222 



Agricultural Address. 



70L. XI. 



consequence of the revival of agriculture, 

 navigation, commerce and manufactures, are 

 again flourishing. This gentleman himself 

 wore a beautiful cloth manufactured at Bar- 

 celona. Spain has long been treated as a 

 colony by England, for the production of 

 wool, which England kindly undertook to 

 manufacture and return to her, increased 

 ten fold in value. The expulsion of Espar- 

 tero broke this dependence, and if she can 

 succeed in re-annexing Portugal, Gibraltar 

 must follow. Then may the noble race, 

 which produced a Gonsalvo de Cordova, and 

 a Ponce de Leon, afler ages of oppression 

 and apathy, again commence a career of 

 prosperity, which was extinguished in the 

 avalanche of gold and silver in the sixteenth 

 century, from the new world. 



The most eligible mode, in our country, 

 for the introduction of whatever is benefi- 

 cial, would be the formation of a company, 

 in some central position, for the establish- 

 ment of Botanical and Zoological Gardens ; 

 which, located in the vicinity of a great 

 city, would soon pay their own expenses 

 Here animals, as well as plants, might be 

 gradually acclimated, and when proved by 

 experience to be valuable, there would be 

 no difficulty in getting them adopted by 

 farmers. I am happy to be informed, that 

 several liberal minded gentlemen of Phila- 

 delphia have had such a plan in contempla- 

 tion, to be carried into effect in the vicinity 

 of that city. 



The formation of extensive libraries, is 

 not the only method of diffusing knowledge 

 among men ; and it is a subject of regret, 

 that the Smithsonian Institute, at Washing- 

 ton, connected as it is with Government, 

 could not be made subservient to this vital 

 interest. 



But, after all, gentlemen, it becomes us as 

 intelligent men, whose prosperity depends 

 upon our own efforts, to institute an inquiry 

 as to the best method of obtaining the ways 

 and means. We see ourselves beset with 

 difficulties, but we do not labour like those 

 without hope. Our greatest burden is ex- 

 cessive taxation. This is indeed the burden 

 of the farmers' song in all ages ; and arises 

 from the fact that land can always be found, 

 while money and jewels can always be con- 

 cealed. Our legislature, aware of the in- 

 justice done to the farmer, has made an effort 

 to tax personals; we all know with what 

 success. The interest of our public debt 

 could readily be paid, if taxation was equal- 

 ized in proportion to value and protection. 

 But the operation is so much the more se- 

 vere upon us; inasmuch as our taxes are en 

 tailed upon us, to support canals and rail- 

 roads, whcge principal business it is, to 



transport commodities which come in com- 

 petition with, and reduce the price of our 

 own productions. If it be true, as the poet 

 says — that 



" Partial evil 's universal good," 



we must not complain. We do not dream 

 of repudiation : but we demand of our bre- 

 thren, for whose benefit we suffer, a just and 

 honest equalization of the burden. So much 

 for the present: and as a guarantee for the 

 future, we propose an amendment to the 

 constitution, requiring that the State shall 

 contract no debt, without a special appropri- 

 ation for its speedy extinction. 



On the other hand, it must be frankly ad- 

 mitted that our advantages do much predom- 

 inate. We have one of the best markets in 

 the world, which takes at a fair price, every 

 description of our surplus produce. We have 

 a soil which only requires good management 

 to be highly productive. We have the means 

 of procuring manure, which is the very life 

 of the land, in abundance. 



The duty on salt, an article so essential 

 to the farmer — which was abolished in Eng- 

 land in 1823, and which we have patiently 

 borne for more than half a century — has re- 

 cently been reduced. 



We have plaster at a price which is al- 

 ways reasonable. Above all, we have lime 

 at our doors, cheaper than it can be produced 

 elsewhere. This is an immense advantage, 

 of which we have not failed to profit. The 

 high and increasing value placed upon lime, 

 may be estimated, from a passage in a late 

 work on calcareous manures, by an eloquent 

 French author, M. Puvis. 



"The Supreme Being," says he, "appears 

 to have placed lime everywhere, at the dis- 

 posal of the industry of man : he has left 

 him to labour in its employment and some- 

 times in its preparation : but this is not an 

 unrequited labour; for the established laws 

 of vegetation almost always recompense him 

 by excellent results," 



You are however practical farmers, and 

 each one of you has, I doubt not, his own 

 peculiar views about manuring the soil, 

 ploughing the land, seeding wheat, and 

 planting corn. "Many a time and oft" have 

 you discussed the origin of mildew, smut 

 and cheat. Amidst much diversity of opin- 

 ion among farmers, you have perhaps never 

 known a miller who would admit the dog- 

 ma, that wheat could turn to cheat. In 

 this, the millers are supported by the bota- 

 nists; who assert that like produces like, all 

 the world over. If, however, wheat will 

 not produce cheat, it will be admitted that 

 the seed of cheat like that of some other 

 grasses, must lie dormant for generations; 



