l88 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



beauty of the country, and cultivate the artistic sense, are of 

 great value; I hope these will multiply. Let me express an- 

 other hope. When I was a boy and went to the little church 

 opposite my father's house every Sunday, it was crowded, and 

 the horse sheds on either side of the little church, with many 

 places for horses and carriages, did not contain room enough 

 for the people who came with teams, and the church in those 

 days was itself a social center, the source of power, bringing 

 men and women together in pursuit of the highest interests and 

 the highest of all, the religious interest. I hope there must be 

 higher social, useful and religious life among our farmers. I 

 would speak of this thing, not in a patronizing way, but my 

 heart is sad when I go back to the old place, and sit in the old 

 pew, and see not more than thirty or forty where two hundred 

 used to come. I trust it is not out of place, in this convention 

 of dairymen of the State of Maine and cattle breeding, to speak 

 of these things. They naturally come to my mind by reason 

 of my occupation and my association with young people. 



We all love the soil, we all came from it, we all at least 

 return to it, and so long as we come into contact with the soil, 

 we shall preserve some of the purest, finest, most auspicious 

 elements in our natures. 



You may have read the old fable, of Antaeus who wrestled 

 with every stranger who came into his country, who compelled 

 every stranger to wrestle with him, and every time he brought 

 the opponent to the ground, until it was found that he had an 

 invisible contact with the ground which gave him strength. 

 Hercules came along, found out the secret, lifted him from the 

 ground and conquered him. There is a great truth in this 

 fable. Let us keep to the soil. I find that our great leaders 

 and statesmen rejoiced to go back into the country. It is a 

 most healthy instinct, and unhappy is the man or woman who 

 cannot in some degree gratify it. With heart and hand I con- 

 gratulate you, and wish to cooperate with the farmers, the 

 men who are working for the elevation, not only of the agri- 

 cultural interests, but of these men and women upon whom our 

 country depends for its existence. I would do all I could to 

 promote the agricultural interests, and to add strength, cheer 

 and joy to the life of the farmer. 



