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cents a week — you can prociu-e botli a Michigan and a New York 

 Monthly paper; and it were strange if the information you gather, to say 

 nothing of the moral effect — does not repay you an hundred fold. You 

 not only learn every discoveiy and improvement made elsewhere in 

 your occupation, but you learn to think less of yourself; which, in all 

 positions of life, is the first step towards advancement. 



But I have already detained you too long, and in a few words let me 

 sum up. The position of the American Farmer is a high one. He is 

 the land-owner, tlie law-maker, the voter. Farmers compose the great 

 body of our people ; and in a Republic the majority are the governing- 

 power. But we find professions of not a twentieth of our number, ta- 

 king the lead of us — writing our books — books which form and direct 

 the popular mind — going to our Legislatures to govern us — to Congress 

 to vote away our money — to foreign countries, as ambassadors, to repre- 

 sent us; in fact, doing the mind-work of the country — why is. this? 

 Because as a class we have neglected to educate ourselves. We are the 

 Giant of Physical Force, led where he pleases by the Dwarf of Intel- 

 lect. The invisible mind will always govern in proportion to its train- 

 ing. Is this to continue ? God forbid ! The country is imbued with 

 the determination that it shall not. This very Fair is a declaration 

 that you make to your fellow citizens and country, that you are deter- 

 mined to progress in intelligence. Go home then, with this idea in 

 your minds, ponder on it, act on it. If not for yourselves, yet fbr your 

 sons and daughters, for your country, for all that is great and noble in 

 your hopes for the future, cherish and forward education, and never be- 

 lieve that you can reach that point where more is not to be learned. 



