112 Rensselaer Agricultural Society. 



cultivation being monopolized by tbe haughty owner or landholder, 

 and proceeds as follows : — 



"But, thank Heaven and the invincible spirit of our fatliers! we inherit a 

 land where no such alihorrcnt state of things exists; but where every one is 

 born to infierit antl to feel tiie dignity of human nature. Here, the honest 

 farmer, as he wipes the sweat from his sunburnt brow, instead of cringing 

 and humbbng belore tiie insolent lord of the manor, fears no intermediate 

 being between himself and the God who made hin}. The fruits of his labor 

 are all his own — he has no dread of the rapacity of an unfeeling tax-gath- 

 erer — no jtrivileged clergy to demand the tenth of all his hard earnings. If 

 he labors to fertilize his grounds, to beautify his dwelling, or to enrich and 

 embellish it with fruits and flowers of every kind, he does it for the benefit 

 of himself and his posterity." 



The improvement of agriculture, Mr. Blydenburgh thinks, likely to be 

 retarded by early prejudices in education, " especially when confirmed by 

 habit, and still more so when tiiat habit is strengthened by custom all around 

 us, that not only \n this country, but in every other, and as well among all 

 other classes as agriculturists, in spire of the most brilliant examples set by a 

 few enterprising individuals, to entice them on the road to improvement, 

 inaidvind will still prefer to continue, age after age, in the footsteps of their 

 fathers. There are even some who are professed enemies to every improve- 

 ment, and who not only ridicule, but utterly condemn as a dangerous inno- 

 vation, the slightest deviation from that precise track which has been trodden 

 ^^ since time whereof the 7nemo)~y of man runneth not to the contrary''^ — as it is 

 beautifully described by Cowper: 



' Such dupes are men to custom, and so prone 



To reverence what is ancient and can plead 



A course of long observance for its use, 



That even slavery, though worst of ills, 



Because transmitted down from sire to son, 



Ts kept and guarded as a sacred thing.' 



To such people, to exhibit examples and state facts is time thrown away. 



Mr. Blydenburgh, in complimenting the exertions of several of our 

 most distinguished cultivators, speaks thus : — 



"But the clouds of superstition and prejudice, which have rendered our 

 night of ignorance still more gloomy, are fast breaking away, and bright con- 

 stellations are ushering in the perfect day of improvement. A Buel, a Col- 

 nian, and many oihers, may be considered, not only as stars adorning our 

 yet benighted hemisphere, but as harbingers of the glorious morning of sci- 

 ence which is soon to follow." 



The very prevalent idea with many farmers, that books are not 

 necessary to the improvement and practice of agriculture, and the 

 importance of agricultural schools, are thus alluded to: — 



"But let me entreat the friends of agricultural improvement still to perse- 

 vere, notwithstanding all these discouraging circumstances. Let the discif)le3 

 of the old school ridicule hook farming, and laugh at the idea of an agricidtu- 

 ral college, or of schools to teach the farmer how to hoe his corn. As I have 

 already stated, the spirit of improvement is awake ! Our State legislature 

 alreatly has the subject before it, and the Agricultural Society of the State 

 will doubtless pursue it with persevering attention. It is true, we cannot 

 have the credit of setting the example and leading the way. Such institu- 

 tions are already established, and are producing most happy results in several 

 parts of Europe ; and young men are attending them even from this country. 

 Let us then have the praise of setting the example in our own country, and 



