40 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



SO we could continue our comparisons without showing the fallacy of 

 mv statement. 



To fully understand one of the most favorable conditions of our 

 New England farm life and at the same time give a basis for com- 

 parisons, we must take a glance at the first steps into civilized his- 

 tor}' taken by the various States. Our own dearh' loved New 

 P^ngland was settled by English Puritans, with a small percentage 

 of Scotch and Welch. They were of the Anglo Saxon race par 

 excellence, the leading family of the world. New York was peopled 

 by the Dutch ; Pennsylvania was settled b}' Quakers and Germans ; 

 Maryland by English Roman Catholics ; Delaware by Dutch and 

 Swedes ; Virginia by English, not of Puritan stock, but the so-called 

 Cavillers, the adherents of the notorious Charles the First, and the 

 opponents of the "•Roundheads;" the Carolinas in part b}' French 

 Hugenots ; Louisiana by French ; Florida, Texas and California by 

 Spanish : Utah by Mormons chiefly from England, Wales and Den- 

 mark. Immigration from German^', Ireland, England, Scotland, 

 France, Sweden and Switzerland has been general in its distribution 

 of settlers in all the Western States, giving a population of mixed 

 families, but all of one race. The South is worse th^n this, for it 

 has a large assimilation of African blood, which is wholly opposite 

 to the Caucassian. There has been less of immigration to the New 

 England States than to the Middle and "Western, consequently we 

 have a purer stock. The laws of breeding by which our domestic 

 animals have been brought to the perfection which they show to-day, 

 apply equalh' well to the human race ; nature knows no distinction 

 in her production of animal life. These settlers brought with them 

 different traditions, modes and methods of farming, ideas of civil 

 and religious government, and those of the third and fourth genera- 

 tion show them to-day. I believe that this great American nation 

 has the power to assimilate them all in time, and mould them into 

 one great family, with as individual characteristics as each patent 

 race presents to-day, but it will require time, and to those who 

 desire to leave present associates, being willing to wait for this 

 mixed class to amalgamate, we will suggest that time also has an 

 important engagement with us not many years hence, which will 

 prevent us from being present to enjo}' the delightful society that 

 will probabl}' follow it. This mixture of classes is a prominent 

 feature of the conditions outside of New England, and is deserving 

 of much consideration on our part ; here our neighbors are of the 



