232 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL FESTIVAL, 



upon Horticulture, and you will find that the whole 

 island is 'cultivated in the manner of a garden. 

 What was once necessary, then beautiful, has n .w 

 become important, to procure the greatest quan- 

 tity of the cereal grains from the smallest space of 

 ground. 



In this country, as has been said by several fren- 

 tlemen this evenin<r, it is a new science and a new 

 art; for, theoretically understood, it was but little 

 practiced; and we are indebted not only to the 

 writings, but to the example of some individuals, 

 whose names I see inscribed upon these walls. To 

 Lowell, Gov. Gore, and Preble, and Cushing 

 — to our wealthy, enterprising merchants, and 

 most influential citizens— lo the President of this 

 Society — the Mannings of Salem — Mr. Hovey, 

 Mr. BuEL, of New- York, now deceased-^the ven- 

 erable gentleman upon my right, the author ot one 

 of the most useful agricultural and horticultural 

 works in this country — 'to these individuals we are 

 indebted, for having done more than it is in my 

 power to relate, to give an impetus to all branches 

 of tillage. 



[Gen. D., after paying a well merited compli- 

 ment to the horticultural triumphs of Mr. Tueor, 

 at Nahant, spoke at some length of the influence of 

 woman in rural life, and concluded with the fol- 

 lowing sentiment:] 



The Females of Massachusetts: To them ia this Society 

 indebted for the extension of all thai is refined and honora- 

 ble in Horticullure. 



The President then said: 



I am happy to state that we have present with 

 us John S. Skinner, Esq., of Piiiladelphia, the 

 editor of the first Agricultural paper ever publish- 

 ed in the United States — more recently of the 

 Farmer's Library and other kindred works, and 

 now of the Plough, Loom and Anvil — all those have 

 been conducted with a zeal and intelligence highly 

 honorable to the author, and have received the ap- 

 probation of the most eminent men of our country. 

 I propose as a sentiment — 



John S Skinner, Esq : The uniform friend of Agriculture 

 and rural economy — the annals of our country ailesl the 

 value of his labors — may he never lack the sunshme of pop- 

 ular patronage, and may his last days be his best days. 



Mr. Skinner responded as follows: 



Mr. President: I have been so often and so 

 sorely disappointed on former occasions like this, 

 that I determined to make an efl'ort lo come now, 

 hit or miss — but if I had known that I should hit, 

 or rather be hit by, an incident so confounding as 

 this, it were better for me to have remained at 

 home, laboring at " the Plough, the Loom, and 

 the Anvil," to which you have so kindly referred. 

 To be brought into such prominence before such a 

 company of my own sex, might not be so perplex- 

 ing, but, sir, only look at this brilliant a:?seinbiy of 

 Ladies! who is there that might not feel embar- 

 rassed? and yet sir, '" situated as I am," as the 

 man says in the play — what is left me but to 

 " stand up and face the music." And. besides, 

 something in way of explanation, brief as it shall 

 be, may be well enough for your own justification, 

 and for that of my too partial friends, your associ- 

 ates, in bringing such an humble laborer in the 



cause, so conspicuously before an audience SO <!l*« 

 tinguished. 



A few words biographical of that first journal 

 devoted to Agriculture, may be necessary for raoat 

 of these gentlemen whose recollections scarcely 

 reach back thirty years'—and as for the ladiiB I 

 why sir, everybody knows that time itself cannot 

 pile up as man}' years on their heads until all *"note 

 of time," and all other things are drowned in the 

 joys and responsibilities of a certain epoch? one 

 sure to occur with all present, with whom it haa 

 not already. 



Yes sir, it was just about thirty years ago, that 

 he who has been thus honored with your notice, 

 brought into existence the old American Farmer, 

 which, contrary to the common laws of physiolo- 

 gy, grows stronger as it grows older. 



Enjoying at that time various and responsible 

 trusts, of which men more ambitious and more 

 deserving might well be proud, as they were de- 

 rived witliout solicitation on my part, from the 

 personal confidence and esteem of auch Presidents 

 as Mr. MaIus »N and Mr. Monroe, yet as those 

 trusts left some opportunity for intellectual em* 

 ployment, not to be thrown away, the question 

 was — how the little leisure they presented could 

 be occupied in a manner most useful to the country 

 and most congenial to my own predilections, and 

 the thought occurred again and again—how is it, 

 that we have newspapers, coiimercial and reli- 

 gious, and literary — we have law journals and 

 medical journals — and party journals, in abun- 

 daiit-e, which, if we believe both sides, would per- 

 suiide us that all our countrymen are knaves or 

 fiiols — or something worse-="if anything worse can 

 be— and yet we have not one organ to enlighten 

 the couise, and to vindicate the cause of Agricul- 

 ture, by which all other classes live, and move and 

 have their being ! Thus shall it no longer be, 

 thought the humble individual who has been here 

 so liighly honored — one voice at least shall be 

 raised for the benefit and the claims of the culti- 

 vators of the soil, though that be but as a '' still 

 small voice in the wilderness." The few friends 

 with whom I consulted, it is most true, doubted 

 the success of the enterprise. The subject was 

 too dry — its dull round of labors, like a horse in a 

 cider mill, neither possessed, or could they be in- 

 vested, as they said, with any charms for the pub- 

 lic. Weil sir, to give it, on coining into the world 

 the best chance that a good name could do (for, 

 trust me Ladies, there is something " in a name," 

 though for good and proiuising considerations 

 some are ai last prevailed on to change the one 

 thi-y have,) it was decided in this case to give the 

 proji;cted organ of the plow, a very broad catholic 

 and cumprehensive name; it was called the " .Ame- 

 rican Farmer," and thus made to cast its title 

 and its regards, over the whole country — and it was 

 furthermore baptised in the name of Agriculture, 

 "Horticulture,-' (mind you Mr. President, Hurti' 

 culture thirty years ago,) '' Internal Im[)rove- 

 mcnts and Rural and Domestic Econoiuy." Now 

 thinks I. a net spread thus widely must catch some 

 fish, " any how you can fix it." 



When the printer sent me the first number, I 

 looked at it with something of the solicitude, and 



