174 TRANSACTIONS OP THE 



ANNUAL ADDRESS 



DELIVERED BEFORE 



THE STATE AGRICULTUEAL SOCIETY, 



At Sacramento, September 19th, 1865, 

 By DE. JOHN F. MOESE. 



Ladies and Gentlemen: — Thirteen years ago we received and accepted 

 an invitation from Colonel Warren to deliver an address at the first Agri- 

 cultural I'air ever held in the State of California. The fair was an 

 exceedingly interesting and successful one. The audience before whom 

 the address was delivered was very large, and if they were not gratified 

 with the production, they had the politeness to make the speaker think 

 so, and speakers never question the sincerity of applause. On that 

 occasion we attempted to exhibit the comprehensive and too imperfectly 

 understood power of agriculture, its capacity to cultivate, to receive and 

 appreciate collateral aid, its fascinating and gigantic relations to the 

 development and support of national and individual interests. This 

 course of thought was suggested by the first products of the science in 

 a new and wonderful field of labor. We then regarded agriculture as 

 the essential foundation of prosperity and good government, the richest 

 tributary of commerce, and always the most perfect criterion b}^ which 

 to estimate the probable tenure of the nation — the honesty, the virtue, 

 and contentment of the people. 



The study and observations of the thirteen intervening years ha%'e 

 served only to confirm these convictions, and to reveal the husbandry of 

 America as a tried and sublimated source of patriotism, of wealth, of 

 life and hope to a liberty -loving Government. 



We will not, however, attempt on this occasionto elaborate an address 

 upon the distinctive characteristics of agriculture. Men more compe- 

 tent, who have preceded, have done this, and those who follow will suflS- 

 ciently often imitate their examples. Age, which brings infirmities, 

 acquires caution, and it would seem almost an act of temerity to talk 

 with flippancy or boldness upon such a subject and in such a place. 



