248 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



to it ami it is congtMiial to my tastes. And there is still another 

 motive, potent everywhere with the Yankee — it 2)ayfi. 



We would remark here that much depends upon the man, his soil 

 and the season, but not so much, perhaps, as in the production of 

 many other farm crops. Yet if a man be so sordid and cold that tlie 

 possessions of broad acres of tr[-een leaves and seared tassels wav- 

 ing in the wind, and the long cribs piled high with golden treasures 

 at the ''merry husking time" kindles no emotions of gratitude and 

 joy, far be it from me to induce such a one to engage in what no 

 doubt would result in failure and disgust. But I know there are 

 none such here, I see progress stamped upon your farms and your 

 buildings and I feel you are earnest in your calling. But the New 

 England farmer of the present, who would make a success of the 

 production of any crop capable of long transportation, must take 

 into consideration many things of which our fathers never dreamed, 

 among which are cheap transportation and the increased purchasing 

 value of a day's labor. 



I well remember in my boyhood, while working in the corn-field 

 with m}' father upon some of the land that I now own, hearing him 

 contrast those times with his boyhood, when a bushel of corn would 

 bring the price of two faithful days' labor, while at the time of his 

 speaking it would secure but one ; and to-dav it takes nearly three 

 bushels of corn to pay the price of a day's labor, and often very in- 

 different labor too. At first this might seem to preclude the possi- 

 bility of the cultivation of Indian corn in New England ; and indeed 

 it would, had not other changes at the same time been going on and 

 keeping pace with those mentioned. I mention this to call attention 

 to the necessity of discarding the old methods and adopting new. If 

 we should still cling to the methods and practices of the fathers, we 

 cannot go back to their times, and failure must be the result. 



It must be confessed that we are situated a little too near the 

 northern limit of the great corn belt of our country. Would you 

 trace its northern line you will start from the mouth of the Columbia 

 River coming east, south of the Black Hills and between Lake Supe- 

 rior and Michigan, and cross the St. Lawrence a little above Ottawa, 

 continuing east to the Bay of Fundy. Thus the line would cross 

 your State about one degree north of your county. So it will be 

 seen that if we are to be certain of success we must carry our iso- 

 thermal lines as far south as possible by selecting our warmest and 



