Miscellaneous. 381 



lected, for it is paramount to every other industry, and should re- 

 ceive that consideration that it so justly merits. It is true that 

 agricultural societies are being formed, and have been for the last 

 century or more, and have done much good by means of the valua- 

 ble essays and publications that have been diffused over our coun- 

 try, yet many improvements are yet to be made. I believe that the 

 encouragement of experimental and agricultural schools for the 

 education of our youths, who wish to follow that avocation, is 

 worthy of the attention of our government if it could be regarded 

 as such as it ought universally to be. Certainly no governmental 

 object ever outweighed it, no earthly one ever more justly de- 

 manded legislative wisdom. 



I can not but observe with regret and concern that many of our 

 farmers entirely overlook the grand object where their true interest 

 centers. They, too much, blindly follow the footsteps of their 

 fathers or ancestors without deriving any benefit from reflection, 

 inquiry, advice or experience. 



It is a prevalent fact that our farmers, in but few exceptions, 

 consult the nature and character of their soil and regulate their 

 tillage accordingly. They do not consider whether their farms are 

 better adapted for grazing or grain ; that is determined almost en- 

 tirely by accident. In the grasses or grain they will grow they 

 pay little attention to the selection of seed, an article of great im- 

 portance in every species of crop. They are equally negligent of 

 the breed of their cattle, horses and hogs, and many things of this 

 nature may be attended to with little expense, while at the same 

 time his revenue would be increased and his farm put in much 

 higher state of cultivation and yield him a much greater quantity 

 of grain. 



While this is true, a man, when he knows his true interest, will 

 naturally follow it, and I believe the Farmers' Institute, as an ed- 

 ucation to the masses of farmers, will serve this mission to a great 

 extent and tend to awaken the lethargic and slumbering genius 

 that lies almost dormant with this class, and tend to stimulate and 

 impel them to noble thoughts and actions which will insure us sta- 

 bility and prosperity. 



The old worn out chestnut that anybody can be a farmer, act- 

 ual experience already obtained has fully exploded. It requires 

 great mental enterprise and what we may call intellectual curios- 

 ity, a natural delight in experimentation, a ready apprehension 

 combined with persistency, in due measure and with sound judg- 

 ment. 



