2-2« 



SEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[Feb. 3, 



The following paragrat'lis arc lalten from a Sermon, de- 

 livered at Windsor, (Vl.) December 1, 1325, on the 

 day of General 'IhaiikfsiviiJg ; by George Leon- 

 ard, A. M. — 



This part (it' our cniiiDion country, my liretli- 

 rpii, is still in its int'iuicy ;is to iin|iriivt'inenl. — 

 There are some of you, who h.ivc seen this 

 coiiMlry 111) entire wililernes:', an imliruken lor- 

 e.-t. Tiie lirst generation ol that har.ly and res- 

 ohile rar.e of ineiJ, who hraveilall the liarJships 

 ami incoiuenioni;es of a country in a state ol 

 nature, to seek their shelter in the rUlll•^t iKvell- 

 iiii;s, to contend willi the inclemency of the ele- 

 ments ; to dispute the fruits of iheir lahonr willi 

 the savage heasls of the I'orfst, or with equally 

 savage men ; this <>-eneration of brave and vir- 

 tuous men, 1 say, ha\e scarcely passed oil tlio 

 stage of life, and ivhat changes and iinprove- 

 nicnls do wc ■'eo around u- ! In every direc- 

 tion the forest hrokeii hy beautiful ei'.closures ; 

 luxuriant (icids and meadows, in a high slat(! 

 of cultivation, and yielding an ahuiul.iit supply 

 lor the wants of man and beast ; good roads in- 

 tersecting the country in every (piarlor, com- 

 modious, anil, in not a few instances, elegant 

 dwellings, which are not strangers to many of 

 the refinements of l.he most polished societies ; 

 every where smiling villages, schools and tem- 

 ples, lor the worship of that Beuig who pours 

 his benefits upon mew. 



Truly, my brethren, we have "a good land 

 and a laigt.'."' Alliiough it does ni<t afounil, so 

 far as has yet been ascertained, in many of those 

 rich mineral productions, from vvhiili some na- 

 tions derive Iheir wealth aiul coiiseipience, yet 

 there is a generous soil on its surface, which 

 the hand of industry may turn to the greatest 

 advantage ; from which we may eat broail with- 

 out sc.irceness, and rear, in liio highfs< perlec- 

 lion, all those animals which were designed for 

 (he aid, convenience and comfoit ol man. W'e 

 have our cattle upon a thonsanil hills; and llu^ 

 flocks tipou our tnountains, if you will indulge 

 me in a little anticipation, will yet aflbrd em- 

 ployment to thousands of loom-, to convert their 

 rich products into the objects of ornftrnfint and 

 comfort, as well as to give life to commerce. — 

 Perhaps there is no country of the earth more 

 highly privileged on every account, than the 

 valley washed by the Connecticut ; where there 

 is more solid enj'nmeni dilfu-cd among all con- 

 ditions of society ; where there is so little suf- 

 fering from extreme poverty ; where, if there 

 <ire few found, who are overloaded and bloated 

 with immense wealth, almost all have a due 

 slvire of the bles.siiigs of life, and very few are 

 seen sunVring in In ggary ; where there is that 

 happy medium and e(piali(y in the condition of 

 Society; where, in tine, there is more virlue, 

 soliriety and iiuhislry in the habits ot the people. 

 Well, then, dill the poet sing when he address- 

 ed the river on the borders of which we dwell ; 



" No watry gleams llirou»pli happier valleys shine, 

 >'or drinks the sea a lovelier waie than Ihiuc." 



There things rejoice the heart of the patriot, 

 and excite the tTio«t ardent feelings of gratitude 

 m the breast of the christian. 



Yoi) see. therefore, my brethren, that we pos- 

 sess emjihalically a good land; ami there is an- 

 other consideration worthy of altenlion, our 

 land is not only good, but is a large kind. It is 

 not with us here yet, as it is in some other coun- 

 tries, where an immense population are crowd- 



ed together upon a small spot, and where there ' themselves occii|>y. They should sjiend much 

 can be only a few acres to each ; where the ^ of their leisure time in peru-ing such nsel'ul 

 jieoplc must, from necessity, live in want, in ig- 1 books, that they may be the dupes, neither of 

 noiance, and idleness. W'c have room enough. ! political quackery, nor religious in)posture, and 

 Our country is of suchextent, that the rcsourcesi that they m ly be able faitlifiilly Kj discharge 

 for the skill and labour of the husbandman are i the duties ot tree citizens. Inde.'d a well in- 

 inexhaustible. The more the labour and skill | formed yeomanry is the stamina of society. If 

 applied to the soil, the greater the returns, until ^ other cl.isses of men are th?» marble that adorns, 

 the population shall become on any given ter- 1 they are tlie massy graii.te that forms the strength 

 ritory more than fourfold what it is at present ; ' and stability of the editice. On the whole, iVoni 

 and then what materials this will alTord for the all my observations of mankind and of society, 

 arts, for manufactures, and commerce. Should I do not think, that in any pursuir whatever, a 

 our country here advance in improvement in no' young man has a greater chance Cora happy 

 greater a ratio than it has done fur the list hall' life, than m that of the husbandman. Many a 

 century since its first settlement, imagination ; man, alter spending fruitless years in specula- 

 would be hardly able to kee() pace with the in- j lions, and in the precarious subsjslence of an 

 crease of beauty and utility spre.id over the en- ; overstocked profess, on, has sincerely rejjielled 

 tire surface of our hills and valle) s in smoothing the ill fated day that he left his father's domi- 

 the rough face of nature, in irrigating tlie diy,|Cil, where there was land enough and to spare, 

 and draming the wet, in creating fertility even ' and plunged into more uncertain pursuits. — 

 upon the barren ; in substantial and duralde en- 1 Thei e is no fear that eve;y other occupation 

 closures; in the safely and c(uiveniencc in will not have a full supply of men, in a country 

 roads; in the beaiily and comfort of buildings-; | where the means of educali(/n are so common 

 in the growth of villages and towns; in render- j and so cheap, and where the mechanic must 

 ing navigable our numerous streams ; in wealth, [ necessarily be placed side by side witii the 

 insolid informalion, and in real enjoymc-n!. 1|'| farmer, and where both must seek their market 

 wc are .already behind some par;s i.l' our couii- j and the produclious of foreign cuunlries through 



try in some of these iinproveuients, it should be 

 no discouragement, (ircat things, as we have 

 seen, are [lossible to the genius of our country- 

 men, when faithfully, diligently, patiently and 

 perseveringly applied. We may yet many of 

 lis live long enough to witness surprising results 

 t'lom the steady oiierations of our enterprise and 

 industry. 



It has long seemed to me, that there is one 

 evil among us, which can be remedied by no 

 laws, as il depends upon the free choice of 

 pverv individual; an evil, therefore, whiclv 

 must he left lo work its own cure; and that is, 

 ihal, in proporlitm to our population, too many 

 leave the employment of the agricnllurist, for 

 other ein|ilnynienis. If this arises Irom its being 

 considered that the employment of the husband- 

 man is not respectable, it is a very great mis- 

 take. Every thing is honourable which is nse- 

 l'ul and virtuous. This is an employment insli- 

 luleil by God himself, ami by him peculiarly 

 owned and blest. It is llinl on which every 

 thing else depends. What can be more pleas- 

 ing than to direct the young and lender plant 

 how to shoot, and to cherish its growth ? What 

 more humane than the care of those animals 

 which contribiile to ihe coml'ort and conveni- 

 ence of man? True this employment is labo- 

 rious ; but then labour brings health, and heallh 

 is the foundation of enjoyment and happiness 

 The condition of the larmcr is a condition of 

 independence. His little domain is his own, his 

 comforts are his own, and he is not at the mer- 

 cy of public whim and caprice. Il is not ne- 

 cessarily the case, in this happy country espe- 

 cially, Ihat the farmer must be a stupid, ii;no- 

 rant man. He is taught in his youth the first 

 rudiments of education, and he has many spari 



fhe inerch.int. 



.So strong are my sympatlii(»s for these useful 

 and respect. ihle classes of men, the farmers and 

 mech.inics of our country, that it grieves me 

 when they fall into those extravagancies and 

 vii(s, wiiich involve them in difficullies and 

 einbarrassinents, and m ir thai happiness which 

 ihcy might othenvise render so complete. O 

 that they did but know in what Ihat happiness 

 consists, and would seek its preservation by all 

 those means, which temperance, sobriety, and 

 ^iigion aflord !•■*** 



The Philadelphia .Society for Promnling .Agri- 

 culture, held its annrial meeting Jan. 17, I82G. 



Tho President Kichard Peleis, in the Chair, 



The election of the Oflicers of ihe Society 

 took place as follows : 



President. — Richard Peters. 



Fice Frcsidails. — ^Villiam Tilghmnn, James 

 Mease, Nicholas Biddle, Isaac C Jones. 



'2\cusurfr. — William M Walmsley. 



Sccreliinj. — W. S. Warder. 



Curators. — Reuben Haines, Koberls Vans, 

 Sle|dien Duncan, Jerc. Warder, Johu Hare 

 Powcl. 



Librarian. — William .S. ^Varder. 

 Corrcspotidiiig Commiiicr. — Kichard Peter?, 

 William Tilghman, Zaccheus Collins, James 

 Mease, John Vaughan. 



The following commnnicaliens were read — 

 1. By a Member — Observalions on the impor- 

 tance of'yolk lor the nourishment of wool; on 

 the advantages ot' attending to the form of meri- 

 no sheep, and on the success of liritish farmers 

 in obtaining a race titled to sii|)|,|^r fmg tvool, 

 and fine mutton. 



County, ill sowing rape-seed.* The crop was 



hours to read. In the heat of a siillrv summer's | o. .Mr. Philips gave an account of Ihe success- 

 noon, by iho long winter's evening tire, he has!|-„i experiment of a gentleman in Philadelphia 

 much time for his books, and in this country " 

 they are placed within the reach of all. In 

 every neighborhood of' farmers, there should be 

 a libriiry, well selected tor their use, containing 

 geography, travels and history, that they may 

 know something more of the world, its history. 



• He was induced to commence the custom of the 

 (I'ant from reading the account given by Capt. Barron 

 il (he V. ^. navy, in the Agricultural Almanack for 

 ll.'.'.'i, (published under the patronage of this Society.) 

 of its extensive rulture in the vicinity of Hamburgh, 

 and manners, than just of the little spot they ' He sows the sttd among his com, alter it has received 



