MR. payson's address. 7 



knowledge by tlie Newspaper Press. Slowly, silently, almost by 

 stealth, without the knowledge of the man himself, this mighty engine 

 undermines old prejudices, and has taught the farmer that however in- 

 dependent he may be, he is not so much so, as that the experience of 

 others will not profit him. Most of us have become willing to seek 

 directions, even if they are contained in a hooh. We are becoming 

 more like liberal, free-born and aspiring men. 



Yet after all, agricultural improvement is in its infancy, and to 

 nurture its youth and rear it to manhood, has been left to us, and to 

 those who are to come after us. To direct how this shall be done is 

 a difficult task. I shall however, upon two or three of the most im- 

 portant questions connected with the subject, venture to give an opin- 

 ion, always premising that if I am wrong, I will, when convinced of 

 my error, despite the shame of acknowleging it, and with all my 

 heart most readily embrace a different opinion. 



All will agree, that the basis of improvement lies in a more thor- 

 ough tillage. Now one great hindrance to this, is the strong and 

 universal tendency among farmers to OAvn and cultivate too much 

 land. I am well aware that I tread on disputed ground, and that 

 there are those among us whose opinions, we are ready, and ivith good 

 reason^ to esteem almost as oracles, who "have no sympathy with 

 this ^:*nall farm theory." But with due deference to their opinions 

 Fill y I not start with this fact, that the case so commonly occurs as 

 to make it a general rule, that our very large farms are very poorly 

 cul'ivated ? To the point which I have in view, we mean the apo- 

 logue of the vine-dresser, who had two daughters and a vineyard. 

 When his oldest daughter married, he gave her a third part of his 

 '■' -iyard for a marriage portion, notwithstanding which, he had the 



le quantity of fruit as before. When his youngest daughter was 



rried, he gave her half of what remained, still the produce of his 

 v;aeyard was undiminished. The secret was simply this, that the 

 more thorough tillage which he was enabled to give to the remaining 

 third part, trippled his produce, while at the same time it reduced the 

 cost of cultivation. Now he that cultivates the most land, or pro- 

 duces the greatest crop, is not the best farmer, but he that can do it 

 with the least expense. In Massachusetts the high price of labor is 

 an insuperable objection to large farms. As it is, men must not only 

 not be idle, but must at all times, and under all circumstances work 

 to the best advantange, or the proceeds of their labor will not pay 



