162 



®l)e jTarmcf g iHontl)iij iMsitor. 



porlionsof tlie soil were uncultivated, the stim- 

 ulus uaturally led to bringing new lands under 

 cultivation, rather llian to an improvement ot 

 the old. 



■At this period, and almost down to the pres- 

 ent time, another cause had a powerful opera- 

 tion to check improvements in the cultivation ol 

 the soil. This cause was emis;ration, whWU 

 greatly retarded the increase of population, in 

 the old settlements ; and no wlit-re was there a 

 greater drain than from Connecticut. 



The increase of population, and the ohversion 

 of labor to other pursuits, which almost neces- 

 sarily attends it, afford the strongest and most 

 wholesome stimulus to agricultural improve- 

 ment. This produces home markets, always 

 the surest and best for lUf. agriculturists, many 

 of whose products being perishable, and all 

 bulky, which cannot be transported to a distance 

 without a heavy charge. 



Without looking further into the causes, the 

 fact will not be disputed, that a spirit of im- 

 provement in agriculture had iro existence in our 

 country, until a very recent jieriod. And even 

 now, it can hardly be said to prevail, except m 

 the older portions of the Eastern and Middle 

 States. 



The cultivation of the soil, including lumber- 

 ing, where forests prevail, is the almost exclusive 

 employment in a new country. This is followed 

 by commerce, of which it is the parent; and 

 comnierce imparts a new and more powerful 

 iutluehce to agriculture. lu process of time, 

 the arts and manufactures spring up, which give 

 a fresh and additional stimulus to agricultura' 



the Atlantic States, they enable the latter to send 1 and tobacco .-onnlry of he word. Among om 

 to market, at a good profit, a great variety of pro- staples ofagriculture, are several of great impor- 

 diict« which could not otherwise be done, and taiice, which are not among the products ot Lu- 



which will not bear trauspoitiiig from the Wes- 

 tern Slates. And this system, by its influence 

 ill devolving the various resources of the coiin- 

 trv, and increasing its wealth, exerts a favorable 

 influence on agriculture generally, and more es- 

 pecially on sections contiguous to our commer- 

 cial towns and manufacturing districts. Whilst 

 it brings the flour and provisions of the West in- 

 to the market on the sea board, it enables the 

 farmers in the Atlantic States to avail themselves 

 of the markets, where local ones do not exist, 

 for hay, milk, vegetables, fruit, and various arti- 

 cles, which, were it not for these facilities, would 

 bear transportation a few miles only. 



In glancing at the causes of the progress in 

 agriculture, we must not overlook the introduc- 

 tion of new crops. The introduction of turnips 

 for field culture in England, which occiired 

 about half a century ago forms an era in the hus- 

 bandry of that country, and has produced im- 

 portant results. The iiitrodnction of potatoes 

 as a field crop, their general use as an article of 

 food, (which is scarcely two generations back,) 

 has been attended with still more important re- 

 sults, both ill Europe and America. The cotton 

 plant, introduced into the United States within 

 the present century, has occasioned a revolution 

 in the agriculture of a large section of our coun- 

 try, and juoduced a great change in the arts 

 and manufactures of Europe and America. 



What new products, whether for food or man- 

 ufacturing purposes, may yet add to the resour- 



eiiterprise. 



What commerce could eflect for ces and wealth of our country, remains for the fu- 



agriculture, had been realized, if not in all the 

 States, at least in Connecticut, To impart new 

 vigor to husbandry here, retjuired a new stimu- 

 lus ; and this has been found in the introduction 

 of mannliictures — slow in their growth, but l)er- 

 manenlly established. We have, then, a new 

 department of labor, employed at different 

 points over the State ; in the interior, as well as 

 on its maratime border; in the mountain valley, 

 lis well as on the rich bottoms of our large riv- 

 ers, which not only supply local markets for the 

 products of the soil, but by increasing the popu- 

 lation, adds to the value of land. This new de- 

 partment of labor also increases capital, a por- 

 tion of which will seek investment in the soil ; 

 and capital is a necessary element of agricultural 

 enterprise and improvement. And the capital 

 created by manufacturing labor is more diffused 

 over the cotintry, than that which is the result of 

 commerce ; that being confined to the great 

 marts of trade. 



In considering the causes which are now ex- 

 erting an influence on the agricultural interests 

 of the United States, we must not overlook the 

 new and improved system of intercommunica- 

 tiou and traiisporlalion. The railroad system, 

 and the a|)plication of steam to the purposes of 

 tnivel and transportation, will form a new epoch 

 in the a<lvancement of civilization These won- 

 derful agencies bring remote points together, and 

 almost annihilate time and space. This system, 

 which is exerting a powerful influence every- 

 where, is destined to produce the most impor- 

 tant results in the United States, from the vast 

 extent of our country, and the immense amount 

 of new and fertile lands in the great valley of the 

 Mississippi and the Lakes, whose exhausllcss re- 

 sources are beginning to be developed, by the 

 new facilities of getting their products to mar- 

 ket. 



It has been .^ipposed by many, that the sys- 

 tem of railroads and canals, by brin>;ing Ihe 

 products (d'the West into com|ietitiou with those 

 of thn Atlantic Stales, would operate injuriously 

 to the agrienltiiral interests of the lalter, and re- 

 duce the value ol' land. But on a full developc- 

 ment of that system, the result will be otherwise. 

 Were agriculture and commerce the only great 

 interests ofour eouiury, this consequence might 

 have followed. JSiit tiianufacimes, the otiier 

 great interest, supply local markets hu' the far- 

 mer; and the railroad system is already exerting 

 a|)owerful intlucMice in eslablisliing manufiu'lures 

 ill, the interior, at points remote from llie liile wa- 

 ter ; and thus creating lociTI markels for Ihosi! 

 liroduols of the farm, which would not justify 

 transporuition lo our comineirual cities on the 

 seaboard. Whilst railroads bring the great sta- 

 ples of the West into competition with those of 



ture to disclose. But " sufficient to the day" is 

 the good thereof, as well as " the evil ;" and it is 

 our j)rivilege, as well as duty lo be content 

 with what Providence has seen fit to bring with- 

 in our knowledge, and to endeavor to make a 

 wi.^e use of it. 



To what a point of magnitude and importance 

 have the agricultural interests of the United 

 States already reached I From exporting a little 

 Indian corn, "flax seed, horses, lumber, and tobac- 

 co which comprised all Qur exports half a centu- 

 ry ago, we are now furnishing all Europe with 

 one of her great staples for manufacturing cotton, 

 and su))plying them with bread stuffs, provisions, 

 butter and cheese, and other articles of (bod. 

 The export of articles of food the past year, vkill 

 not probably be less that twenty-five millions of 

 dollars. The annual value of our agricultural 

 products we have no means of ascertaining ; but 

 'hey are not probably less than a thousand mil- 

 lions of dollars. The cotton cropamounts to sev- 

 enty millions; the wheat crop to nearly one hun- 

 dred fifty ; the corn crop to as much more ; to- 

 bacco to fifteen or twenty millions ;and rye, oats, 

 barley, rice, sugar, pork, beef, butter and cheese, 

 and wool aie of great amount and value. 



Almost every year not only brings an increase 

 to the value ofour exports of the products of the 

 soil, but adds more articles to the list of exports. 

 It is within a few years only, that Indian corn, 

 cheese, butter, lard and hams, have been shipped 

 to European markets. Wool has likewise been 

 exported ; and the time is not distant, when that 

 staple will constitute an imporlant article of our 

 exportations. The northern portion of the great 

 valley of the Mississippi and the Lakes, is destin- 

 ed to become one of the greatest wool districts 

 of the world. And from the shortness and cer- 

 tainly of the passage across the Atlantic, through 

 the agency of steam, even fruit, for which our 

 country is better adapted than Europe, may soon 

 become a considerable article in our export trade. 

 Had it not been fur the vast surplus produce of 

 the United Stales, what would have become of 

 the starving popiilalion of Europe the past year ? 

 From what oilier coiinlry could they have ob- 

 tained the supjilies which we have fiirnished 

 them, and which were necessary to tl-.eir subsis- 



rope. Ofthese, we may name cotton, tobacco, 

 rice, Indian c<un, and sugar, if we except the 

 beet sugar of France— whilst wine and olive oil 

 are the' only produclimis of any importance 

 which Europe supplies, that are not among the 

 products of our own soil. And who can say, 

 that we may not yet have our own wine districts, 

 as well as France ? The Europe and wine grapes, 

 it is true, do not thrive well here ; but we have 

 already several valuable native varieties, and 

 others may be discovered, well adapted to the 

 making of" wine. It is said, that Calilbrnia is the 

 best grape country in the world ; which tnay be 

 probable, for its temperate and imiform climate; 

 and perhaps that, or some other part ot the Pa- 

 cific coast, may become the wine district of Amer- 

 ica. 



If, in our infancy as a nation, our agricultural 

 interests have attained to such importance, what 

 are they destined to become, in our maturity ? 

 What will be their magnitude, even in one half 

 of a century? When it is considered, that our 

 population at that time, will exceed sixty millions, 

 and that we have lands of the very best quality, 

 not yet settled, to an almost unlimited extent ;_ 

 and "that the Ian. Is even in the older portions of 

 the Union, are capable of duplicaiiijg their pro- 

 ducts, it can hardly be doubled, thafat that peri- 

 od, the agricultural interests ofour country will 

 be four fold greater then they are at presenl.- 



Ilere is a sure foundation of a career of pros- 

 perity, such as no nation has ever enjoyed; for 

 an ample and productive agriculture, affording 

 an inexhaustible supply of food, ensures the 



prosperity ot 



other interests, as most others 



taiice? And from what oilier eountrv could they 



obtain the cotton, to sii.stain the labors of 

 tfieir uiamilacturing population? It is now hut 

 lillli- more than half a century, that we have ex- 

 islnd as an independent nation, !ind had the un- 

 reslraincd dincliou of our own energies; and 

 yet we may iriumphanlly ask, what country tlicre 

 is ill the world, whose agricultural interests are 

 so extensive and so diversified as those of the 

 United Slates? This is not only the groat cotton 



are sustained by it ; whilst commerce and manu- 

 factures by a just and natural reaction, impart 

 a posverfiil and friendly influence to agriculture. 

 An acquaintance with the aL'riciiliural pro- 

 ducts of the whole country, and the markets 

 where they are disposed of, is not without its 

 use to the'farmcr and planter, as it will better 

 enable those of any particular secliou,to determine 

 what crops aff"ord the best promise of a profita- 

 ble return for their labor. This will depend not 

 only on the climate, and the quality and feasibil- 

 ity of the soil, but on which markets which may be 

 vvithin their reach. The Conuectticut farmer 

 cannot compete with the flirmer of Illinois or 

 Michigan, in raising wheat, either for the home 

 or foreisn markets ; but he has an advantage 

 over his'western rival, from his proximity to the 

 markets for those articles, in supplying the de- 

 mand for hay, potatoes, milk, butter, cheese, Irnit, 

 and other products. 



It is not my purpose to attempt to enlighten 

 you, in regard to the most profitable modes of 

 husbandry, or as to what branch of it will affird 

 the best reward for your labor. Of the first, yon 

 are probably most of you better informed than I 

 am ; and of 'the seconil, you are better qualified 

 to form a correct judgment. In regard to Iioth, 

 exjierience is the only safe guide. 1 will, how- 

 ever, make some general suggestions on the sub- 

 ject, which yon will receive (or what they are 

 worth. They will not be new; but will not, I 

 hope, be esteemed the less, if they contain estab- 

 lished and acknowledged truths. To be a suc- 

 cessful farmet, science is not very necessary. A 

 man may be a gooil farmer, without beina a nat- 

 uralist, botanist, or chemist, which might enable 

 him to analyze the difforant soils on his farm. 

 But the more knowledge he jiossesses on the 

 general -subject ot agriculture, the heller. Intel- 

 igence in what relates to his business, is quite as 

 irsefnl, to him as it is to the merchant and inan- 

 ufaclnrer, in what relates to their pursuits. 



A successful agriculturist must be an intelli- 

 gent man : and he must be dislingnisbcd for 

 careful aiul accurate observation. .\\»\ allliongh 

 I would not encourage, generally, experiments 

 in the common pursuits of husbandry ; yet ihe 

 skilful and judicious farmer should regani all his 

 o|)i'raliiiiis, in some sense, as expei imrnlal. .\l-- 

 ihough not unilerlaken as such, he will regard 

 Iheiu as a means of knowledge in his pursuit, and 

 as enabling him heller to judge in what way he 

 can cnltivHie his fiirm to the best profit. 



In this way he will not only harn the capabd- 

 ties of his o"wn firm, and its ailaplalion to par- 

 ticular crops ; but he will be conslanlly improv- 



