1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



687 



to sacrifice their birthright of freedom for a mess 

 of pottage. Necessity however, a stern but sure 

 reformer, is at work — and all must soon be con- 

 vinced that the original curse, if indeed a curse it 

 can be called, denounced against our kind, that 

 requires we should earn our bread by the sweat of 

 our brow, is unrepealed. I forbear, however, to 

 dwell longeron the gloomy side of our affairs, and 

 cheerfully turn to a more exhilerating prospect — 

 the vast resources of our country, and the means 

 of their developement. 



AVith pride I feel warranted in asserting, that 

 there is no portion of the earth of the same ex- 

 tent, on which Heaven has dispensed a larger 

 share of its bounties, than on this ancient com- 

 monwealth. In addition to our fine climate and 

 comparatively fertile soil, look where you will, to 

 the east, to the ivest, or to the interior, you 

 will find some peculiar blessing adapted to the 

 wants of the conterminous region. In support 

 of this broad assertion, I reler with pleasure to the 

 late geological reconnoissance by the distinguished 

 Prolessor Rogers, directed to objects of the great- 

 est importance, and, as far as I have seen, execu- 

 ted with great ability; a measure, honorable to the 

 legislature directing it, and winch I hope will con- 

 tinue to receive its continued patronage. From 

 this, and other sources of information, we know 

 that while the eastern portion of the state con- 

 tains exhaustless beds of the richest marls, whose 

 application to the soil ensures the most ample re- 

 turns, rendered accessible to all by its position on 

 the shores of its fine navigable streams, in the 

 western section we find the bowels of the earth 

 filled with the most valuable minerals. What a 

 mine of exhaustless wealth does that region pre- 

 sent in her salt waters, of which, millions of bush- 

 els of that necessary of life, salt, are already man- 

 ufactured — and capable of indefinite extension — 

 and where, as through an especial bounty of 

 Providence, the coal abounds to an extent that 

 cannot be consumed, in a stone's throw of the 

 salt springs. The interior too is no less bounti- 

 fully supplied. Coal, gypsum, ores of iron, lead, 

 copper, and gold, to which may be added as most 

 important of all, the almost countless springs, so 

 varied in their properties as to furnish remedies to 

 every disease that flesh is heir to — find in short, 

 whose waters may be said, without, a figure, 1o 

 be for the "healing of the nations." To these add, 

 our fine rivers — for which nature has done so 

 much — and to complete the advantages of which 

 so little is required of man — and what a theatre 

 do we present for the action of an enlightened 

 statesman — whose genius expanding over this 

 fruitful region, might quicken into lite, these hither- 

 to comparatively dormant treasures. To such a 

 mind, how insignificant must appear the little 

 party contests for office, compared with so great an 

 achievement! 



We come, therefore, to the most interesting 

 and most difficult part of our duties. What 

 is to be done? I am not sanguine enough to sup- 

 pose that mortal man can apply an immediate and 

 effectual remedy to the waste of centuries — or 

 forthwith reform habits, which have been con- 

 firmed by ages. But 1 do hope, by beginning a 

 judicious system of reform, and pursuing it per- 

 severingly, that its benefits will be successively 

 made manifest — and thus growing in public favor, 



it will in time be co-extensive with the evils with 

 which we have to contend. 



The first step is, to elevate the pursuit of ngri- 

 culture in public opinion. To do so, give it a j osi- 

 tion at the University, by establishing a profes- 

 sorship of agriculture. Put it. on an equal plat- 

 form with other sciences. Place her disciples 

 abreast with those of the most favored branches 

 of learning. Let diplomas be awarded to the dis- 

 tinguished — and thus bring back to her standard 

 that large portion of mind to which she is entitled, 

 and which heretofore has been so prodigally wast- 

 ed. Your prolessor, a man of science and expe- 

 prienee, would soon fashion it to the best uses. 

 Add your experimental farm, where theory might 

 bring her principles to be tried by the only inlidli- 

 ble test, experiment — the results furnishing well 

 ascertained principles, to be digested into a code, 

 and harmony and certainty produced, where all is 

 now doubt and confusion. An establishment thus 

 sanctioned by authority, and fruitful of such great 

 good would become an object of popular favor, 

 and every citizen of the least patriotism would 

 seek to aid it. It Avould instantly become the ral- 

 lying point of the now scattered intelligence of 

 the land. Every farmer would feel a pleasure 

 and a pride in communicating every supposed 

 discovery, invention, or improvement; and these 

 after being tested, might be universally diffused 

 — whatever was beneficial to be immediately 

 adopted; whatever useless rejected. Here too 

 may be tested the aptitude of our climate and soils 

 to every production — the vine and the mulberrv, for 

 example. We have every guarantee, as I think, 

 to their successful cultivation: but what individ- 

 ual has fully tried them, or will encounter the de- 

 lay and expense, when the result may be doubt- 

 ful? As individuals, we are too poor — and every 

 succeeding generation must be poorer. When- 

 ever mankind multiply as rapidly as we do, and 

 the coparcenary principle of distributing property 

 prevails, it is inevitable that the lbrtunes of indi- 

 viduals must decrease — (1 am not arraigning the 

 principle, but speaking of its effects.) These, 

 and all costly and doubtful experiments must be 

 made at the public expense, or they will not be 

 made at all. And yet upon the two articles re- 

 ferred to, if success attended the experiment, the 

 gain of twenty millions annually to the American 

 people would not be an unreasonable estimate. 

 I am told that Connecticut, with a praise-worthy 

 liberality, gave some fifteen thousand dollars to 

 encourage the growth and manufacture of silk, 

 and that her people, in consequence, have already 

 succeeded to a wonderful extent. What is there 

 to prevent similar success in this region, where 

 physical advantages seem to be on our side? Here 

 too, every implement of husbandry might have its 

 proper worth assigned to it, as well as every new 

 invention. One experiment, instead of many, will 

 save both time and money. It will alike save the 

 farmers from the tricks of the impostor on the one 

 hand, while on the other, no one will be deterred 

 from adopting an improvement, when sanctioned 

 by such authority. Those who have suffered by 

 the. former, hesitate to profit by the latter. [ 

 remember after the wheat-thrashing machine had 

 been in successful operation with us for twenty 

 years, I was written to, and by the president of an 

 agricultural society too, not a hundred miles off, to 

 ascertain whether it really wa3 so. 



