428 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ment and without homes; many are without the necessaries of life. Is it not possible 

 to encourage the young men to believe that the opportunities for reward upon the farm 

 are as great, if not greater, than elsewhere? Should not the advantages and pleasures 

 of an out-of-door life, and the disadvantages of indoor occupation, be considered and 

 compared? Do we fully realize what a privilege it is to possess acres of good land, 

 pleasantly located and producing satisfactory crops? The farmer and fruitgrower are 

 ever inclose communion with Nature, and as Lubboch says: 



"Happy indeed is the naturalist; to him the seasons come round like old friends; to 

 him the birds sing; as he walks along the flowers stretch out from hedges or look up 

 from the ground, and as each year fades away, he looks back on a fresh store of happy 

 memories. Every week brings some fresh leaf or flower, bird or insect. Every month 

 again has its own charms and beauty. We sit quietly at home and Nature decks her- 

 self for us; and yet too many of us see nothing in the fields but sacks of wheat, in the 

 meadows but trusses of hay, and in woods laut planks for houses or cover for game. 

 Even from this prosaic point of view, how much there is to wonder at and admire in the 

 wonderful chemistry which changes grass and leaves, flowers and seeds, into bread and 

 milk, eggs and cream, butter and honey." 



This picture is not overdrawn, and yet how often do we find that these beautiful 

 conditions are ignored, the pleasant country home forsaken and city life preferred. 

 How many surrender all the advantages of rural life and pass their days in small, dingy, 

 badly ventilated offices, or behind the counters in crowded stores- occupations which 

 afford few opportunities for real pleasure, and which rarely furnish great rewards, 

 while the close application and constant confinement impair health and frequently 

 bring on bodily ailments which become permanent in the course of time. 



On the other hand, the young man on the farm is led to believe that there is no 

 money in fruit-growing or farming. Hard work and email pay are the only induce- 

 ments offered him. It is not strange that, under many existing conditions, he becomes 

 discouraged and turns his back on his old home; the lands are exhausted, buildings 

 are falling to pieces, crops small, and returns unsatisfactorj ; encouragement and advice 

 are never given, but, on the contrary, every attempt at improvement is ridiculed and 

 belittled. In this state, with its rich and varied soil, and unsurpassed climate, tillers 

 of the land possess advantages which are not enjoyed by any other people on this 

 globe. 



Secretary Morton reminds the croakers that only about three per cent, of all merch- 

 ants escape failure; whereas hardly three per cent, of the farmers fail. Statistics show 

 that agriculture is safer than banking, manufacturing, or railroading; taking all things 

 into account, there is no farmer, he says, of good sense and good health, who can not 

 make a good living for himself and family, and that is as well as the majority of men 

 are doing in any other pursuit. And there are numerous instances of profitable farms 

 and well-to-do land owners, but every one of them attributes his success to industry, . 

 perseverance, vigilance, and intelligent effort. 

 / There seems to be no good reason why farming and fruitgrowing should not pay well, 

 / if the business be conducted on correct business principles. Let those advanced in 

 I years make way for those who are soon to succeed them. Give the young men a chance 

 / and let their standard be a high one. There should be no scrub stock on the f^rm; 

 horses, cattle, sheep, swine, and poultry should all be of the best breeds, and attention 

 , should be given to develop breeds suited to special purposes. Cultivate only so much* 

 / land as can be properly cared for. A few acres well tilled will yield more profit than a 

 I larger number half cultivated. This assertion is verified in the old countries wher& 

 land is scarce and where consequently high cultivation is imperative. 



Enthusiasm and a desire to excel should be infused into every undertaking. Then 

 will the farm be cared for and not forsaken, and an intelligent course of tillage adopted; 

 sterile fields will become fruitful, and our country will boast of a sturdy, enlightened 

 class, happy in the enjoyment of God's greatest gift to man — good health and proud of 

 their possessions. 



In the words of Whittier: 



' Give foole their sold, and knaves their power, 

 Let fortone's bubble rise and fall. 

 Who sows the field, or trains a flower. 

 Or plants a tree, is more than all. 



For he who blesses most is blest 



And God and man shall own his worth. 

 Who toils to leave as his bequest 



An added beauty to the earth. 



And soon or late to all who sow 



The time of harvest shall be given ; 

 The flower shall bloom, the fruit shalirgrow, 



If not on earth at least in heaven. 



