AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 413 



It is right that we should celebrate the annual ingathering of 

 the harvest. No other interest better deserves such a commem- 

 orative service ; for agriculture "is a spring that sets in motion 

 the grand machine of business, manufacturing and commercial; 

 nor can a sail be spread without the assistance of the plough. 

 Every other source of independence or of plenty is perishing or 

 casual ; this is the great art, which every inquirer into nature 

 ought to improve." 



The end of agriculture is to multiply food ; and abundant 

 food multiplies men and advances civilization ; for, " nations 

 are not populous in proportion to the land they occupy, but to 

 the food they produce." To produce the greatest amount of 

 food at the least expense is the problem for farmers to solve. 

 It is evident that to do this requires the combination of intelli- 

 gence and labor ; for agriculture is an actual producing, and a 

 theory to account for, and increase the produce. The practical 

 occupation precedes the theoretical system. Farmers composted 

 manure before science explained the philosophy of the opera- 

 tion ; and knew that wheat demanded lime before they under- 

 stood the reason. Men cultivate the earth to live, ages before 

 they learn the best methods of cultivation, before the principles 

 that lie beneath rules are ascertained. Then comes the wise 

 man, who, through his acquaintance with science, leads the way 

 to better methods. 



But we must not suppose that the system of agriculture pur- 

 sued in this community was unwisely adopted, or has been 

 blindly followed by successive generations, because they could 

 not justify it on scientific principles. It is its own justification ; 

 because the system grew out of the soil and climate of New 

 England, and out of the circumstances of our people. No 

 theory can prove it inappropriate. Hence we deprecate radical 

 changes. With eyes open to defects, with candor enough to 

 acknowledge them, we would improve the system, by higher 

 culture of the farmer himself. Our worst enemy is persistent 

 ignorance. We cannot hope to maintain our relative position, 

 nor to gain the highest success, against our formidable rivals of 

 the West, unless we make a greater effort to combine labor with 

 scientific knowledge. In practical sagacity our farmers are 

 unrivalled ; but agriculture is a complicated business, embrac- 

 ing a wide range of subjects connected with the soil, the atmos- 



