^\]t larmcr's iHo ntl)ln ilisitor, 



149 



let lis for !i few iiioinents turn our attention to 

 that sniiject. The husbandman or he who onlli- 

 vaied tlie soil, had it not in his power in the 

 early sta{,'es of tlie settlement of this State to 

 clear the ground and i>re|)are it for seed as he 

 now has. In most cases in the early settlement, 

 Indian corn, from which the statf of life was to 

 he procured, was planted and cultivated with the 

 lioe only hefore the lo^'s and stumps were rensov- 

 ed from the ground;' and for many succeeding 

 years the smail grain was put in the ground with 

 great labor by a hardy race of yeomanry whom 

 we ought to remember with gratitude. Tliis is 

 now no longer necessary. Our lands are o|)en 

 and prepared for a belter state of cultivation ; 

 and it becomes ns to cultivate them in the best 

 manner for the attainment of his oljjects— the 

 preservation of the soil and the greatest product 

 from it. And I may here remark that the same 

 crop for successive seasons from the same field 

 is injurious to the soil and impoverishes your 

 lands. Of Ibis fact you are all too well advised 

 to need any comments. What is our situation 

 now compared with our ancestors for the im- 

 provement in agricultural pnrsuits.'-wenow have 

 all Uinds of improvement, not only in our farming 

 utensils, but we have labor saving machines 

 which do a great part of our work. -Vnd here, 

 gentlemen, let me say to you place into tlie hands 

 of your laborers agricultural implements or farm- 

 ing tools which are well adapted to perlorin the 

 labor which you design your men to do. There 

 can lie no greater foliy or poorer economy than 

 to give a man an indifiereiit tool to perform a 

 day's work, or even permit him to work with a 

 good one alter it is out of order. It can hardly 

 be necessary lor me to say to you (but 1 intend to 

 speak of small things in this address) that every 

 farmer should have a tool house, and make it the 

 imperative duty of his workmen to place the tool 

 which he lias been using in its proper place. — 1 

 know of a farmer in the good old town ofBos- 

 caweii, which town perhaps has done niore than 

 any other in the county to keep up an interest in 

 airagricultnral improvements— 1 say 1 know of a 

 farmer in that town— but J do not know whether 

 he is a member of this Society or not, but cer- 

 tain 1 am that he is a pattern for every farmer in 

 the county or the State for neatness around bis 

 buildinus and about his fields— I never passed by 

 his larin without looking upon it with admiration. 

 I was passing by it a few days since in going 

 from Concord to Salisbury, and 1 enquired of a 

 person, a neighbor of his, who was near by his 

 house repairing the highway how long Mr. Al- 

 drieb had lieen in the habit of keeping bis farm 

 in siicb perfect order? He informed me that 

 when he purchased the Jiirm, about fourteen 

 years since, it was in a rifmoiis and dila|)id_ated 

 condition, and he has now made it one of the 

 best farms in the town. I do not intend to be 

 understcKxl that it is one of the most valualile 

 farms, but one of the best regulated liirms. And 

 those are farms of which we ought to speak and 

 commend to the notice of our agricultural friends. 

 Wlien he purchased his farm he cut only five 

 tons of hay ; now he has put it in such a stale of 

 culiivation' that he cuts thirty tons. He said he 

 had a place for every thing ; thes-e was nothing 

 out of place. He also told Ufe that there was a 

 gentleman passing by bis house and soniethiug 

 gave way about his 'carriage, and^ he had occa- 

 sion to call and get a hammer. The good lady 

 of lhehou.se told him be would find one in the 

 tool house, and directed him where it vva.s. When 

 he retnrnett the lianimer he told the lady that he 

 had put the hammer in its place, but was not 

 rpiite sure that be had put the right side n[i. 

 This story is badly told, and does not amount to 

 much ; further than it shows that there was such 

 perfect order in that little tool house, that it 

 struck the gentleman with iieciiliar force. Now 

 of this society let me say to yon and let me say to 

 everyone present, if you have all your farming 

 implements and every thing arounil you in the 

 same order, you will present to your neighbors 

 an example which will be worthy of all imitation. 

 Time is money, and it will be found that the time 

 spent in looking after misplaced tools if saved, as 

 it may be by having regular rules for your.selves 

 and your household, and strictly adhering to them, 

 would be a handsome source of profit. 



To enumerate the various tools or implements 

 to carry on the various agricultural pursuits is 

 neither necessary or expedient at tliislime. They 



should all be of the best conslfDCtion and made 



of the best materials. Y'ou had better pay double 

 price for a irood farming utensil than to take the 

 yiliof apoor wic. The roller is used by very 

 many of our best fitrmers on light soil and 

 our meadow lauds with great success, 

 recommend to all who have 

 land to make iVequent use 



on 

 1 would 

 farms ou smooth 

 of the roller. The 

 roller is simple in its coustrnction, and its cost 

 is very tritliug— it is within the reach of every 

 farmer. 'I'be cullivator is also useiUvith success 

 and saves much hard labor. The great improve- 

 meuts that have taken place in labor saving ma- 

 chines and in the iint-vlements of biisljandry are 

 almost incalculable. And may we not hope that 

 the improvements in agriculture will keep pace 

 with tjje rapid strides of the mechanic arts. The 

 time has passed by, when the agriculturalist will 

 say that our lathers ploughed their grounds three 

 or fbur inches deep, audi will follow their e.\- 

 ainple. You must remember in those days they 

 were cultivating new ground, and they had not 

 the means thenthat we have now. Besidestheir 

 lauds were new and they could get good crops 

 lioin them, which if cultivated in the same man- 

 ner now, would not pay you for your labor— nay, 

 scarcely the seed which you put in the ground. 

 I do not wish to be understood, far be it from 

 me, to cast any reflections upon the manner of 

 our fathers in cultivating their farms— we must 

 only remember that they lived in a new country 

 and had not the means, nor the facilities, nor the 

 implements to n>ake the improvements which we 

 now possess. Let us be as industrious as tbey 

 were with the means wbicli we enjoy, and we 

 shall see rich cultivated farms spreading over 

 every part of this beautiful country. Plough 

 Jeep— turn your soil upside down— lay it deep, 

 and you will see the advantage of it in iriany 

 successive crops. I very well recollect of hear- 

 ing a clergyman, Mr. Moore, of Milford, who is 

 one of our best agriculturalists, in an address 

 delivered before the Hillsborough Agricultural 

 Society at Hopkinton, before this county was 

 formed, impress upon the minds of bis audience 

 the great advantages arising from deep plough- 

 ing, and be very liicetiously said that it was the 

 farmer's business to turn the soil upside down 

 and lay it deep, and the lawyer's business was to 

 turn the world upside over— and then he very 

 quaintly asked which of the two professions 

 were the most honorable. 



The prudent, industrious and sagacious farmer 

 pursues his business with system an.l skill. At 

 the proper .seasons he isseeu clearing up his lands, 

 preparing them for the plough, draining his low 

 lands, reiKiiring his fences, taking care to make 

 compost manure, which is one of the most im- 

 portant items to which the farmer can draw his 

 attention, and see that his grounds are turned 

 over and made ready for the reception of then- 

 seeds in their proper season. In due season he 

 is seen cultivating assiduously bis crops, which 

 be with great care and labor committed to the 

 [earth. He moves on steadily in the discharge of 

 his various duties; and when he has accomplish- 

 ed his task be feels satisfied with his own work, 

 and leaves the increase to Him who 

 earth and placed 

 course pursued by 



made the 

 man upon it. This is the 

 the discreet farmer and by 

 bim who does not ilistrust the providence of Di- 

 vine assurance, " that seed time and harvest 

 shall never fliil." This is a fair jiicture of the in- 

 dustrious, discreet farmer. Go thou and do like- 

 wise. 



But gentlemen, I am compelled to say, and J 

 lio(>e that it will not be taken unkindly, that there 

 are many, very many among us, who do not con- 

 duct the'ir farmina- operations with much system, 

 skill, or great profit. The fanner should uiider- 

 staiiil his business as well as the mechanic 

 or the merchant— each of these will fail in 

 business unless they have system; so will the 

 (-■inner— and to be successful he must apply his 

 mind as well as bis body to the ttisk. He must 

 not only labor, but he must read works upon 

 riculture, interchange opinions with 

 bors upon the improvements in the 

 bandry. Perhaps there is no better way than to 

 form agricultural societies, when you all meet 

 yearly, ami not only you but many who do not 

 unite Ibeinselves vvith societies. And here op- 

 portnnily ofii^rs fiirtui exchange of opinions with 

 those from difl'erent parts of the country. You 

 have reports from your different committees, 



which always throw some light, and frequently 

 suggest some new plan in agriculture which may 

 be of great service to you. And last though not 

 least, you see the beautifiil works of art and in- 

 dustry and skill and fiishion all exhibited here, 

 which have been wrought by the bands of your 

 wives and daughters: what can be more inter- 

 esting? Surely of such an exhibition you have 

 great reason to be proud. 



There is no em|doyment more honorable than 

 husbandry, and none better calculated to amuse, 

 interest and rivet the attention, than agricultural 

 pursuits. To the lover of nature and to him who 

 contemplates the regular and systematic laws of 

 nature, an unboiuuied field is at all times laid 

 open to his view. The industrious ai.d prudent 

 farmer looks with admiration upon this vegeta- 

 ble kingdom — he looks vvith pleasure u|ion the 

 Biuall seeds put into the ground,the rapid vegeta- 

 tion which takes place; and he watches with de- 

 light the difTerent changes from the first vegeta- 

 tion until its maturity. What can be more pleas- 

 ing and more deeply interesting than to look for- 

 ward to the realizing of a full harvest? And 

 what can more gladden the heart of a rational 

 being ? And when these anticitiations have been 

 fully realized, the harvest gathered and secured 

 in bis barns, liow truly grateful should he be_ to 

 Him who made the earth and caused it to bring 

 forth its fruit. The tiirmcr who carefully and 

 judiciously prepares his lands for the reception 

 of his seeds and puts them into the ground 

 at the proper season, will scarcely fail to be 

 abundantly compensated for his labor by a plenti- 

 ful harvest. One of the greatest secrets of suc- 

 cessful farmers is the preparation of your grounds 

 for the reception of seeds and plants. As I have 

 before remarked, plough deep, for I think this 

 cannot be impressed upon your minds too strong- 

 ly — pulverize your soil well, but be careful not 

 to plough when your ground is too wet. This 

 causes many soils to become heavy and renders 

 them unproductive. lie who cultivates his farm 

 vvith care will select his seed corn fl-om the first 

 and ripest ears which appear in his field — those 

 that are well filled out ; and he will see too that 

 they are properly traced up and secured in such 

 a manner that they will not become heated ; by 

 doing this he will always be assured of vegetation. 

 How often do we bear the com|)laint that corn is 

 not coming up, or only a part of it, and being 

 obliged to plant over, which makes your corn 

 fields very uneven and most likely that which 

 was planted last is overtaken by the frost in the 

 fall, and you lose your labor of planting over and 

 the profit of your ground. This can be reme- 

 died by having good seed. The same rule will 

 hold good in regard to potatoes, and roots, and 

 small grain. I have known some farmers plant 

 their small potatoes. This is a mistaken notion; 

 if you plant small potatoes, you will be most 

 certain to have a corresponding crop. In the 

 fall of the year, when the farmer is putting away 

 his potatoes and other vegetables, he ought to se- 

 lect the very best for his seed. Take large, fair 

 potatoes and put them by for seed, and if you 

 plant them on good ground properly prepared, 

 you will be almost certain of an abundant crop. 

 The plaBting or sowing inferior seed has proved 

 to be ruinous, and should be abandoned by all 

 who are aiming at improvement or profit; and 

 improvement is the object of agricultural socig- 



his neigh- 

 art of bus- 



But it may be said that the prices which the far- 

 mer receives for his jirodiicts will not satisfy ex- 

 traordinary care in husbandry. I say, if the far- 

 mer's return l>e small, more carefiil culture is 

 necessary on his part. Let me ask you if the la- 

 bor of llie busbandman is not abundantly re- 

 paid ? Is there any occupation in this State 

 which brings a more certain and ample compen- 

 sation and a greater income for the time and 

 capital employed, than the cultivation of the 

 earth ? Look for one moment over this town, 

 over this county — nay extend your views, over 

 our own State — still go farther and look over our 

 wide extended country, and then say if those 

 who have cultivated the earth and acted prudent- 

 ly and attended to their business are not the most 

 independent class of men among us. Are they 

 not the most happy ? Do they not lie dovvn to 

 rest with more ease and tranquility of mind than 

 any other class of people living? As a class of 

 men they are opulent — they are benevolent; — 

 their gains have been small but sure ; and they 



