124 



Dr. Darlington'' s Address. 



Vol. IX. 



Address, 



Delivered by Dr. William Darlington, of 

 Westchester, before the Philadelphia Ag- 

 ricultural Society, at Us Annual 'Exhibi 

 Hon, on the 17th vll., at the Rising Snn 

 tavern, Germantoitm. 



It is with much pleasure we lay before our readers 

 the following Address. It was listened to by a large 

 and respectable audience, whose close attention to 

 every word, was sufficient proof tliat the sound senti- 

 ments inculcated, were recognised and appreciated. 

 We are entirely of the mind that the discourses 

 which we liear in various places, at the Annual Cattle 

 Shows, are many of them calculated to be of la.^ting 

 benefit to the community; and those who give their 

 time and labour to so good a cause, are entitled to our 

 thanks, and have doubtless, the satisfaction of reflect- 

 ing that they have done the State some service.— Ed. 

 Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Society,— 



In accepting the invitation to address this 

 bociety, at tlie present anniversary, I was 

 not Ignorant of the character of those dis- 

 courses which, heretofore, have made each 

 annual gathering- an intellectual festival- 

 rich with the treasures of science, and re- 

 splendent with the beauties of eloquence; 

 nor was I unconscious of my inability to 

 produce anything suited to the occasion, or 

 worthy of the position with which I have 

 been honoured. But, as a lover of ao-ricul- 

 ture, and an admirer of the efforts of those 

 who are striving to elevate the profession 

 to Its just rank in tJie scale of human pur- 

 su.ts, I knew not how to evade the call, or 

 refuse an attempt to co-operate in the gene- 

 rous purpose. I come before you, then, with 

 no other title to your indulgence, than a 

 hearty good will in the cause; and I must 

 rely exclusively upon your good nature, to 

 endure the trespass which I am about to in- 

 nict upon your attention. 



On subjects so trite— and so well under- 

 stood, in Eastern Pennsylvania— as are the 

 selections of Stock, and the management of 

 Crops, It would seem to be idle presumption' 

 m me, to pretend to treat. The importance 

 ot introducing the best breeds of cattle— ofi 

 superseding, as fast as possible, the ill-fa- 

 voured races which, hitherto, have been 

 permitted to browse in our pastures, and to 

 consume our forage— is now acknowledo-ed 

 by every farmer who understands his own 

 interests. Tlie advantages of a judicious 

 rotation, or alternation, of cultivated crops 

 have also been long apparent to the intelli- 

 gent agriculturist: but it may be doubted 

 whether the evils of overstocking and ofi 

 over-working, or ploughing more land than 

 can be thoroughly manured— are .sufficiently 

 understood, or regarded, by a large portion 

 of our Pennsylvania farmers. These are 



kindred errors— induced by a mistaken am- 

 bition to seem to be doing a large business: 

 but the practice, in each case, is^a fallacious 

 one, and has a direct tendency at once to 

 impair the character of the stock, as well as 

 to impoverish the land and its owner. I 

 am satisfied, both from observation and ex- 

 perience, that if the cultivator of thin, or 

 exhausted soils, would be content to plough 

 just so much ground as he could adequately 

 manure, he would find the products not only 

 increased in quantity, but enhanced in quali- 

 ty; while the amount of labour, or cost of 

 production would be diminished, and the 

 condition of the whole farm speedily and 

 permanently improved. In confirmation of 

 this, we have the fact, that within the last 

 fifty years, in Eastern Pennsylvania, many 

 of our farms and fields have been reduced, 

 by division and sub-division, to one-half 

 and even one-third of their former dimen- 

 sions; and yet, by skilful management, and 

 the faithful application of manure and lime, 

 each of those fractional portions of the ancient 

 domain is often made to yield a greater, and 

 a richer product, than was afTo'rded by the 

 entire tract, when in the hands of our an- 

 cestors. Indeed, it may be considered a- 

 fortunate circumstance for the promotion of 

 a high and perfect culture, that we have 

 been compelled, by the reduced size of our 

 farms, to resort to more effectual methods of 

 improving their condition, and thus compen- 

 sating ourselves, by an augmented fertility 

 of the soil, for the gradual contraction of 

 Its boundaries. This is the surest way to 

 advance the science of agriculture; it is 

 the true, and only mode, In which we of 

 I Eastern Pennsylvania, can hold our oivn in 

 |the great struggle of life,— or compete, suc- 

 jCessfully, with our brethren in newer and 

 Iremoter districts. The eminent character- 

 jistic of the American people, is the vigor 

 with which they go ahead, in all their pur- 

 Isuits. They are distinguished throughout 

 the wide world for the ingenuity and the 

 energy with ivhich they Aex'ise, and prose- 

 cute improved methods of advancing their 

 interests: and that portion of our population 

 which maybe content to remain stationary- 

 while all the rest are pressing onward with 

 strides of generous emulation — will assured- 

 ly soon be lost in the distance; — or if occa- 

 sional stragglers shall be found loitering in 

 view, they will only be regarded as objects 

 of compassion, or as examples to be shunned. 

 In these our ancient, densely peopled coun- 

 ties, where our pos.^essions become more 

 costly as they are diminished in size, wo 

 can only expect a fair return for capital ex- 

 pended, by an increased fertility in the soil, 

 and an enhanced skill in the management. 



