AGR 



AGR 



physic. In Great Britain a very 

 large proportion of the vveahh, the 

 talents and the influew:e of men 

 who occupy the fust ranks in s'o- 

 ciety, is directed to agricultural 

 improvements, and the munifi- 

 cence of the government encou- 

 rages and rewards the patriotic 

 exertions of individuals. 



h) the United States a spirit has 

 of late j-ears been exerted, which 

 has produced a new era in the an- 

 nals of American agriculture ; and 

 the most fortunate results do not 

 rest altogether in anticipation, but 

 have been already in some mea- 

 sure realized. 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIE- 

 TIES are now becoming common 

 in the United States, and {l^e pre- 

 judices which existed against these 

 institutions are subsiding, as the 

 benefits resulting from them are 

 too obvious not to be generally 

 acknowledged and highly appre- 

 ciated. Probably the wisdom of 

 man could not devise means more 

 effect. sal than those presented by 

 these societies, for stimulating and 

 rewarding (hat skill and industry, 

 which are the corner stones of na- 

 tional as well as individual pros- 

 perity. The follov^ing sketches, 

 which we have extracted from 

 ",/^r? Address dflivered before the 

 Massachusetts Agricultural Socie- 

 /?/," may serve to exhibit some of 

 the advantages which have ac- 

 crued, and may be anticipated 

 from these institutions. 



" The first public society of 

 this description, we believe, was 

 founded in Great Britain ; where 

 agriculture, even at the time of 

 its foundation, was in a more im- 

 proved state than that of any other 

 European nation, except, perhaps. 



Flanders. The Bath and West of 

 England Society, had the honour 

 of leading the van in this generous 

 attempt to improve and elevate 

 the most important and interest- 

 ing, as well as most innocent hu- 

 man art. That art, which free 

 from vice or a tendency to pro- 

 duce it, is productive of none of 

 the injurious effects, from which 

 not many other extensive human 

 arts are wholly exempt. The 

 British nation soon became awak- 

 ened to (he importance and value 

 of &uch institutions, and by a par- 

 liamentary provision, with noble 

 munificence, founded a National 

 Society. The state of Massachu- 

 setts had the glory of early appre- 

 ciating the value of such institu- 

 tions, and this society can trace its 

 origin to a period, when those of 

 Europe were still in their infan- 

 cy." 



In speaking of the advantages 

 which result from these societies, 

 the writer observed ; 



" Men and their feelings and 

 motives are the same in whatever 

 situation they may be placed. 

 They may be taught to encourage 

 the ferocious passions, or to culti- 

 vate the kindly affections. It de- 

 pends on rulers and on the laws to 

 give them a virtuous and useful, 

 or vicious and pernicious direc- 

 tion. The plain and too much 

 forgotten and neglected husband- 

 man, contributes directly or indi- 

 rectly more than seven-eighths of 

 all that is effected towards the sup- 

 port and prosperity of a state. In- 

 deed, their number, in this happy 

 country is nearly in that ratio. It 

 cannot be questioned, unless the 

 laws of nature are reversed as to 

 this great mass of society, our 



