38 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



enabling its inhabitants to perform a great amount of labor, 

 both mental and physical. It is surrounded by thriving and 

 prosperous communities of like character and pursuits, and 

 strongly alUed to its people by family association and -similar 

 interests. Here the Pilgrims landed and gave to the world 

 those institutions which have clone so much to enhance the 

 intelligence of the people of the State and the whole country. 

 Every descendant of these men, wherever located, feels the 

 deepest attachment to this early home of men who displayed 

 such knowledfje of human nature in the establishment of o'ov- 

 erument and such self-sacrifice of things present in the confi- 

 dent faith of benefitino; in the hiijhest de2:ree the millions who 

 were to follow them in the Ioug; future. 



Third. Taken as a whole, its soil is excellent, though 

 considerable portions are unfiivorable for cultivation, yet 

 these portions are not barren, for they are covered with valu- 

 able forests, supplying timber and fuel, useful in every com- 

 munity, and tending also to keep up the supply of water in 

 the streams, especially important to our manufactories. 



No man can calculate the value of these streams. Ensrland 

 stands aghast to-day at the prospect of the failure of her coal- 

 suppl}^ — ^^16 source of her motive-power, and I may add 

 of her remarkable prosperity. It is true, as compared to the 

 fertile States of the West, Massachusetts would seem to be 

 poorly adapted to the sustenance of a large population, but 

 we must remember that previous to the opening of the great 

 lines of communication to the West, the people of New Eng- 

 land were almost exclusively devoted to agriculture, aud 

 Massachusetts had nearly as many inhabitants to the square 

 mile as the great State of Illinois in 1870. 



This shows that the State has great natural capabilities of 

 soil sufficient indeed to support a very large numl^er of per- 

 sons in comfort, and at the same time aflford them facilities 

 for moral and mental improvement. 



With, these advantages it is not surprising that a State 

 should be filled with a people renowned for their activity, 

 energy and success, but when is added to these a form of 

 government most broad and liberal, with checks and balances 

 guarding carefully the rights of the citizen, we can fully see 

 the reasons of the mighty growth of population, wealth and 

 power which are manifested on every side. 



