No. 112.] 195 



others. If there is one man who is nobler than his fellow, it is 

 that man who wins his bread from his mother earth by honest 

 toil. We must make labor everywhere honorable. To do this, 

 the public mind must be aroused and directed to the subject. 



Whatever brings a class forward before the public, is calculated 

 to attract attention and give it position, if entitled to it. Our 

 agricultural associations are exerting, in this direction, a most 

 salutary influence ; they place this interest before the public in its 

 true position, as one of the highest importance, and the public 

 mind is already influenced by it. The retiring statesman and 

 merchant turn away from their life of perplexity and toil to seek 

 for rencAved vigor and true happiness among the works of nature. 

 In this country, where men have seldom an hereditary fortune, 

 but each man builds his fortune for himself, it will be all impor- 

 tant that agriculture, while it is elevated as a pursuit, shall also 

 carry with it a sure competence ; and this, we are satisfied, re- 

 sults from well directed effort in this pursuit more certainly than 

 in any other profession or pursuit in our country. 



We have changed our relations with the world since we have 

 entered upon the era of economical farming. We are now com- 

 petitors with the world ; our farmers are meeting competition in 

 their wheat from the Black Sea, as well as from our own fertile 

 prairies. Our dairymen of Herkimer and Oneida, when they 

 look for a world's market for their cheese, are met with the com- 

 petition of Cheshire in England. The cattle grower, too, has his 

 rivals abroad. Thus, with all the branches of our pursuit, we 

 have entered the lists with the world. It is a struggle for, 

 the mastery, a trial far more honorable than the tournaments and 

 combats of centuries ago. Those who shall triumph will confer 

 an honor and blessing upon their country and the world. 



Other lands boast of tlieir rich soils and cheap labor, but in no 

 other land have richer provisions been made tor the industrious 

 than in this free land of ours. What we need, as a people, to 

 meet our rivals, is knowledge in our profession, to enable us to 

 judge wisely as to the character of our soils — of the crops best 

 suited to cultivation — of the means best calculated to secure the 

 largest products; and this will include everything that j^ertains 

 to the thorougli management of the farm in all its varied details. 



