1902.] GOOD ROADS. 3 1 



privilege to be at many sessions of this State Board of Agri- 

 culture. I feel that I have lost a great deal by that fact. I 

 am often somewhat amused in my work to hear people talk 

 about the backwardness of the farmer; about how far in the 

 rear the farmer is in everything, in relation to his work, in 

 relation to the arts and sciences, in manufacturing, in business 

 and the professions. Some of them seem to think that of 

 all the neglected things there are in the world the beginning 

 and the end is the shortcomings of the farmer. I do not 

 believe that is a fact. I think I speak advisedly w^hen I state 

 that no man in the State of Connecticut has the opportunity 

 of meeting more people, or of being more conversant with 

 the farmers of the State, to a greater extent than I have ; and 

 knowing the farmers of the State as well as I do, and being 

 so much a part of their every-day life, I am satisfied from 

 my ov,-n observation and experience, that in the condition of 

 farming afifairs throughout the length and breadth of the land 

 that the farmer is quite up to and even with the advances 

 made in other pursuits or professions. If we consider what 

 has been the obstacles to be overcome by the farmer, and the 

 high privileges enjoyed by others, and what the farmer has 

 done, compared with the other business and professional pur- 

 suits, it will be found that the comparison will be quite 

 friendly to the farmer, and that he is fully up to and equal 

 with the times. There are other things that remain unfin- 

 ished quite as much as the things that the farmer has to do . 

 with today. As Mr. Kay in " Success " puts it : 



The sweetest song has not been sung, 



Nor has the loudest bell been rung; 



The brightest jewel still lies deep, 



The fairest rose is still asleep ; 



The greatest ship has not been sailed, 



The highest mountain is unsealed; 



The largest house of break and beam 



Is but the vision of a dream; 



The richest mine is still unknown, 



And the air ship is but a monstrous drone: 



The locomotive too has yet to show 



What it can do. 



The telegraph is still afraid 



To span the wide world without aid. 



