324 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



APRII, 34, 1833. 



AN ADDRESS 



To the Essex Counly Agricultural Society, delivered at New- 

 bury, September 27, 1832, at their Animal Cattle Show. 

 By Rev. Gardner B. Peiirv. 



[Continued from page 317.] 

 Another hindrance in the way of agricuhural 

 improvement is an impression entertained by many 

 that farming is not so genteel and honorable as 

 some other employment. How this feeling grew 

 up, (a feeling in the extent to which it exists among 

 lis almost peculiar to New England,) I shall not 

 attempt to decide: sure I am of its existence and 

 of its baleful influence, though like the one just 

 before mentioned operating with somewhat dimin- 

 islied force. It has dried up the spirit and held 

 the mind of many a noble and virtuous youth in 

 bondage, suffused many innocent cheeks with a 

 blush, prevented many ingenious and stirring 

 spirits from going into that employment, whose 

 taste and interest would otherwise lead them to it, 

 and induced those who were engaged in it to work 

 with less vigor, to seek for improvement with less 

 interest, and frequently to turn all their originat- 

 ing and inventive powers into other chaiuiels, even 

 when farming was still their real occupation. 



Who can look for a moment to the nature and 

 operations of this Society and the men who com- 

 pose it, and not perceive how powerfully its influ- 

 ence must tend to remove an impression so un- 

 founded in principle, so hurtful in its tendency. 

 The example of the rich, the learned and distin- 

 guished men who give life and interest to this So- 

 ciety, comes in upon the soul of many a laboring 

 youth like a refreshing and gladdening shower up- 

 on the thirsty land and withering herb. 



The story that Pickering, the founder, and for 

 many years the worthy and eflicieut President of 

 this Society, held the plough, handled tlie spade, 

 and looked well to the stall, has a thousand times 

 been told, and whenever told has poured fresh 

 courage and joy into the mind of many a toiling 

 youth, who humbled under the impression of 

 which I am speaking, was tempted to blame his 

 fate which in his apprehension had cruelly chain- 

 ed him to a farmer's life. 



Another obstacle in the way of agricultural im- 

 provement, is a too general impression entertained 

 that learning is of little advantage in the business 

 of a farmer's life. Were it not for observations 

 on other subjects which I wish for special reasons 

 to make, I should like to dwell a little time on this 

 point. As it is, I must content myself by observ- 

 ing, that in my apprehension there is no other em- 

 ployment in which there is a constant demand for 

 manual labor, where there is so loud a call for the 

 aids of science, or where the suggestions of a well 

 iostructed mind would prove a more efficient help. 

 For proof of the correctness of this opinion, I have 

 no occasion to go beyond the limits of this county, 

 or out of the catalogue of the members of this So- 

 ciety. Were I to train a child for the labors of 

 the field, my first care would be to make him fa- 

 miliar not perhaps with either ancient or modern 

 languages, though if possessed of common sense 

 they would do him no hurt, yet witli the physical 

 sciences; in all which I would have him as care- 

 fully instructed as if he were to go into profession- 

 al/life. Knowledge is power, power in the field 

 as well as in the senate-house, power over matter 

 as well as over mind. 



A further hindrance to improvement in hus- 

 bandry is found m the fact, that whatever exer- 

 tions a man may make to keep his own fields free 



from insects, noxious plants and whatever is des- 

 tructive to vegetation, it can be only of partial and 

 temporary advantage, because in the neglected 

 lands of his neighbor a new and unfailing recruit 

 will be reared up every returning season. The 

 field of the slothful will be grown over with thorns 

 and the face of it covered with nettles. It would 

 be well were there no sluggards in the land, and it 

 would be liappy if many who are not sluggards 

 were sufficiently apprised of the advantages which 

 would accrue to themselves and neighbors, did 

 they sufler no noxious weed or devouring insect 

 to find shelter about them. He who suflers his 

 own fields to be filled with hurtful vegetation, or 

 his trees to be devoured by destructive insects, 

 does nothing for which the laws of the land can 

 pimish him, nothing for which ho would be will- 

 ing to have his neighbor complain, and yet he is 

 instrumental of doing as great an injury, as if 

 when his trees were filled with fruit or his fields 

 white for harvest, he should by stealth or tbrce a])- 

 propriate a part to his own use, or knowingly per- 

 mit his cattle to devour it. He who prevents my 

 trees from bearing, leaves me as destitute as he 

 who sequesters the ripened crop to himself 

 There is a moral obligation on this subject which 

 I fear is not felt, responsibilities which are not re- 

 garded, inji^ies permitted for which no compen- 

 sation is provided, discouragement induced by 

 which the whole community suffers. 



Somewhat of the same character is a wanton 

 and shameless liberty which many persons take in 

 respect to others' enclosures. I feel happy in 

 bearing testimony to the general good morals of 

 the people in this county, to their general correct 

 views on the subject of property, and to the ease 

 and safety which all feel in their persons and their 

 possessions. Still, all things are not as tlicy 

 should be. The subject to which 1 have reverted 

 is one in which the sentiments and habits of many 

 of our citizens need reform. Our fields, our or- 

 chards, and our gardens are not safe from the in- 

 trusion of those who may think it a little nearer tu 

 make their way through them than to follow the 

 road which the public have provided. Fields in 

 every state of cultivation, ploughed, planted, sow- 

 ed, and levelled, green with the tenderness of 

 spring or crowned with the flowing harvest, are 

 passed in every direction by young and old, male 

 and female, learned and unwise. No one intends 

 an injury, and the injury done by an individual is 

 small, yet the amount of the whole is considerable. 

 This licentiousness extends beyond mere travel. 

 No one thinks of stealing, yet the trees of early 

 and choice fruit are spoiled by little and little by 

 those who wish just to know how it tastes, and 

 the owner is often the only person in all the neigh- 

 borhood who has not had his part. Melons are 

 taken from the vines, and portions of almost all 

 pleasant things are sequestered, by those who 

 have a taste to gratify, but not energy enough to 

 produce for themselves, nor spirit enough to pay 

 for their own gratifications, nor even civility 

 enough to ask (which in the large proportion of 

 instances would be all that is retiuired) for what 

 they so intensely desire. 1 once knew a field 

 owned by a person who possessed some taste for 

 improvement, and who had been/ at some expense 

 to introduce into it specimens of better fruits and 

 choice vegetables, in relation to which I have 

 heard the neighbors say that the injury sustained 

 by the licentiousness of which I am now speaking, 

 could not be less than eight or ten dollars a year 



for a dozen years in succession. This makes a 

 considerable sum and was a serious loss to the in- 

 dividual, whose means were small; great as it was, 

 the perplexity, vexation and frequent disappoint- 

 ment in experiments upon certain articles, were 

 still greater. The discouragement which is thus 

 spread through the community is more serious 

 still. From the loss and perplexity produced in 

 this way, many persons (I think very erroneously) 

 have been induced lo cut down trees which they 

 had cultivated with much pains and expense, and 

 many more have been prevented from any at- 

 tempt to raise them, from the little prospect that 

 they would be permitted to enjoy the produce 

 when brought to maturity. 



It is certainly desirable that these evils and 

 discouragements should be removed. And I think 

 as your plans for improvement advance, the senti- 

 ments and habits of the community on this subject 

 will improve, lint I apprehend you should not 

 remain sati.-ified with the slow reform w hich would 

 thus be produced. The evil as it now exists is 

 one of the greatest and most extensive hindrances 

 with which the Society has to contend. I must 

 sup])ose it both their duty and interest, to put 

 forth a direct and powerful effort to stop this inju- 

 rious and troublesome practice. The attention of 

 the community, I ihiiik, should be called to the 

 subject, by an able and special appeal, addressed 

 to their understanding, their moral feelings, and 

 I their interest; and where the dictates of reason, a 

 sense of justice, and the generous feelings, prove 

 jnertectual, the restraint of law should be called 

 in. And I know of no body of men, considering 

 their high standing in the respect and confidence 

 tifthe community, their situation scattered through 

 the county, and the object of their association, by 

 whom such an appeal could with greater propri- 

 ety be mtide, and if made, promise better success, 

 than by those of this association ; and I firmly be- 

 lieve that the success of this institution, and the 

 moral stiite of the county in the coming genera- 

 tions, dejiend much on the fact whether this effort 

 be made, or things be suffered to go on in their 

 present course. 



You will permit me here to pass from a consid- 

 eration of hindrances which present themselves to 

 retard agricultural improvements, hindrances 

 which will however certainly give way before your 

 enlightened and well-directed efforts, to the notice 

 of some increased if not new efforts which appear 

 to me connected with a wider and more speedy 

 accomplishment af the commendable designs of 

 your institution. In this conuexion 1 will suggest 

 that a more general circulation of the Annual Re- 

 ports and other publications of your Society is 

 needed. Since called upon to give this address, I 

 have looked over most of the printed documents of 

 this Society anew, — I had read many of them be- 

 fore, — the result of which has been a deeper con- 

 victim of the wisdom and spirit with which its 

 operations have been conducted. Information on 

 subjects of general importance is there given in an 

 intelligible manner. Information, too, which I 

 know from my own experience, it would be for 

 the general interest were it more commonly pog- 

 sesseil and regarded. It may be asked what more 

 can be done than to collect, embody, and send 

 abroad the information contained in these publica- 

 tions. You will permit me to observe that your 

 rejioils, (and the observation might with the same 

 propriety be extended to almost all useful institu- 

 tions,) are not made common enough. Compara- 



