120 

 ADDRESS BY HON. SAMUEL R. McCLELLAN, 



PRESIDENT OF THE KENOSHA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETl'. 



Ladies and Gentlemen : — Time, in its onward course, has brought 

 about another year. Again we have assembled as the Agricultural 

 Society of the county of Kenosha, and again by your partiality it is 

 made my duty to address you. 



I could have wished your choice had fallen upon some one abler, and 

 more conversant than myself with that science, which it is the object of 

 this Society to promote. And I can only say that were my knowledge 

 of agriculture equal to my love for it, then could I talk with you upon 

 this theme until your patience were wearied. But this, unfortunately, is 

 not so. The best years of my life were spent in a far different pursuit. 



" Me they sent 

 To wait on pain, and silent arts to urge, 

 Inglorious, not ignoble ; mj cares. 

 To ease such as languish on a grievious bed, 

 And the sweet forgetfulness of ill conciliate." 



It is but a few short years since I came among you, a novice in the 

 science and art of agriculture. 



And I take this occasion to acknowledge the obligations I am under 

 to this Society for the many lessons of practical importance I have learned 

 at our several meetings. Yet, even to this day, I feel that I have 

 but just entered the vestibule of the temple of Ceres, though enough has 

 already been unfolded to my view to satisfy me that the science of agri- 

 culture is of importance sufficient to engage the attention of the ablest 

 minds. 



The science of Agriculture ! What is it ? It is emphatically the basis 

 of civilization, the foundation of all other sciences, embracing Avithin its 

 scope a knowledge not only of the earth and its minerals, but also of its 

 vegetable and animal productions. This is not all. Everything incident 

 to, or connected with the production and growth of vegetables and ani- 

 mals, their preservation and their diseases, their decomposition and their 

 reproduction are all embraced in the science of Agriculture. 



What science more interesting ? What science more noble ? What 

 science more neglected ? 



I propose to say a few words upon the causes of this neglect, and the 

 remedy. An all-wise and beneficent Providence has so ordained that 



