196 N. H. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The American farmer has a labor to perform. His phys- 

 ical resources are unequalled. The demand upon the pro- 

 ducts of his toil is daily increasing. Each new city that 

 springs up in the wilderness or by the sea, adds verdure 

 to his fields and wealth to his treasures. Each wheel put 

 in motion is an additional inducement for him to till the 

 earth. Every institution of learning established in our 

 growing towns enhances the profits of his farm. Thous- 

 ands of barrels of pork and beef, and cargoes of flour and 

 corn, immense quantities of apples and other productions 

 of the soil, arc annually exported to Europe, to feed her 

 starving millions or contribute to the luxuries of the rich. 

 The eyes of continents are upon us ; the poor and suffer- 

 ing throughout the world look to America as the great 

 almoner of nations. Our granaries, filled with repeated har-. 

 vests, shall be like those of Pharaoh in the years of famine. 

 Not many years ago a voice of want came to our cars 

 from across the waters. The stricken sons of Ireland 

 stretched out their hands imploringly to us and begged for 

 bread. The surplus in our garners was gathered by the 

 hand of charity and carried to our seaports, where vessels 

 were laden and sent out on their errands of mercy. Re- 

 cently a more dreadful scourge than pestilence or famine 

 visited the East, afflicting not Ireland alone, but embracing 

 all the nations of Europe in one common woe. The en- 

 ginery of war triumphed over the arts of peace. The til- 

 ler of the soil was withdrawn from the culture of the field 

 to engage in the work of destruction. The mechanic re- 

 versed Heaven's order, and beat the plow-share into swords 

 and the pruning hook to spears. Europe's fields, though 

 fertilized with bloody could not produce enough to feed 

 these devouring armies. The American soil was required 

 to furnish the real sinews of the war. And, though now 

 that war has ceased, the demand for bread has not dimin- 

 ished. Our ships still bear eastward cargoes of the sur- 

 plus product of our agricultural labor, and the fruit of our 

 fields is consumed in foreign lands. 



