268 



?^EW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[March 18, 



FURTHER EXTRACTS 

 FROM MR CHAUMONT'S ADDRESS. 



[Continued from page 260.] 

 We will notice a declaration which requires 

 our full confidence and assentiment, when we 

 consider it is proBOunced by the distinguished 

 statesman, who received and deserved the great- 

 est proof of confidence and regard from the 

 United States.* He considers the advance- 

 ment of Agriculture as the primary object of 

 national prosperity. You will no doubt regret 

 as much as 1 do the circumstances which pre- 

 Tented him from answering more fully my sev- 

 eral inquiries relative to the Agricultural" Soci- 

 eties in Virginia. We see however that in that 

 State they had generally a valuable eft'ect, in ex- 

 citing attention and emulation on subjects of ru- 

 ral economy, and in circulating instruction on 

 them. 



The State of Pennsylvania having more anal- 

 ogy with ours, by its climates and productions, 

 you will be more struck by what can be told to 

 you of the results of the institutions of their 

 agricultural Societies, and you will t'eel more 

 the whole extent of the respect we owe to the 

 assertions of the venerable president of the 

 Philadelphia society for promoting Agricul- 

 ture,? when 1 observe to you, that it is the 

 oldest institution of Ih.nt kind in the U. States. 

 He tells us " the visible marks of emulation 

 and improvement appear in every quarter of 

 our country. They are in their nature pro- 

 gressive and do not appear like the fancied 

 works of magic. In our State (onr parent So- 

 ciety excepted) agricultural associations have 

 but recently been formed, but the prospects are 

 highly encouraging." You will notice that he 

 is astonished that I could m;ike him questions 

 about the usefulness of agricultural societies. — 

 Indeed, I must confess, his wonder appears to 

 me the more natural when I reflect he knows 

 that I have been an eye witness to, and follow- 

 ed at different epocha, the beneficial effects of 

 that society of which I feel much honoured to 

 be a member. Had he not been prevented by 

 his modesty, he could have quoted one single 

 fact which ;ilone must stamp upon all such insti- 

 tutions in the United Slates, the character of 

 great usefulness. I mean the introduction of 

 gypsum into this country. Before it was 

 brought into use, 1 had witnessed in travelling 

 from New York to Philadelphia the fleplorable 

 sterility of the land almost on all sides, and in 

 penetrating into the most settled parts of the 

 two States I had been constantly lamenting the 

 wretched condition to which generally such a 

 fine country had been reduced by an improvi- 

 dent way of tilling the earth, which had quite 

 exhausted the primitive soil. The inhabitants 

 could see no other way to avnid the fast ap- 

 proaching misery than to emigrate with their 

 increasing families to a remote wilderness. — 

 When gypsum was introduced among them, the 

 word /orccd would carry a more correct idea of 

 the manner it found its way among the farmers. 

 At last it was almost generally adopted in the 

 State of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It op- 

 erated like a miracle. 



The exhausted Held, and the barren hills, 

 soon converted iiilo fine meadows or rich fields 

 of grain, rendered courage to the farmer, and 



changed entirely his deplorable fate into a most ' islied of one half Money placed more in the 

 desirably good one. Instead of a vain attempt reach of the common people — undertakings ni 

 to describe the effects 1 have witnessed of such a I manufacture^ enabled to be commenced and 

 wonderful change, let me repeat here some of prosecuted successfully — a fiir wider field open- 

 the expressions which an eloquent orator made ed for female labour and enterprize — the pur- 

 use of when he was speaking on that subject to suit of Agriculture considered as the most per- 



a respectable and numerous audience to which 

 I was present in Philadelphia. 



" Spacious and substantial barns were provid- 

 ed for these abundant products and increasing 

 stocks, and dwelling houses, abounding in every 

 convenience soon followed. 



"With this new order of improvements, a 

 new race of people seemed to spring up, for 

 hope and animation had succeeded to general 

 despondence. 



" 1 do not envy that man who can survey such 

 a scene without emotion. 



" 1 hold that patriotism cheap which would 

 swell at the recollection of a bloody triumph, 

 and slumber over an almost new creation, which 

 redeems a people from despair, and spreads 

 smiling plenty over the land."' 



But it was not, however, without a great deal 

 of diflicully to encounter and constant exertions 

 to destroy deeply rooted prejudices, that the 

 Society of Philadelphia caused this wonderful 

 melioration in the fortune and comfort of the 

 people, lis members encouraged by the exam- 

 ple of their worthy president, who was the first 

 promoter nf the measure, had not only to make 

 repeated experiments, whose results they were 

 giving to tlie public, but yet to offer generous 

 rewards to those who would repeat them in 

 (heir fields. 



It is not in the power of the best calculator 

 to give us an exact valuation of the immense 

 benefit which the use of the gypsum hns cans- 



manent object of rc^gard and general confidence. 

 At uo period useful knowledge and good morals 

 have so much distinguished the age. Lastly, 

 the great secret of making a nation distinguish- 

 ed, which is to adopt that system which will 

 call inio action the greatest quantity of indus- 

 try, and give it the most beneficial direction, is 

 now in successful operation. 



You will observe that the multiplied advan- 

 tages resulting from the Agricultural Societies 

 in that Slate are so extensive, and rapidly in- 

 creasing, that their legislature has bestowed up- 

 on them the most evident marks of their dispo- 

 sition to encourage them by generous granis for 

 the present and other years to come, and this 

 without opposition, and as a measure of course. 

 The grants may amount to $C00 to £ach Socie- 

 ty. This is n7)t the offspring of a momontarv 

 enthusiasm--th9 measure is not dictated by Ilie 

 simple desire of making an experiment upon 

 contemplated, but doubtful advantages, for the 

 welfare of the peo|)le — nay, geHilemen, these 

 important institutions are adopted by a reflect- 

 ing, economical, and most jvidicious part of the 

 |)<,o[ile of these United Slates, alter a steady 

 trial of several years, and a scrulinous exami- 

 n,ition of the merits and demerits of these in- 

 slilutions. But this is not all they will do for 

 ihe encouragement of agriculture. You will soon 

 see them, not only creating patent farms, but 

 yel, considering that agriculture is a science as 

 well as an art, its principles will be taught in 



ed to the United Slates. However, where U some of their most frequented schools; and it 

 admired this v/onderf.d cha.ige, and wished to , may become as it ought to be, the leading trait 

 seta value to the advantage which the two in the education of the youth. I am not less 

 States alone had reaped by this most happy in- confident in the good sense and intelligent mind 

 novation in the improvement of its soil, I was of the people of this, our State, and 1 trust we 

 struck with the immense gain to the communi- 1 wii! not be long behind our neighbours in the 

 ty. It made then the impression on my mind, most patriotic and advantageous institutions lor 

 ml nothing has changed it since, that the a- the promotion of agriculture and domestic man- 



• James Madison, late President. t .hKlffe Peters. 



mount of the sales by Congress of the whole land 

 of one of the most fertile Slates was far from be- 

 ing adequate lo the sum which could be calcu- 

 lated to have been produced to the community 

 by the increase of Ihe produce and of the val- 

 ue of the land improved by gypsum in the 

 States of Pennsylvania and New .Tersey. 



The letters of the eloquent President of the 

 Berkshire Agricultural Society* will probably 

 make a deeper imprcstion upon your minds 

 than the others, as a great many of you have 

 been farmers in the State of Massachusetts pre- 

 vions to, and during the establishment of the 

 Societies to which he alludes, and as they have 

 been iastituted so much -earlier than those of 

 this State, they have had a sufficient time to be 

 tested by the results of repealed experiments. 

 Let us notice only some of those results. Im- 

 provements in Agricultural implements, in all 

 animals, jin the selection of seed, excitement 

 among all descriptions of citizens, incalculable 

 means of enjoyment and comforts from the ex- 

 tension of household manufactures. The re- 

 sources of the country have been increased at 

 least 50 per cent. The tillage products have 

 augmented equally. The legal process dimin- 



'■ Thomas Gold. Esu. 



ufnctures. 



Now, gentlemen, if we have reference to the 

 information contained in the letters relative to 

 O'jr Stale, we find in all, except one, (which we 

 must notice also hereafter) a firm opinion that 

 these agricultural societies have been of great 

 advantage. 



You will remaik parlicularly that : The ex- 

 citement has contributed to improve the condi- 

 tion of the people, but not to the extent desir- 

 ed. The products of domestic manufactures 

 are much improved in quality and quantity. 



The Agriculture of the county has experi- 

 enced a very great improvement since the for- 

 mation of the Society, both by partisans and op- 

 posers. The quality of produce has been in- 

 creased double. The emulation excited has 

 been of great service both as respects agri- 

 culture and domestic manufactures. The La- 

 dies have in a particular manner displayed a 

 very laudable ambition. A goodly number en- 

 tertain ardent wishes that this system, adopted 

 and prosecuted with so much advantage lo the 

 great interest of this State, should not be aban- 

 doned. The employment of husbandry has 

 „ certainly become more honourable than it was 

 I formerly considered to be : almost every pro- 



J 



