118 



Jigricultural Exhibition. 



Vol. VIII. 



bandry may ruin or deteriorate the most fer- 

 tile. In proof of this, I will tell you what 

 I have lately seen in Europe. I have seen 

 light tillage lands of England, yielding be- 

 tween 30 and 40 bushels of wheat an acre, 

 whilst lands of precisely the same quality 

 and description in France, did not produce 

 eight bushels an acre. Again, I know, in 

 the former country, estates which were, 

 some years ago, deemed incapable of yield- 

 ing anything like a profit, and where — as it 

 had been facetiously said — nothing was to 

 be seen, but perhaps a couple of rabbits 

 fighting for a solitary blade of grass ; but 

 which lands, in the present day, yield as fine 

 crops of wheat, barley, clover, turnips, and 

 mangel-wurzel, as ever farmer could wish 

 to cast eye upon. But to show you still 

 further, the all-importance of a good system 

 of husbandry, and of how much more real 

 benefit it often is, than even the greatest 

 natural fertility of soil, I will tell you what 

 I myself witnessed in England, only a few 

 years ago. It was at a time when there 

 were loud complaints of agricultural dis- 

 tress, and when numerous petitions for 

 stricter corn-laws and increased protection, 

 were pouring into the House of Commons. 

 1 happened then to visit several parts of the 

 kingdom, and what did I see? I saw in 

 some districts, lands of the richest quality, — 

 lands enjoying every natural advantage — a 

 good soil, a good climate, a good situation, — 

 and yet with all around, landlords, ten 

 ants, labourers, all impoverished and full of 

 complaint. Again, I saw other districts 

 possessed of few or none of the advantages 

 which I have been describing, but where 

 the picture was directly the reverse. The 

 landlord was receiving his fair rent, the 

 tenant was saving money, and the labourer 

 employed, well paid and content; not a 

 murmur, not a complaint was to be heard. 

 Now, what do you think was the cause of 

 this extraordinary difference of things in 

 different parts of the same island? The 

 cause was simply this, viz., a difl^erence in 

 their respective modes of agriculture. In 

 the one case, there had been introduced a 

 new and improved system ; in the other, all 

 the vices of the old system had been allowed 

 to continue and prevail. In the one, by im- 

 proved machinery and a more skilful appli- 

 cation of capital and labour, they had not 

 only lessened the cost of production, but 

 they had greatly increased the amount of 

 that production — multiplying it two, three, 

 and in some cases, even four-fold ; in the 

 other, they had improved little or not at all, 

 but had plodded on in the old way, plough- 

 ing, sowing, reaping, as their forefathers 

 had done for ages, trembling at every breath 



of innovation, scouting all possibility of im- 

 provement. And they were all rewarded 

 accordingly; each according to his own 

 works. One was flourishing, the other 

 starving. Yes, the bad farmer, despite of 

 his good soil, was bankrupt and wretched; 

 whilst the intelligent and active one, tri- 

 umphing over every disadvantage and obsta- 

 cle of nature, was in the enjoyment of 

 peace, plenty, and independence. So much 

 more does success in agriculture depend on 

 our own intelligence and exertions, than 

 even on the richest bounties of nature ! 

 But nature, I repeat, has, in this country, 

 done her part, and you have now only to do 

 yours. With the gifts and advantages 

 which she has so liberally showered down 

 upon you, there is no height of agricultural 

 excellence and success, which America has 

 it not in her power, sooner or later, to at- 

 tain. But I have troubled you too long, 

 and shall therefore conclude, by begging to 

 renew my thanks for this hospitable recep- 

 tion, and to express my most earnest wishes 

 for the prosperity of this Society, and Ame- 

 rican agriculture in general. I would also, 

 in respondence to the sentiment which 

 called me up, add my prayers for peace 

 and harmony between Great Britain and 

 America, — between the parent and the 

 child. May they both go on, active, im- 

 proving, and happy, — "the old bull, John, 

 and the lusty yearling, Jonathan," as Lord 

 Morpeth calls them : and may the only fu- 

 ture rivalry between them be, which shall 

 raise the best crops and breed the finest 

 cattle. 



Mr. Gowen, Vice President, in reply: — 

 felt happy in the assurance of the advance- 

 ment made in agriculture, of which the 

 gentleman's opinion was conclusive. His 

 experience and intelligence qualified him in 

 no ordinary degree, not only to compare our 

 improvements with those of other countries, 

 but to judge in the abstract, of the excel- 

 lence of results. That our cattle in this 

 neighbourhood, should be superior, no one 

 can doubt, because the improved Short-horn 

 bulls are selections from the herds of the 

 best breeders in England, or are derived 

 immediately from them. Mr. G. said, we 

 should take encouragement from our partial 

 success, and be ever ready to listen with at- 

 tention to every lesson bestowed upon us. 



The gentleman's good opinion is flatter- 

 ing, and must be appreciated by all. The 

 zeal he manifests for the interests of agricul- 

 ture, cannot fail to elicit the commendation 

 of every farmer in general, as well as the 

 members of this Society in particular. His 

 frankness is but in proof of the urbanity and 

 kindness he has reciprocated with our citi- 



