364 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



MAY 89, is:);?. 



AN ADDRESS 



Delivered before the Bristol County Agricultural iSociely, 

 October 3, 1832. By Roland Howard, President of llie 

 Society. 



Gentlemen, — The busjness before the Society 

 has this day been arranged with a view to an Ad- 

 dress being delivered adapted to the occasion ; and 

 although this meeting may be considered as being 

 somewhat necessary, in order that we may secure 

 the bounty generously oifered by a wise and patri- 

 otic government, for the encourageraentof Agricul- 

 tural enterprise, domestic manufactures, and me- 

 chanical skill ; yet it should by no means be con- 

 sidered that we fulfil the just expectations of gov- 

 ernment, or fully answer the purpose for wliich this 

 Society was organized, by merely meeting once a 

 year, for the simple purpose "of seeing and being 

 seen," and scrambling for a few premiums. .No, 

 our object should be more elevated, more noble, 

 more palriotic. 



It caimot be too strongly impressed upon our 

 minds that the object of this, and all similar insti- 

 tutions, is to call into action our latent energies, 

 to wake up inquiry, to excite us to greater indus- 

 try, to teach us Iwui to accomplish the most, with 

 ihn fewest means. These are, if I mistake not, the 

 ])rinic objects of Ag-ricultural Societies. 



Having thus briefly stated what I conceive to be 

 the ohjert of agricultural societies, I can assure 

 you, gentlemen, that well i)leased shoidd 1 have 

 been, if some gentleman had been selected to ad- 

 dress you on this occasion, whoso scientific 

 knowledge, and practical experience, would have 

 enabled him to liave more clearly and forcibly 

 shown you in detail, the great good that agricul- 

 tural societies may reasonably be supposed to pro- 

 duce, one that was abundantly qualified to draw 

 from his fund of knowledge, such fads as his ex- 

 perience had tested, and wliich he could clearly 

 demonstrate, for your present edification and fu- 

 ture benclit. But I have to lament, that the person 

 whom you have requested to address you on this 

 occasion, possesses no claim to such useful and 

 important qualifications ; and while reluctantly 

 yielding to your wishes, it would be strange indeed 

 if one of my feeble abilities, on an occasion like 

 the present, did not experience some inward doubts, 

 and plainly evince some outward perturbations ; 

 especially when the fact is taken into considera- 

 tion, that I have not been in the habit of address- 

 ing public assemblies — that my life has thus lar 

 been spciit in the labors of the field — that my ed- 

 ucation has neither qualified me to play the ora- 

 tor, nor to appear to advantage on the forum ; these 

 considerations are calculated to embarrass the 

 mind, and to impede a clear and distinct utter- 

 ance : therefore, I feel it a duty to solicit your 

 attention, and pray for your candor, to the few 

 observations which the time allotted me may al- 

 low me to offer for your consideration. 



As agriculture claims a pre-eminence above 

 manufactures and commerce, from its seniority and 

 superior usefalness, I trust that I shall be excused, 

 if, on tliis occasion, my remarks arc principally 

 confined to that art — and that the class of citizens, 

 which I may more particularly address, may be 

 found among my agricultural brethren. 



It was remarked by the celebrated Sally, that 

 agriculture might be regarded as the breast from 

 which the state derives its support and nourisli- 

 ment. 



Manufactures and commerce originally owed 

 their existence to agriculture, and the people em- 



ployed in carrying them on must constantly be 

 fed by those who arc engaged in the parent art. 

 Agriculture, therefore, may be considered as of 

 the first importance to mankind ; because their 

 temporal welfare and prosperitj' depend upon re- 

 ceiving a regular and sufficient supply of the va- 

 rious articles cultivated b_v the agriculturist. 



In an age like the present, the utility of agricul- 

 ture is so fully recognized, it would be unneces- 

 sary to insist at any length upon the advantages 

 which every nation must enjoy, when that art is 

 sufficiently understood and siciifullij practised. 



The territory possessed by any people, is the 

 original property, or capital stock, from which 

 they are supplied, not oidy with the necessaries, 

 but also with the comforts of life ; and in direct 

 proportion as their territory is improved, their 

 prosperity will be advanced. It is from the sur- 

 face of the earth, that timber, cordage and sails 

 are procured for our ships ; and flax, wool, cot- 

 ton, hides and tallow are obtained tor the use of 

 the maimfacturer. 



If we penetrate into the interior of the earth, 

 we find either limestone, marl or other substances 

 for invigorating the surface and rendering it con- 

 stantly prolific. It is also from the bowels of the 

 earth that copper, lead, tin, iron, and coals are 

 ))rocured, and einployment given to another part 

 of the community. 



But the remark which of all others deserves 

 particular attention, is, that it is only by an en- 

 lightened cultivation of the soil, and raising as 

 large a store of provisions as possible, that labor- 

 ers, manufacturers, and artizans can live comfort- 

 ably, or proceed with spirit in their several occu- 

 pations. 



It would not be altogether uninteresting, or un- 

 profitable, woidd time permit, to give a brief 

 -sketch of the history of agriculture, from the days 

 of Noali down to the present.time. Noah, as we 

 understand by the sacred writings, understood the 

 art of husbandry, and it is reasonable to suppose 

 that he taught the art to his sons, by whom it was 

 spread over the world. 



The history of the ancient Egyptians informs 

 us, " that they were well acquainted with agri- 

 culture." And perhaps the people of Italy, un- 

 der the Roman government, understood all the 

 branches of husbandry much better, and practis- 

 ed them more successfully, than the present in- 

 habitants of that country. 



Tlicre is sufficient authority for believing, that 

 an enlightened system of rural economy had be- 

 come prevalent during the Augustan age, and 

 perhaps h>ng before ; for the Georgics of Virgil, 

 and the otlitr productions of the Roman authors, 

 show, that husbandry was not only well under- 

 stood by tlie Romans, but correctly and success- 

 fuiiy practised. 



When Great Britain was invaded by the Ro- 

 mans, there is reason to presume, thai the art of 

 husbandry was but very imperfectly understood by 

 the inhabitants. But whatever might have been 

 the situation of Britain when invaded by the Ro- 

 mans, it is certain that the husbandry of some 

 parts of the island was improved by the Roman 

 soldier ; and that nearly all the grains that are 

 now cultivated, were then raised to a considerable 

 extent. The Roman conquests, instead of desolat- 

 ing the earth, as too often has been the case in 

 similar instances, insured the improvement of every 

 country that was subdued ; and the soldiers of 

 that nation, being drawn from the plough, spread 



a knowledge of husbandry through every cuuiury 

 which come under their domii'ion. 



To benefit mankind, and increase their ceuifort 

 and happiness, seemed the invariable wisli of the 

 Roman commanders. 



Sir Anthony Fitzherbcrt, one of the judges in 

 the Court of Common I'leas, was the first person 

 on record who attempted to enlighten English hus- 

 bandmen, by writing on the art of agriculture. 



In 1534, he published a treatise called the Book 

 of Husbandry, which, ajicient as it is, contains 

 many valuable hints to husbandmen. 



An hundred and eighteen years elap.se(l, after 

 the publication of Sir Anthony Fitzherbert's book, 

 before any thing furtlier appeared really deserving 

 the attention of husbandmen. At this perio<l 

 the British husbandmen were much benefitted by 

 the writings of Walter BIytlie, a man of sound 

 practical sense, who in 1G52, jiublidu'd a book 

 entitled Improver Improved, and contains what he 

 calls six pieces of improvement. First, — On float- 

 aiid watering land. Second, — On draining 

 fen and boggy land, and regaining land from the 

 sea. Third, — On such enclosures as prevent de- 

 population, and advance all interests. Fourth, 

 — On tillage of land kept too long in grass, and 

 pasturing others destj-oyed with ploughing. F'ifth, 

 — Discovery of all sorts of composts, with their 

 nature and use. Sixth, — On doubling the growth 

 of wood by new plantations. 



The next noted writer on husbandry in England, 

 was Jethro Tull, the celebrated champion of drill 

 husbandry. Little furtlier alteration in the rural 

 economy of England occurred, except in the su- 

 periiir attention bestowed on live stock, by 3Ir. 

 llJakewell and others, till the establishment of the 

 National Board of Agriculture ; this institution 

 was founded by Pailianuiit in the year 1780, with 

 an ample donation of !i22,000 a year, this gave a 

 new spring to improvement ; a general desire soon 

 seized allranka to promote internal improvements ; 

 the attention of farmers was excited — agricultural 

 knowlcdgp was eagerly sought after — periodicals 

 were pub^shod, and read — experiments were tried, 

 and the results carefully noted ; the consequence 

 of all thisiwas, that such an astonishing increase 

 of the pro(luctionsof the soil have been produced, 

 that the hjilders of real estate, in numerous in- 

 stances, is the short space of fifty-two years, have 

 much mdre than doubled their rentals. The 

 world stalds indebted to the unwearied endeavors 

 of Sir John Sinclair for this admirable institution, 

 which haj certainly done much good, and may still 

 do a greaJ deal more. 



Two advantages among man}', may be men- 

 tioned : irst — a great number of new men were 

 brought fbrward by the Board, whose names other- 

 wise woijld probably never have been heard of; 

 and tlioSB being chiefly practical people, who 

 were professionally concerned in the farm manage- 

 ment, agriculture by their endeavors, was rescued 

 from the hands- of theorists, and a revolution of 

 no small extent accomplished in rural affairs ; 

 secondly — before the Board was instituted, the 

 bond of^ connection between agriculturists was 

 slender, and served few useful purposes ; each 

 tristing toliis own intbrmation, and knew little 

 mere about the practices of neighboring districts, 

 than those of China, or the most distant countries. 

 The establishment of the Board removed at once 

 all these evils and difficulties — it made farmers 

 who reside in the most distant quarters of the 

 kirgdom, acquainted with one another ; and caused 



