1884.] VARIOUS VIEWS OP FAEMING. 211 



A State board of agriculture is but an organization of men asso- 

 ciated together for the purpose of doing certain kinds of work, 

 and such organizations, as well as individuals, may very properly 

 take a little time as often as once a year to look over the records, 

 and so far as may be, learn the general condition of the affairs 

 over which they are supposed to have an interest or control. 



The topic assigned by your secretaiy for this hour, it has seemed 

 to me, suggests the taking of a general view of the present condi- 

 tion and future prospects of the New England farmer. But as the 

 best part of these winter meetings sometimes is the discussions 

 which follow the reading of papers, it will not be my aim to 

 exhaust the subject, but to suggest thought, to encourage investi- 

 gation, and to present my view of the situation, with its balance 

 sheet, subject, however, to personal revision by- each and all. 



It is sometimes claimed that what farmers most stand in need 

 of is not opinions but facts, but I fear that a sufficient number of 

 facts, classified and arranged, are yet wanting in many depart- 

 ments of agriculture, to raise us to that high level where opinions 

 will become wholly worthless. 



So the first opinion I shall give you is, that farming in New Eng- 

 land to-day is a much better business than many of us have come 

 to believe. 



Riding recently in the cars with a gentleman whose business has 

 brought him more or less into acquaintanceship with nearly every 

 State and Territory in the Union, he expressed it as his belief that 

 New England is, and always must be, the poorest section of the 

 whole country for carrying on agricultural operations. He would 

 like a farm if he could afford to own one, but if he were going to 

 purchase he would surely make his selection at the West or South, 

 where the land will produce crops simply by putting the seed in 

 the ground. 



Now, if the mere sowing of seed upon virgin soil and gathering 

 and selling the harvest without making the first effort towards 

 leaving that soil as fertile as we found it is agriculture, then I 

 admit that New England is no place for farming, nor for farmers, 

 and the sooner we go West or South, or take up some other form 

 of industry, the better it will be for us. 



Many, far too many, if judged by their works, have no higher 

 ideas concerning the occupation of the farmer than this, and it is 

 from taking such a view that so large a portion of this country has 



