10 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Jan. 1845 



The Character and Importance of Agriculture. 



— *4« Address delivered before the Tompkins Co. 



Agricultural and Horticultural ISocicti/, Oct. 5, 



18-14. Uj/ Ebknkzek Mack. Published by order 



of the Society. 



A copy of this address, in a neat pamphlet of 16 

 pages, has heen sent to as by the author. It is one 

 of the best digested and most ably written produc- 

 tions of the kind, that has lately appeared. The 

 author belongs to that praiseworthy class of individ- 

 uals which has done so much towards giving a fresh 

 and powe ful impulse to agiiculturai improvement 

 within a few years — individuals who have retired 

 from the turmoil of political life and the cares and 

 anxieties of active business, to the peaceful and in- 

 vigoiating pursuits of agriculture.* It may be re- 

 garded as one of the happiest, omens of the times — 

 one of the surest indications of the future growth 

 and prosperity of this country — that so many men 

 of capital not only, but of energetic and skillful bu- 

 ness habits, are bringing their accumulated means 

 and their successful experience and their vigorous 

 minds all to bear upon the great and momentous 

 subjects of agricultural improvement and rural 

 economy. The idea that a man who is too igno- 

 rant and stupid for any other calling, may make a 

 good enough fa rmcr, is proven to be a gross fallacy 

 by the daily evidences we have before us that they 

 are most successful in the pursuits of husbandry who 

 are the best informed, and who possess acute, inves- 

 tigating and energetic minds. 



The author glances at the condition of agriculture 

 in the " palmy days of Greece and Rome," and shows 

 that the sages and heroes of those days were not 

 only proud of the title of " agriculturist," but were 

 well skilled in the science, maxims and practice of 

 ngricnlture, whose fundamental principles were the 

 same then as now. He traces the progress of agri- 

 cultural improvement in Great Britain, showing that 

 '' while vast improvements have been there accom- 

 plished, in every branch of husbandry — while science 

 and practice have brought forth abundant fruit of 

 their united skill, doubling within the last twenty- 

 five years, the yield per acre of grain and hay, doub- 

 ling within the same tirae the number of domestic 

 animals, and enabling the farmers to keep twice as 

 many upon the same amount of food as they did — 

 while the finest cattle, horses and sheep of improved 

 breeds, are sprinkled in numerous herds over her 

 fertile meadows, — while the lordly and privileged 

 owners of the soil, and the wealthy tenantry of 

 large estates have been greatly profited — the mass 

 of the people — the actual operators — still labor in 

 unrequited toil. Amid this scene of present and 

 progressive improvement. Great Britain presents in 

 her agricultural aspect the sad anomoly of a rich and 

 prosperous country and a poor and degraded popula- 

 tion ! It is not, hov,-ever, to be denied that within 

 the last half ccntm-y, through the spirit of agricul- 



* The niitlmr of this address (like the pieat apostle of a^ritultu 

 lal improvc-ment — the lateJud^e Riirll,) dcvoteil the earfier port of 

 his life to the arduous and perplexing diili('.« of conductine a polili- 

 r".\ newspaper, tofrethcr with .'•onicwhat extended operations of a 

 liiorc profitable nature. And iftcr serving the people of liis county 

 .t district ill the capacity of Representative and Senator, in our State 

 J.esishiturc, and occupying other stations of honor and trust, in n 

 I i-inner no lc§s advantageous to them tliau creditable to himself, he 

 ri-tired a few years since with a handsome competence, to enjoy the 

 j)ursuits of rural life upon his farm, which is situated on a command- 

 ing eminence near the village of Ithaca, overlooking that beautiful 

 town, aiul commanding one of the most lovely views of rural beauty 

 that we ever beheld. The production before us shows that the in- 

 fluence of rural life, with its i)ractical pnr.«uit«, is calculated to en- 

 hance the power of genius, and to give renewed vigor and brilliRUcy 

 to mind already gifted. 



tural improvement and philanthropic zeal which has 

 been exerted in behalf of popular education, both ia 

 Great Britain and on the continent of Europe, the 

 condition of the toiling millions has beeen greatly 

 ameliorated." 



After glancing at the improvements making in 

 France, in the various departments of husbandry,. 

 through the means of experimental farms and libe- 

 ral donations from gcvernment to aid in disseminat- 

 ing the elements of agricultural knowledge and 

 science, the results of which have been already ex- 

 hibited in the fact that France has doubled her pro- 

 duct of wheat, and now produces more annuWllj 

 than Great Britain and the United States together — 

 and showing that in Flan 'ers, "by a systematic and 

 skilful plan of cultivation, combining the plow vi'ith 

 the spade husbandry, upt i small farms of from forty 

 to fifty acres each, nev ly the whole face of that 

 coimtry has bjen made to present the features of 

 garden culti\ ation" — the writer draws a very gra- 

 phic picture of our own highly favored country. 



A statistical table is given showing the amount* 

 of the several products of the soil in the United 

 States annually, exhibiting an aggregate value of 

 about ^800,000,000 ! 



The address states that Mr. E. J. Aters, of 

 Tompkins Co., has raised the past season ffty-seven 

 bushels of ivheat to the acre! Farmers of the Gen- 

 nesee Valley, 'do you hear that V 



On the iasportance of having small farms iccll til- 

 led, in preference to large ones half cultivated, the- 

 writer has some very just and appropriate remarks.. 

 The idea that the renowned Cincinnatus, who has- 

 been kept "plowing" in the speeches of orators 

 and statesmen from his day to this, should have had 

 but six acres to plow, must be somewhat amusing 

 to the advocates of " thousand acre farms." 



Those who are in the habit of ridiculing what they 

 term "book farming" and all modern improvements, 

 are admirably hit oft' by an allusion to the olden, 

 times, when " horses drew by the tails, and oxen by 

 the horns ; and men went to mill with the grist ia 

 one end of the bag, and a stone in the other." 



On the importarrce of improvement in our stock,, 

 the writer says, "the means of improving our do- 

 mestic animals, as well by improved native breeds 

 as by importations, are becoming ample." And very 

 justly adds, " it is as easy to raise a good animal as 

 it is "to raise a poor one. It involves little if any 

 more expense, while the satisfaction and the profits 

 are greatly increased." 



May we not hope that our author will often favor 

 his agricultural friends with the fruits of his experi- 

 enced and prolific pen ] T. H. H. 



To Extract the Essential Oil from any flow- 

 RR. — Take any flowers you like which stratify with; 

 common sea salt in a clear earthen glazed pot. When 

 thus filled to the top, cover it well and carry it to the 

 cellar. Forty days afterward, put a crape over a pan 

 and empty the whole to strain the essence from the 

 flowers by pressure. Bottle that essence, and ex- 

 pose it four or five weeks to the sun, and evening 

 dews to purify. One drop of that essence is enough 

 to scent a whole quart ol water. 



Aromatic Beer. — Take 20 drops of the oil of 

 spruce, 20 do. wintergreen, 20 do. sassafras. Pour 

 2 quarts of boiling water upon the oils, then add 8 

 quarts of cold water, 1 1 pints of yeast. Let it stand 

 two hours, and then bottle. 



