Preface, 



the grateful remembrance of those whose interests are faithfully 

 served. 



** It is not with any conviction of my capacity to throw on the subject of onr iiisli- 

 "lulionany new lights, or to bring forward any new incitements to oui Zf-al, Uial 

 *' I have, from necessity, consented to prono»»ice a plain and narrative, and I lear, 

 '•desultory address on this thihtt-eighth »nrmnl return of the season in which our 

 "Society commenced its disiotert sted and usfful labours It was formed in 1785, 

 **by a number of the most respectable cilizt^ns, whose views were not biassed by 

 *• any selfish raotives ; for few of them hail any direct ititerest in the subj- c Their 

 •' objects were purely patriotic ; and calculated to s^rve the interest of Hnsbandmen; 

 " without any prospects of emolument or even fame accruing to themselvf s. They 

 *' perceived, with regret, that no such associations existed in any oiht i pan ot our 

 " country ; or, if in existence, no publicity was given to their proceedings. Sensible 

 **of the necessity of encouraging and informing the practisers of the art on which 

 ** the prosperity of our country mainly depends, they spared neither necessary ex- 

 ** expense, nor zealous endeavours, to accomplish their ends. Their task was dif- 

 " ficult, for their influence, among practical farmers, was neutralised by almost un- 

 •' conquerable prejudices. Few believed that those who did not follow ihe plough, 

 •' could possibly advise or direct the tillers of the soil. They persevered with unre- 

 ♦• milling endeavours, till many among the intelligent farmers, not only in our own, 

 «« but in other States, were convinced of, and assisted their usefulness. I reverence 

 ** their memory, having well knowr, theirpureandpatrioticexcitementsto wtll floing. 

 "I was, then, one of the few practical farmers among them I profited by the instruct- 

 •' ive lessons promulgated oy this infant association, and gratf^fully returned my obli- 

 "gations in every way my capacity and powi-renabled me. Being almost the only survi- 

 *« vorot those whofirsi formed our Society, I think myself bound to pay my thankful 

 ** tribute to the memory of my departed coadjutors and fru-nds. To them and their suc- 

 ♦•cessors, our country is indebted, for at least the rudiments of the agricultural zea 

 «* and intelligence which now so happily, and so generally, pervade our Union And 

 ** if, by the progress of improvement, and the increase of means — favoured by more 

 ** enlightened views of the subject, among those whose prosperity was the object of 

 '* their aim — their early endeavours have been outdone ; their merit is not the less 

 ** praiseworthy. The seed, then sown with naore seal than hope, has (alien in a 

 <* fertile soil, and the harvest is abundant. Part ol their original design, was to pro- 

 ** mote the formation of societies similar to thou- own. Long indeed was the ac- 

 ** eomplishment of this most desirable object delayed ; but i have lived to see, by a 

 " kind of spontaneous and general conviction, such associations widely spread 

 ♦•throughout our country. And if, with more means, but not with more zeal, some 

 *' of them have given more brilliant and repeated insJances of active exertions, than 

 '•our limited resources hav« enabled us to exhibit, it affords to me the most pure 

 **^and unalloyed delight. Through a gloomy period of apathy— among our rural 

 "fellow citizens particularly — we kept alive the fire on the altar of our devotion to 

 <• the great and lending interest of our country. Many have lit their torches at our 

 " constant, if not always lambent, fl-<me ; and the bright^ ihey burn, the more they 

 *« contribute to our most sincere satisfaction — solid, not boastful ; admiring, not in- 

 " vidious. 



" It was the earnest wish of our Society, that our State should set the example of 

 "providing not only foi the practical, but the scientific, instruction of our farmers. 

 *' So long ago as the year 1794, a plan wa» drawn up by myself, and approved by 



