140 



A Discourse on Agriculture. 



Vol. XII. 



majority of this nation, it is perfectly obvi- 

 ous that they must be either the intelligent 

 regulators of its glorious career, — or the 

 blind instruments of its destiny in the hands 

 of artful demagogues; — and consequently 

 they will be held responsible for the fate of 

 the Republic, by their remotest posterity. 

 Ought they not, then, to employ every 

 means, and exert every nerve, to qualify 

 themselves for the high duties thus devolved 

 upon them 1 



There is nothing unreasonable, nor extra- 

 ordinary, in the acquirements thus indicated 

 as appropriate and indispensable to the Ame- 

 rican farmer. In a nation fitted for free- 

 dom — or which hopes to continue free — such 

 attainments are enjoined upon all classes 

 and descriptions of the people.* Where 

 men stand unfettered on the platform of 

 equal rights, it is justly expected of every 

 one, that he shall qualify himself to meet 

 all the responsibilities belonging to his sta- 

 tion in society: and this is eminently true 

 of the particular business to which he is de- 

 voted. The remark is as correct as it is 

 pointed and forcible, that " where knowledge 

 is a duty, ignorance is a crime." No man 

 should be held excusable for neglecting the 

 opportunity to inform himself of that which 

 it is his interest and his duty to know. Pro- 

 fessional men, so termed, are bound to be 

 familiar with the entire history, and with 

 every department of their several callings. 

 The Jurist must make himself acquainted 

 with the intellectual processes whence our 

 present rrde of action has been deduced, — 

 in order that he may correctly apply that 

 rule to all cases of difficulty between man 

 and man. The Physician is required to 

 know the structure of the human body, and 

 to understand the laws of the animal econo- 

 my, — so that he may avail himself of that 

 knowledge, when called upon to relieve the 

 various " ills that flesh is heir to." And the 

 Divine, also — whose sacred office it is to 

 minister to our spiritual wants, — to expound 

 the objects of our probationary existence 

 here, and "vindicate the ways of God to 

 man," — even he is expected to furnish "a 

 reason for the faith that is in him." Artists 

 and operatists of every description, who 

 would adorn their several pursuits, find it 

 necessary to understand the theory, or prin- 

 ciples, involved in their manipulations, — as 

 well as to become expert in the practical 

 details. Such being the unquestionable 



* We have the authority of that excellent man and 

 accomplished friend of human rights, Sir William 

 Jones, for the opinion, that "The principles of govern- 

 ment are so obvious and intelligible, that a clown may 

 be brought to understand them." 



fact, in reference to all other vocations, — it 

 may well be demanded, why the business of 

 agricvlture — itself a comprehensive system 

 of natural science, involving more or less an 

 acquaintance with all physical laws, and all 

 terrestrial phenomena — and being moreover 

 the great substratum and support of every 

 other human pursuit — ivhy should agricul- 

 ture, alone, of all earthly employments, be 

 regarded as calling for no scientific attain- 

 ments — no intelligent observation of the va- 

 ried natural objects, the interesting facts, 

 and curious processes around us: in other 

 words — no rational exercise of the intellect- 

 ual faculties with which a beneficent Crea- 

 tor has endowed usl It was, indeed, wisely 

 provided, that an art to which the whole hu- 

 man family is indebted for sustenance, should 

 be so simple in its essential features, that 

 even stupidity can make a living, and mere 

 muscular energy be profitably employed in 

 its prosecution: but, in the nature of things, 

 it cannot be, that a business involving so 

 much of Natural History — and controlled 

 by so many of the laws indelibly impressed 

 upon matter, — it can never be predicated of 

 such a pursuit, that a knowledge of its true 

 principles is superfluous — nor that its best 

 interests may not be promoted by a cultiva- 

 ted intellect. I shall therefore assume, as 

 an established position, that a knowledge of 

 the profession, -in all its relations, is requi- 

 site to ensure the perfection of agriculture, 

 and to elevate it to its proper rank; and 

 moreover, that in a country where laws rule, 

 and the yeomanry have a potential voice in 

 their enactment, it is indispensable to the 

 perpetuity of their institutions, that an agri- 

 cultural people should be an educated and 

 an intelligent people. 



I shall not venture, on this occasion, to 

 trespass upon your patience, by dwelling on 

 the practical details of the farmer, I shall 

 make no idle attempt to entertain you, by 

 descanting on the culture of fields, or the 

 management of stock. Instead of essaying, 

 here, to teach those first lessons in the art 

 of giving fertility to the soil, it would be- 

 come me rather to seek instruction from 

 those who have so happily demonstrated how 

 it can be done. I have not now to learn, 

 that this is precisely the district of our 

 county, where a renovating agriculture has 

 achieved its greatest triumphs. I shall, 

 therefore, avoid the well-understood topics 

 of lime and manures, and the rotation of 

 crops: and will solicit your indulgence for 

 a few moments, while I advert to the expe- 

 diency of promoting some of the more intel- 

 lectual qualifications of the farmer, — those 

 interestingattainments which give an appro- 

 priate finish to the agricultural character, 



