Oration delivered before the Agricultural Society. 19 



there is between the fize, vigour and produce of little potatoes 

 and big ones, planted in the fame foil and tended with equal 

 care. I am convinced that by the injudicious planting of the 

 fmaller ones lafl feafon, my potatoes did not yield me half fo 

 many bufhels as they would have done, had very great ones 

 been committed to the earth in their (lead. Some experiments 

 made not long ago in England and Nova-Scotia, fet the 

 difference in favor of large ones in a ftrong light. 



It cannot have efcaped your obfervation, gentlemen, how 

 backward we are in railing of barley. The extenlive and nu- 

 merous breweries of New- York and other parts of the State, 

 are but partially furnilhed' with the material of malting from 

 our own produce. It is undoubtedly a fubjeft of ferious regret, 

 that while our farmers exhaull the ftrength of their fields by 

 impoverifhing crops of oats, they negleft the more profitable 

 culture of barley, and thereby neceffitate the brewers to import 

 their grain from the neighbouring States or from foreign parts, 

 or drive our citizens to the lefs wholefome and more expenfive 

 ufe of diftilled fpirits. The practice of raifmg barley is to be 

 confidered more lucrative to the fiirmer, as being a better 

 employment of his labour and capital, and likewife more ad- 

 vantageous to the State by preferving the morals and induftry 

 of its people from the injurious effefts of rum and other ardent 

 liquors. 



Nearly conne8:ed with this is the raifing of Hops. The 

 emolument derived from hop-yards to the owners of Kentifh 

 eflates, may fcrve as encouragement to the American hufband- 



