are printed 

 somewhere in the West, but not in the East, sensational in 

 character, and they find their way into our periodicals, and 

 these are the sources of information from which the people 

 of the West form their opinion in regard to what is going on 

 in New England. But fellow-farmers, really some of our 

 Western men think New England and New England agricul- 

 ture is going to the dogs ; that there is no hope for New Eng- 

 land farming. But, Mr. Chairman, I have not heard, sir, a 

 single note in a minor key in regard to agriculture since com- 

 ing to this State ; there is hope in the sound of your rivers that 

 run down from the mountains towards the sea ; there is hope 

 in New England everywhere ; there is more hope in the intelli- 

 gence of the men that till your lands. One can see it in the 

 faces of New England farmers, such as those I am looking 

 upon today. But fellow-farmers, I did not come to New Eng- 

 land to talk to you simply about the hope of New England 

 farming. I came to talk to you about a very different subject. 

 I came to talk to you about what the students call " hardtack," 

 Agk. — II 



