THE STATE FAiR. 191 



soil on which the corn and the grass grow, and the nutritive properties, again, of 

 the corn and tlie grass on whicli tlie bullock feeds, to the end that through all 

 his operations the young fiiriner may proceed undcrstandingly — else can he never 

 proceed with the same pleasure or honor, or, with any thing like certainty, to 

 adapt his means to his ends ! Who does not know, as the result of experiments 

 a thousand times repeated, what immense crops of corn can be made to grow on an 

 acre — how much wool to grow on a sheep's back — how much milk a cow can be 

 made to yield, and how mucii a hog be made to weigh ? But how few understand 

 thoroughly the principles upon which these results depend, and by what most eco- 

 nomical means and processes they can be with certainty accomplished ? Have we 

 not, in a word, collected a suflicient mass of facts, and is it not time that we were 

 drawing deductions from them, or, in other words, time that we were looking from 

 effects to causes ? Finally, the production of great crops and the exhibition of 

 well-formed animals, and implements of the most perfect structure, are all highly 

 worthy of encouragement — not to show that such things can be produced, but, 

 as demonstrations of problems on the blackboard, to show, at the same time, 

 how they have been done! Any fool can tell that if a hen sits three weeks 

 on an egg it wall produce a chicken ; but it took science to ascertain the de- 

 gree of temperature — about 100 of Fahrenheit — essential to incubation, and 

 that artificial heat might be made to perform the office of the natural mother, 

 and just as well. When shall we cease to appeal, as a stimulus to improve- 

 ment, to the baser elements of our nature, and learn that no walk of life opens 

 so many and such entertaining studies as those which lie in his path to charm 

 the cultivator of the soil, and to make him establish his natural right to be ac- 

 counted among the most learned, and, as he ought to be, of consequence, among 

 the most useful and virtuous of mankind 1 How long shall we sufler all other, 

 classes to talk of and to treat us as fools or babies ? Let our efibrtsand our means 

 be applied to the better education of the rising generation in the principles of 

 Agriculture in all its branches, and to providing well-paid and highly honored in- 

 structors and suitable books for all our schools, and for Farmers' Clubs. Thus 

 would we lay a broad and solid basis out of which general and permanent im- 

 provement would grow up— improvement founded on pride in their profession, to 

 which an understanding of its principles is always to be implied as essential.— 

 We only say that the time may come when the question will arise, whether it is 

 not better to give this other direction to a large share of our exertions, and to 

 most of the means at our command, and even to the action of the Government, 

 if the Government can ever be brought to act specially for this great interest as it 

 does for others, that live, like horse-flies, on its blood. 



We cannot draw these hasty remarks to a close without bearing our humble 

 testimony to the patriotic efforts and designs of all concerned in projecting this 

 exhibition, and to the assiduity and tact of the officers and assistants to whom 

 was consigned the duty of superintending it. We regretted that, for more rea- 

 sons than one, it was impossible for us to hear the Oration ; but we shall read it 

 with the greater attention, and with a pleasure for which we have ample secu- 

 rity in the admitted and admired talents and eloquence of the orator. 



Without the slightest wish to detract from him or from the obligation con- 

 ferred by him on the Society, we will only add, that when agriculturists are 

 brought by improved education in direct reference to their business, to a better 

 knowledge of it and of their rights, knowing, they will " dare maintain them ;'' 

 and will no longer consider themselves obliged to go annually to some raembej 



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