104 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



cities pay large sums of money, which the farmer has without" 

 money and without price. 



Almost every one enjoys looking at a fine picture, and in the 

 homes of the wealthy pictures are regarded as absolutely essen- 

 tial to the furnishing of the house, and for them large sums 

 are often paid, the masterpieces of our best artists frequently 

 bringing more than would be needful to stock a farm. 



So, in view of the pleasure to be gained from these and other 

 works of art, it is said one should choose an occupation that 

 will give him the means to gratify his taste ; but one whose life 

 is passed among the constantly changing aspects of nature 

 needs no picture to enable him to comprehend that a sunrise is 

 beautiful. It does not require the skill of an artist to reveal 

 to his eye the loveliness of the quiet valley among the hills, or 

 the broad panorama which he can view from so many of the 

 hill-tops of old Essex. 



And if one has a taste for animals, it is much more satisfac- 

 tory to own the sturdy oxen, the quiet cow, or the fine horse, 

 than to be able to buy one of Landseer's paintings of them ; for 

 the most that he or Rosa Bonheur can do is to paint to look 

 like life. And what need has one, who can possess the origi- 

 nals, of the copies from life of even the most distinguished 

 artists ? So to every person who has a love for the beautiful, 

 without the means to surround himself with pictures, I say, 

 become a farmer, and then " lift up your eyes to the hills," or, 

 better yet, live on one and be satisfied. 



We will now consider the third point, which is the depriva- 

 tion of social advantages enjoyed by the residents of cities. If 

 you were to ask what advantages farmers lose, the reply would 

 most likely be, lectures. Now, how about the lectures ? The 

 common opinion among well-informed men is, that as a means 

 of education they are valueless, if of the kind known as popu- 

 lar lectures ; and if scientific, they are interesting only to a 

 limited number, and whatever advantages they afford in a so- 

 cial way can be obtained by other methods. 



In regard to concerts and other gatherings, while they afford 

 much enjoyment, we think we are compensated in other ways. 

 Said a minister to me once, when speaking on this subject, 

 " You farmers have a chance to think, that those who live in 

 cities fail to obtain." 



