164 



NEW ENGLAND FAllMEK, 



Dec. 7, 1S31. 



ricultwral. 



A D 1 J R E S S , 



VERED BEFORE THE JEFFERSO^' COUNTY 



A G R 1 C U L T U II A i. SOCIETY, 



] mill to •Itseive siicli a chiinicter, is u fair objent of; Our si.il, orif-iiially covered by a riuli vegetable 

 I lionoralileuMjliilioii. It is a gratifyiiii,' reflection, I mould, tlip acetiriiiilation of ceiitiiries hikI for « 

 j that the labors of this society have coiitributeil in \ while yieldiiij; nbuuilaiilly, even under the mo8t 

 some <legree, to acquire for Jefferson eoiiiily a iiniierfBCt cultivation, lieiomes. In jirocess ol' lime, 

 good iiaaie abroad. Ami conhl our farmers be. ; partially exhausted by the severe ajid injudicious 

 made sensilde of the res|iect which attaches to i course to which it is f.eqneiitly subje.teil. Kely- 

 ihe comity, from the circumstance of our associa- 1 ing U|)Oii its natiual fertility, ue have loo imich 

 itioii heins so well sustained, I am coiitidi.nt, that I neglected the iiienns, ntnply within our leaen, of 



Sun. 37, 1831. 

 DY MAJOR EN.MU.ND KiRBY. 



Gesltemf.n I congratulate you upon the aiis- j thev would to a man, contribute to our funds, and ! |ne.servins its productive powers at their highest ^ 



return of our aiiniversai y. Our meet 



enable us by a more exteinled list of preiniums, to ; pitch. There arc various modes of applying ina- 

 reach all the objects of production. j imre by which it may be made to contnbnte to th« 



But however well others may think of us, we ] fertilily of the soil; but it is of importance » 

 must not conceal from ourselves, that we are yet I know in what way the groalesi good is to be de- 

 but upon the threshold of improvement, and that j rived. In regard to barn yaid nianme, almost the 



^ .._ ^ the whole fieldlies e.\panded before us. Though jonly kind in use among us, when applied as a top 



The labors of' our'society, through a succession I much has been accomplished, still more remains | Orcssing to grass land, though the sneceeding crop 

 of fourteen years, under the able guidance and j to be done, deman.ling united efforts and the most will be essenli.illy benefited, y.t much ol its vir- 

 mainly through the indefatigable efforts of our persevering zeal. |ine is wasted by evaporation. It is uminesliona- 



presiding officrer, have lieen, in an eminent degree, While I offer a few suggestions upon some of jbly belter to apply it on land under tillage. Until 

 crowned with success. A better system of agri- i the defects in our system, I am conscious that the|ol 



pic 



ing«»re always attended by agreeable a.ssociations. 

 They bring in satisfactory review the |iast, and 

 excite cheering anticipations of the future. But 

 this perhaps, more than any former occasion, is 

 calculated lo inspire grateful emotions 



culture ; the introduction of improved breeds of 

 cattle, and the cultivation of more intimate social 

 relations among ourselves, are some of the fruits 

 of these labors. And at no former perioil, since 

 our organization, have the prospects of the far- 

 mer been so decidedly encouraging as at present. 

 This favorable state of things must be ascribed to 

 a combination of other causes with that just no- 

 ticed. 



We are blessed with a country admirably adapt- 

 ed to the pursuits of agriculture. Our climate is 

 salubrious; oursoil possesses a high degree of fer- 

 tility ; its proiluclions are abundant and varied ; 

 our position enables us to resort, with the facility 

 of water transport, to the New York or the Mon- 

 treal markets, us either shall offer the highest in- 

 ducements ; above all, our great artery, the Black 

 River, flowing through the centre of the county, 

 presents for thirty miles a constant succession of 

 water power, already beromiiig the liivorite seat 

 of the mechanic arts, and diffusing activity and 

 rigor through our whole population. 



With these great natural advantages, we should 

 be wanting to ourselves if we were not a prosper- 



not common to use it till 

 contribution I shall be able to bring to the common j thoroughly rotted ; but numerous and critical 63*. 

 stock, will be humble indeed ; for, my life having 'perimenls have established the fact, that more 

 been devoted to other pursuits, I have but a very i than half its fertilizing propel ties are thus lost j 

 imited e.xperience to draw upon, and must make I anil it is agreed by the best modern nnthorities, 

 amends for my lack of knowledge, l>y the abiin- ' that it should be hauled o>it and ploughed in before 

 dance of my zeal for the cause in which we are ! fermentation takes place, in order that ihe gases 

 en^'at'ed. i evolved by that process, may pervade the soil and 



A leading defect in our system is the occupation j impart to it their stimulating properties, 

 of farms too large for our means of cultivation. Wheat consiitutes one of our most valuable pro- 

 This arises from the cheapness of land and dear- duds, affording iimler proper Ireainnnt, a sure 

 nessof labor. How many of us grasp more land and rich return for the labor of the hn>bandinan. 

 than we can manage to advantJige, and how fre- 1 It forms a prominent object of cultivation iipou 

 qiienlly are we seen toiling behind the proper sea- almost every farm, and yet there is no crop in the 

 sou of our work, wilh every operation hurried, i management of which moie ignorance, or negli- 

 and not done properly, nor ill its ap|)ropriate time, gi-nce prevails. Our wheat ranks vviih I lie best 



in market ; and it is an object of importance to 

 preserve this character, for the difference of |)rice 

 I etween grain of first and that of inferior qualilyj 

 !8 a liandsome profit upon the whole operation of 



Seed is sown too late, upon ground imperfectly 

 prepared ; a feeble growth ensues, which comes 

 forward struggling for llie ascendency with nox- 

 ious weeds. In laying down to grass, we ofien 



practise the miserable economy of saving seed by j raising it. — But it mii.^l he confessed that the reputa- 

 not using one half enough; and to supply the [ lion of our county for wheal, suffers from the gross 

 consequent deficiency of fodder, resort is hnd to negligence ofsmiie, who sow foul seed in Octo- 

 pasturing our meadows fdl and spring. In a few her and harvest weeds, chess and siiiiit in August, 

 years June grass and Bine grass predominate, and In raising wheat, three things demand atten- 

 ouB and a happy people. That we have not been I the crop becomes not worth the expense of liar- , lion. The proper preparaiion of the ground; 

 entirely regardless of them, is manifested by all vesting ; when we break up, to go through the ' the selection of clean seed, and the sowing of il 

 the circumstances of our condiiion. It is but same unproductive process. What farmer can ] in good season. 



about thirty years since the first inroads of cultiva 

 tion were made upon the solitudes of the forest 

 and we have advanced to a population of fifty 

 thousand souls. We already begin to enjoy the 

 benefit of a home market from the rarioiis manu- 

 facturing establishments and flourishing villages, 

 which are springing up in every part of the coun- 

 ty. Many of our public edifices and private dwell- 

 ings are constructed of the most durable materi- 

 als, and in a style to do credit to a country older 

 and more advanced in the arts and in wealth. The 

 neat stone farm houses with which the county is 

 studded at every point, impart an air of solid com- 

 fort, not surpassed in what have been regarded, 'is 

 the more favored regions of our land. — Especially, 

 it is believed, that the exports from the county of 

 Jefferson, of the products of her own soil, are 

 greater than those from any other county in the 

 state. Other districts are distinguished for some 

 leading staple, to the production of which, the 

 farmer bends every effort. We happily combine, 

 in a remarkable manner, the products of tillage with 

 Qiose of grazing, and send to market a large sur- 

 plus of live .stock as well as of grain. 



A liberal support of public institutions, is the 

 characteristic of a high-minded generous people : 



thrive under such management ? Most of you Newly cleared land will yield good crops of 

 will say that this picture applies to my neisfhbor's wheat under almost any treatment ; and with such 

 farm, not mine. The exceptions are numerous the practice of letting it follow oats, peas, or corn 

 and honorable ; but is it not true, in some of will continue. But upon oiir older farms it will 

 its parts, of too many of us .' | lie found more profitable to discard fallow crops, 



The remedy is simple and obvious. Let ns lini- and lo prepare for wheat by a naked summer fal- 

 it our efforts to such a compass that we can till low, taking care to turn up the soil to the full 

 thoroughly all that we attempt to cultivate. Oir| depth of the plough, and to reduce it to a fine 

 toil vvill then become a pleasure; everything w II tilth. 



be done appropriately, and an abundant harvest I In resard to seed, it is a law of nature that like 

 will crown the year with gladness. begets like ; and if you wish to harvest a crop of 



To keep land dry, clean and rich, are fimdr- j chess, you cannot better insure one than by sow- 

 menial principles, which if carrierl out fully inli ing it. I know it to be the settled opinion of ma- 

 practice, will not fail to insure a constant succcs. I ny of you, that wheat, affected by the frosts of 

 sion of good crops. Wilh slight exceptions, na- winter, or rains of spring, degenerates, and by 

 tore has provided us wilh the first of these reqiii- gome strange proi-ess of nature becomes chess, 

 sites by the undulating surface of our soil. Tliesec. Numerous facts have helped to give currency lo 

 ond is to be attained by a diligent use of the plough this opinion. But men of science tell us that this 

 and the hoe. As to the last, we have much to is impossible, because chess belongs to a different 

 learn. The preparaiion and application of ma- order of plants, and can no more grow from a 

 niire has occupied much of the attention of scien- 'grain of wheat than a [line tree can grow from 

 tific cultivators in all ages and countries ; and an acorn. But whether this be true or not, it 

 volumes are filled with details of experiments; more nearly concerns is to know that chess will 

 upon the various methods of restoring to the soil Ivegetate and produce its kind. If we sow it 

 the properties which we are constantly abstracting herefore, we shall assuredly reap it. I have seen 

 from it. 1 iiis pest come in where I know the seed wheat was 



