806 



Agricultural Meeting. 



Vol. XL 



ingly slender, &c., &c. ; either of which, 

 being regarded in its single and separate 

 capacity, would have been looked upon by 

 most planters as hardly worth planting. I 

 believe he obtained the most of these varie- 

 ties when travelling through the Western 

 Country some four years past; the crop from 

 which has yielded him corn which he might 

 well challenge any of the Western States 

 from whence it came, and our own State, to 

 beat. Thus it is, that Mr. D. has made a 

 wonderful improvement in this great staff' of 

 life; and the more credit is due the public 

 benefactor, on account of his age and limited 

 experience. He is a man of untiring ener- 

 gy, good judgment, of an active, grasping 

 and masterly mind, and of a high-toned spi 

 rit of independence, which, I sincerely hope, 

 will soon gain him that reward which he so 

 richly merits. — Columbia Advocate. 



Agricultural Meeting at the State-house, 

 Boston, April 6th. 



Hon. Mr. Starkweather in the Chair. 

 Subject " Profits of Farming." 



Hon. Mr. Denny of Westborough, said 

 the subject before the meeting was of vast 

 importance, and prominent facts had been 

 adduced, showing that the opinion prevail- 

 ing in the minds of some that farming is un 

 profitable, is unfounded. It was not his ob- 

 ject to detract from, or to underrate, other 

 professions, nor to extol too highly the busi 

 ness of farming, but to lead the mind to the 

 great truths that exist in relation to the sub- 

 ject. On one side it had been asserted that 

 farming was not profitable, that a farmer 

 could merely get a living, but no facts were 

 brought forward to support these statements. 

 On the other hand, we have numerous and 

 well authenticated facts, showing that farm- 

 ing is profitable, and many become wealthy 

 in this profession. The community may be 

 divided into two great classes, the farmers 

 form one, and all other professions the other. 

 Farmers have as much wealth as others, and 

 more happiness, better health, and greater 

 longevity. 



There are some failures and hardships 

 among farmers, it is not all sunshine with 

 them, but they have more sunshine and less 

 storms than others. With the same capital, 

 talent, and industry, farmers are the most 

 successful. Farming is neglected, and too 

 many young men are turning their attention 

 to other pursuits. A mercantile house ad- 

 vertised for a clerk, and in the course of 24 

 hours it had 287 applications. 



Mr. David Goodale, of Marlborough, said 

 he was a farmer and the descendant of farm- 

 ers. He said there were other profits in 



farming than dollars and cents. In his con- 

 dition the prayer of Hagar is answered. He 

 is blessed with a suflSciency and not troubled 

 with a superabundance. The sleep of the 

 labouring man is sweet. If his fare be 

 coarse, he enjoys it with a good appetite. 

 This is the most healthy, and a calling the 

 most favourable to good morals. He is gen- 

 erally free from debts, and the vexatious 

 visits of the sheriff. Farmers are a prudent 

 class; they will wear an old coat rather 

 than run into debt for a new one. They do 

 not count their chickens before they are 

 hatched, nor like the Southern planters, 

 spend the proceeds of their crops before they 

 are raised. Although farming afforded great 

 advantages, he did not think it generally 

 produced so large a per centage as some had 

 stated. Large stories had been told, and 

 they might be true, but they were unusual 

 cases. He would name one of the kind. 

 An apple tree produced in one season 22 

 barrels of fruit, that was sold at $2 50 per 

 barrel. 



Hon. Mr. Clark, of Walpole, read a sta- 

 tistical document made up from replies to a 

 circular sent to every town in the State, 

 with inquiries in relation to failures. Re- 

 turns were made from 186 towns, containing 

 a population of 240,000. The failures were 

 357, only 59 of which were farmers, and we 

 know not how many of these failed from in- 

 dolence, intemperance, speculation, or by 

 attending to some other business. 



Mr. William Parker, of Boston, said that 

 it might be said that he had at a previous 

 meeting told a great story as to the profits 

 of farming, but it was true. He thought 

 any man who paid strict attention to the bu- 

 siness could make it profitable. In relation 

 to the great profit from one apple tree, as 

 had been named, that could be extended, but 

 many neglected the business. He knew a 

 farmer in Middlesex, who would not set out 

 apple trees, as he would not live to enjoy 

 the products. His son followed him with 

 the same views, but the grandson set an or- 

 chard, and all jLhree lived to drink cider from 

 the orchard. 



Mr. Brooks, of Princeton, said that he had 

 seen nothing to shake his belief that a good 

 farmer can make ten or fifteen per cent, pro- 

 fit on his capital, and attend to the common 

 business of farming, such as raising corn and 

 other grains, potatoes, hay, and stock. In 

 regard to the remarks of Mr. Everett, who 

 said the other evening that farming in Wor- 

 cester county would not pay more than 4^ 

 per cent, on the capital, he (Mr. E.) has a 

 brother in that county, that informed him 

 that he gained $2(10 a year. Another farm- 

 er in Worcester, who at first thought that 



