140 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sin ^titsvtsa 



To the Hartford Couuty Agricultural Society, delivered 

 at their Annual Exhibition, October 6, 18=24. By 

 the Rev. Thomas Robbi.vs, a member of theSociety. 



Mr President and Gentlemen of the ^gricult. SacUli/— 

 Through the good Proviilence of God, we 

 are preserved to the rolurn of this pleasing an- 

 niversary. Your Society has risen from small 

 beginnings and its origin is still recent ; yet, 

 during the period of six years and an half, since 

 its commencement, it has been favored with 

 the merciful smiles of Heaven. 



After the conclusion of our last «ar, in 1815. 

 the general pressure of debt on all classes of 

 people, and the great fall of price on all do- 

 mestic products, led prudent and rellecting peo- 

 ple to devise the means of relieving themselves 

 and the community from the weight of their 

 burdens. The only means which appeared ad- 

 equate to this object, in addition to a diminution 

 of ordinary expenses and economy in Hvnig, 

 was an increase of personal and domestic lalior. 

 No branch of business, in ^vl1ich any considera- 

 ble portion of the community could engag;e, 

 ■jvas deemed more siisceplilde of improvement 

 than Agriculture. U'ith lhi«, the ordinary and 

 most valuable mannfictur 'S, « ho«e mate'ials 

 are the product of soil, and the lal'our ofuhich 

 is chiefly of the domostjc kind, are necessarily 

 connected. It was thus seen to be the dnly of 

 every philanthropist, of every patriot, to di- 

 rect his exertions and inlluence to the encour- 

 agement of agriculture. 



It readily occurred to the minds ofdiscerning 

 men, that the agriculture of our Stale, though 

 not inferiour io that of the neisrhboring stales, 



It is an inherent part and no flattering part | than other employments, and it has many more 

 of the New England character, to be fond of ! relaxations. Vv'e are greatly i)leased with the 

 new things. And, whatever mav be said to the ^ establishment and prosperity of extensive Man- 

 contrary,°it is an undoubted truth that no peo-j ufaclories in our country. They will probably 



pie on earth are less confined to the niann?ri 

 and usages oftiieir ancestors, — although no peo- 

 ple can look to a more honorable ancestry than 

 we. For the contirmation of this sentiment, 

 ook at iho original inhabitants of Virginia, of 



increase our wealth and po[)ulation, but they 

 they will not elevate the chiracter of oiir citi- 

 zens. Labourers in a manufactory must work 

 twelve or fourteen hours, at the option of their 



em|'l(iyer, every day. 



under the inspection of 

 1 - 



New York, of Pennsylvania, at the people of; an overseer, and, being unacquainted with other 

 Great Britain, and "all civilized countries.— business, the employer will bx their wages— 

 When, therefore, it is said of our farmers, that i We often see a man in his Held, and observe, 

 they are slow to adopt changes in their proles. |" You are busily employed." Too often he re- 

 sion. it is a testimony to their prudence and j plies, " 1 am obliged to labour." Not a good 



' reply ! As if there were some not oliliged to 

 labour. Who has a iierniissmn to spend his 

 day without laborious diligence ? Not one. Our 

 gre;it I',\.in)|ile, the only perfect |iatlcrn of the 

 human character, was always laborious, " He 

 went about doing good," and says, "1 must 



good sense. At the same lime, the jirogress ol 

 events, the changes of society, the discoveries 

 of science, and the results of experience, will 

 suggest improvements, in the various pursuits 

 oflife. which it is the part of wisdom to con- 

 sider and adojit. This is true of agriculture, ,,..,„ 

 not less than of the mechanic arts, and the pro- work wnile it is day. 



fessi(!ns of science. And, if we may ju.lge Irom 

 the united sentiment of all who are most cotni)e- 

 tent to form an opinion, and from a multitude ol 

 facts, it is true of the agriculture of this State. 

 Thus, great and usci'ul improvements may, and 

 ought to be ma<le. Greater crops may be r.iis- 

 ed. more valuable articles may be ciiltivate<l, 

 and the oljects acc'implishcd with a less ex- 

 pense of labour than has been usually done. For 

 this purpose, the variety of firts collectoil by 

 Ae'ricuitural Societies, vvilh the influence which 

 their proceedings sad recommendaiions ought 

 to possess, must have a more powerlul tenden- 

 cy than any other means to extend such im- 

 provements through the community. 



rhe laudable exertions of this Society have 



had, hitherto, derived nut little beneiil Irom the j [jgen successful, and have contributed- material 



of this county, and 

 During the six 



aid of Ecientillc skill, or from that regular cir- \y to jiromote the interests 

 culation of informalion which aSTords the com- 1 ^f other part's of the Stati 



The efforts of this and other similar Societies 

 are Calling to the employment ol Agriculture, 

 men of education and jiroperty, ot' character 

 and influenc*-, which must give the jirolcssion 

 an increased reputation, and tend to lead youn<' 

 men ot talents and education to adopt this course 

 of lite, «hicl, aside Irom llie immediate effects 

 0.'' their individual exertions, will produce the 

 most extensive and la»ting benetits. 



The knowledge of farming is highly impor- 

 tant in the education of sons. A lad of good 

 genius may be well fitted for College, or for 

 the pursuit of any science to which his mind is 

 adequate, at fifteen or sixteen years of age, 

 and spend five of his summers, from four to six 

 months in each, in the business of a farm. At 

 the i;\mo. time, liis constiliition will bo much 

 belter, he will be more foiul of study, and be 

 will understand the business throiisli lite. — 



munity the benefit of the experience and im- 1 ye^rs of its operations, the agriculture of the ' rpji^jj. .,,]^.,„,.,j^,gj .,,.g pxpj,.^;^,^ oC ,1,^ value of 

 provements of individuals. Since the publi- i couritv, and, especially, the domestic mannl'ac ' -■"" • ■ 



cation of the valuable Essay on Husbandry, by j (,,^05^' of which the most jileasing specimens ar 



annually exhibited, have been more improved^ j 



the learned Dr Elliot, of Killingworth, about 

 seventy years ago, but liltio has been done in 

 this State to favour the public with the judicious 

 ■reflections and useful discoveries of practical j universally apparent as some would expect, bul 



aboiir. Having lieen educated in this man- 

 n.'v mysell, 1 may have an undue patriality for 



le course, but my early impression has been 



than iaany preceding period of mucii longer <lu-; ^-j.^ji^^iIy confirmed by'refiectiun and cxperi- 

 ralion. These improvements may not be so -•-■ 



agriculturists. For the accomplishment of lliis 

 object, the establishment of Agriciiltural Socie- 

 ties appeared to be the most likely and efTectu- 

 al means that coiihl be adopted. 



The great secret of agricullure appears to 

 be the general acquisition of known facts. Let 

 the knowledge and reflections ol' iiractical far- 

 mers be concentrated, and then dilTused, with 

 such a weight of character as will produce a 

 proper influence on pidd'c opinion, and a pri- 

 mary object, in th ' inp ovemnet of agricul- 

 ture, is (djt.iined. An individual may make a 

 useful discovery, and cause it to be published ; 

 yet it will want that authority and influence 

 which are necessary to produce a general adop- 

 tion. 



It has always been a subject of complaint 

 that farmers are very slow to adopt changes and 

 proposed improvements. In this they evince a 



ence. \Vbateyer employment a fanner may 

 lesio;n his son to follow, in most cases he can 



they are gradual and sure. A certain efieot |,.„.,py ,|o belter for him than to have him 

 which is producei!, is ap increase of industry. ; j-^^.^ji ., j,„,.t „,■ 1,55 (.i,iij;,ooj) ,„.d vomi, i;, ii,e 



This is one of the first virtues and duties of the 

 human character. Industry is the foundation of 

 many other tirtues, — while sloth is the parent 

 of every vice. 



Another important benefit, perhaps the most 

 important, whicli Agricultural Societies are pro- 

 ducing, is, that they increase the respectability 

 and populaiity of the employment of the farmer. 

 The greatest burden with which the fiirming 

 interest of this country has been oppressed, is 

 tlial it has been viewed as a sort of servile era- 

 ployuient. A most unhappy and erroneous im- 

 pression ! The employment of a farmer is hon- 

 ourable in all nations. In European countries, 

 it is above the reach of the lower classes of so- 

 ciety. But, in no country is the employment so 

 truly honourable as in this. Our farmers are 



correct_ judgement. It is well that there is one | ,/,c o-;.„c„ nf il,c lands zshkh they cidlivatc ; they 

 class of men to maintain the stability of the or- 1 h,,vc no landlord, or agent-overseer, dressed in 

 ilor of society. It is safer to err on this sideli,rief authority, to control the arrangement of 

 than the other. :\I:iny discoveries, that appear j Hicir fields ; and when thev drain a marsh, or 



lal)oiirs of' agricullure. 



Agriculture is the best of all employments 

 for old age. It gives the mind a useful occupa- 

 tion, and IS suited to turn the alleniioii continu- 

 ally t.o the God of cre.ition and llie God of Prov- 

 idence. Designed by the Creator to be the 

 busiae.ss of the greater part ol the human race, 

 it IS, of all enqiloynicnts, the most conducive to 

 health. .■\n active member of this Society, who 

 has had its first premi'im, recently calle<l from 

 all earthly scenes, iiaving jiursued mercantile 

 business, alter the coinpletign of his Collegiate 

 course, more than forty years, turned his allen- 

 linu to .-'igrieullure. He has left a valuable farm 

 in the best order, the productiveness an<l value 

 of the lands greatly increased, the business has 

 i)een profitable though all iloiie by hired labour, 

 and he has thereby protracted a feeble, delicate 

 constitution to ofd age. 



Believing, as I do, Ihal the favour of Divine 

 very promising at first, do not abide the lest of; pknit an orchard, or reserve" a wood they do it ! Providence has attended this Society, that it has 



experiment. How many patent machines, high- j (br their old age, for their children, and their' done much good, that lis usefulness is capable 



ly recommended for practical use, are now un-' (.],j|jppfj''s children. j o( being greatly increased 1 congratulate the 



known, excejit at the patent oflice ;'t Washing-! The business of a fiuiner i' nut more laborious' 'fenibers o.o its success; and i intreal you, my 

 Ion ! 



