SOLON ROBINSON, 1841 207 



American Society of Agriculture. 



[Albany Cultivator, 8:86; May, 1841 1 ] 



[April 1, 1841] 

 An address to the farmers of the United States; to every 

 friend of agricultural improvement; to every citizen of 

 the United States who desires to see elevated the 

 character and standing of the cultivators of the Amer- 

 ican soil. 



Most respected and most respectable friends and 

 brothers, give me your attention for a few fleeting mo- 

 ments; your humble brother, who now addresses you, 

 published a suggestion about three years ago, for the pur- 

 pose of arousing your attention to the subject of form- 

 ing a National Agricultural Society ; that suggestion was 

 then responded to with a hearty good will throughout the 

 country. But action upon the subject has been over- 

 whelmed by the political whirlwind that has swept over 

 our country. In the first lull of the succeeding calm, the 

 proposition to form such a society has been renewed, and 

 with one exception, has met with a cheering "God speed 

 the project." None doubt the utility of the proposed 

 society, yet doubtless there are many who would like to 

 see the object, end and aim of the society more fully ex- 

 plained. To such I now offer some of my views, and in 

 doing so, invite you all to give yours; for this is one of 

 the objects of a National Society to interchange our 

 views. 



Many warm friends of the measure, who are anxious 

 to see the society in operation, cannot see how it is to be 

 organized. They say, "No doubt if once organized, it 

 would daily increase in strength and usefulness ; but it is 

 like a great complicated piece of machinery, of great use 

 and value when once in motion, but difficult to start." 

 Now, to me there is no difficulty in the way. All that is 

 wanted is a few active engineers to put the machine in 



1 Printed also in Cincinnati Western Farmer and Gardener, 

 2:168a-68b, an extra (April, 1841) ; in ibid., 2:171-73 (May, 1841) ; 

 and in New Genesee Farmer, 2:83 (June, 1841). 



