864 [Assembly 



of the county, than has occurred within any period of twenty 

 years, in its preceding history. The lumbering business is nearly 

 terminated within its limits. The unprecedented depression, du- 

 ring that term of its great manufacturing staple, which extin- 

 guished nearly all the fires of its forges and furnaces, arrested the 

 ordinary persuits of thousands of its population. This attitude 

 of the affairs of the county, so deplorable and ruinous in most of 

 its aspects, has supplied the laborers required in the operations of 

 agriculture, and created the necessity of their embracing its occu- 

 pations for support. These causes have diverted the feelings, the 

 interests and taste of this community, from other pursuits to ag- 

 riculture. That has now become the permanent and paramount 

 employment of many, who had previously regarded it as only 

 secondary and incidental. The great and auspicious change, which 

 is again impressed upon the manufacturing interest of the county, 

 may remove this necessity, but the influence ol the habit will 

 endure. 



I should be unjust to the services of the citizens, whose zeal has 

 organized the agricultural society of Essex county, were I not to 

 recognise its inlluence among the potent instrumentalities, which 

 have promoted this advancement in the agriculture of thec(junty. 

 Its effect has been felt in every section, exciting emulation, arous- 

 ing inquiry, creating effort, introducing science, and developing 

 resources, and in elevating the position and character of the farm- 

 ing community. 



These results have been promoted by various improvements in 

 the system of husbandry, which have been effected by the farm- 

 ers of the county. Rotation of crops is now regarded by every 

 'judicious manager, as an essential principle in the intelligent and 

 progressive administration of a farm. A gradual, but most salu- 

 tary change has been formed on this subject, in public opinion. 

 Fields were pointed out, in the course of my survey, which, for- 

 merly for more than thirty years, had been devoted to an unin- 

 terrupted succession of corn crops. Most of the fertilizing re 

 sources of the farm, during that period, had thus been absorbed, 

 in the production of one crop, from the same field. Under such a 

 system of husbandry, and which a quarter of a century since was 



