1868. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



221 



certain limits the prosperity of agriculture, 

 implies the prosperity of other pursuits." The 

 Bureau at Washington should be abolished, 

 for agriculture is only a "specialty ;" all di- 

 rect legislation for its promotion should cease, 

 for the grants of land by Congress for estab- 

 lishing agricultural colleges constitute danger- 

 ous precedents for the various professions, 

 trades, sectarian schools, &c. Therefore pro- 

 tect the manufacturers and miners, legislate 

 for commerce, inland navigation and railroads, 

 and let agriculture depend upon its own re- 

 sources for its higher and better development, 

 for its reflex influence on public prosperity is 

 too slight to claim aid or sympathy. 



But no country can thus ignore its agricul- 

 ture ; nor is the natural order of things so 

 changed here in Massachusetts that her agri- 

 culture is not still of vital importance, nor is 

 she reaping such riches from her many and 

 varied pursuits that she should not condescend 

 to take a little more profit out of her soil. 

 Her wealthy and liberal minded citizens have 

 always manifested a lively interest in rural 

 life and occupations, and her legislators have 

 lent a helping hand to the societies established 

 for the promotjpn of her agriculture. Shail 

 her present representatives refuse to recog- 

 nize its claim, and withhold such assistance to 

 its long expected college as shall put it upon a 

 level with other educational institutions ? The 

 school or college is but an inherent part of ag- 

 riculture itself; the men there educated, and 

 the principles and methods there verified and 

 promulgated, will go forth to every part of 

 the State to make their influence felt through 

 every town and district. Money given for the 

 endowment and support of an agricultural 

 college, is better appropriated than when do- 

 nated to the different societies to be offered 

 in premiums. A premium is often bestowed 

 for a chance production, — the receiver neither 

 understanding how he obtained his success, 

 nor able to repeat it. A thorough education 

 is the basis of real progress ; it enables men 

 to trace the relation of cause and effect, so 

 that when they have attained a certain end, 

 they can again go through the same process 

 with the same results, and can tell their neigh- 

 bors how to do likewise. The graduates of 

 such an institution will go forth into every 

 part of the State to extend a knowledge of 

 the principles and methods there taught and 

 verified, and to make their influence felt in 

 every town and district. 



Were the benefits of the project confined to 

 the farmers themselves and to their immediate 

 precincts, or did they carry their produce out 

 of the State for sale, the various classes of 

 consumers might object to any public aid in 

 its behalf; but the relation of the consumer 

 and producer in this State is somewhat pecu- 

 liar ; the consumption being greater than the 

 production. Hence the farmer is not strictly 

 dependent upon the flourishing condition of 

 other avocations for the sale of his produce ; 



all he raises can be sold, even when business 

 is dull. There may be a stagnation in com- 

 merce and in all the hives of industry, and 

 even then the demand for food will be greater 

 than they can supply. Boston is one of the 

 dearest markets for provisions in the country. 

 The pui'chaser is reminded of high prices every 

 time he buys his beef steak, or spreads his 

 dear bread with his dearer butter, and he in- 

 quires wishfully if something cannot be done 

 to lessen the cost of the necessities of life. 

 Any project, therefore, that will throw a larger 

 amount of food into the market and make it 

 of better quality, concerns every man, woman 

 and child in the Commonwealth. None have 

 a deeper interest in this than manufacturers 

 themselves. By their situation in a corner of 

 the union, they are compelled to make long 

 transportations of their materials, and after- 

 wards of their merchandise for markets. And 

 they will find in the rising establishments in 

 different parts of the country nearer the raw 

 material, fuel, and cheaper provisions, a 

 sharper competition than they have hitherto 

 met from foreign manufacturers. How can 

 they contend with their rivals unless they have 

 the advantage of cheap labor? Cheap labor 

 depends mainly upon cheap food. Where 

 shall that cheap food be obtained ? Shall it 

 be sought from our own soil, or from remote 

 localities ? Shall no effort be made to improve 

 the thousands of acres of land lying in waste, 

 or only imperfectly cultivated, in sight of our 

 populous cities and towns ? Shall expensive 

 lines of railroads be built over high hills, 

 through mountains, and across deep and wide 

 rivers, that provisions in greater abundarice 

 may be brought from the valley of the Missis- 

 sippi ? Shall the State continue to pledge her 

 credit in furtherance of such enterprises ? She 

 is now expending more from the public treas- 

 ury for tunnelling one mountain than would 

 build and endow several agricultural colleges. 



Notwithstanding the increased number of 

 routes of transit, the rates of transportation 

 have increased, and staple products are dearer 

 now than fifteen years ago. Transportation 

 will always be a formidable obstacle in the way 

 of drawing supplies from a distance. Since 

 these measures do not bring food down to the 

 desired standard, why not try the plan of 

 bringing the whole State under a high cultiva- 

 tion ? Our farmers can put into market many 

 kinds of produce of a superior quality, and in 

 better condition and at cheaper rates than 

 they can be procured from the west. Rough, 

 rugged and sterile as our soil may appear, it 

 can yet be made to yield sustenance, comfort 

 and pleasure to a far greater degree than at 

 present. 



Manufacturers may well regard farmers 

 as working for them in furnishing food and 

 supplies for themselves and their employees, 

 and therefore they have a direct interest in 

 every improvement in the farm. The money 

 expended for home productions is kept within 



