122 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



NW. 5, 1830. 



denominated by one of the most distinguished 

 and bestof men, Dr Watts, our /Mow laborer, and the 

 appellation is as trne as it is beautiful. Yet how 

 long was it, before wc rendered full justice, to the 

 merits of this humble but powerful auxiliary. 

 His meekness, his steadiness, his capacity of en- 

 during severe labor and subsisting on coarse fare, 

 were indeed too striking to remain concealed, but 

 it was for a long time supposed that these good 

 qualities were in a great degree balanced by the 

 extreme tardiness of his movements. A proper 

 attention to his training has convinced us how 

 much this supposition was founded in error, and 

 we may now boast a race of working oxen, which 

 for the despatch, neatness and efficiency with 

 wliich they perform their labor, are certainly not 

 surpassed, and most probably not equalled in any 

 ])art of tlie world. Such, my friends, are a very 

 few of the improvements which have taken place 

 in our Agriculture, since the establishment of our 

 agricultural societies and Cattle Shows. In what 

 way these societies and shows have contributed to 

 these improvements, is a point which has been so 

 fully and ably handled in this place on former oc- 

 casions, as to leave little room for any farther illus- 

 tration. Indeed I think a candid mind will re- 

 quire little other proof of the advantages resulting 

 from x\gricultural Societies, to the great farming 

 interest of this state, than that which can be drawn 

 from their very existence. Twenty years ago 

 there was scarcely a County Society in this Com- 

 monwealth. At present, these societies exist, 

 with scarcely an exception, in all our Farming 

 Counties. Whence this increase ? Was it owing 

 to a sudden impulse of popular feeling ? No, for 

 these societies rose into being in gradual succes- 

 sion. Can it be ascribed wholly or principally to 

 the encouragement afforded by the Common- 

 wealth ? That encouragement is highly credit- 

 able to the liberality of the Legislature, for it has 

 proved amply sutticient to efi'ect the desired ob- 

 ject, and has been uniformly given with a promjrt- 

 ness, which evinced that more would have been 

 done, had more been necessary. But the sum 

 which any society can receive annually from the 

 treasury, is limited to an amount equal to the rev- 

 enue derived by such society from its own funds, 

 and can in no case exceed six hundred dol- 

 lars. This bounty, liberal as in fact it is, mani- 

 festly furnishes of itselt a very inadequate motive 

 for the establishment of an Agricultural Society. 

 Consider too the character of the people among 

 whom these institutions have sprung up. It is among 

 the farmers of Massachusstts, a race not given to 

 change, men proverbially and wisely cautious, 

 holding on to their settled opinions and habits with 

 a grasp, which yields to nothing but the force of 

 ■ cogent reasoning. To what else then can we as- 

 cribe the multiplication of these societies than to 

 the existence among our intelligent farmers, of a 

 general, a deliberate, and may we not add a just con- 

 viction, of their utility ? There is however, one ob- 

 jection to these institutions, wliich though it prevails 

 much less extensively than formerly, yet still re- 

 tains its hold on many worthy minds, and is 

 much oflencr felt than avowed. It is said that 

 Agricultural Societies and Shows merely furnish 

 an opportunity for theorists to display their fan- 

 cied discoveries, and that their existence is of little 

 importance or benefit to the practical farmer. My 

 friends, no one respects more than I do the intel- 

 ligent jiractical farmer, if indeed any one can lie 

 an intelligcut fanner, without some degree of 



theory. No one is better convinced, that more is 

 often learned from a few shrewd remarks from 

 such an individual, or from a single day's observa- 

 tion of his course of farming, than from volumas 

 of essays, and hours of declamation from a mere 

 theorist in agriculture. No one is more aware, 

 that there have been, and now are among our fat- 

 mers, men gifted with talents of the highest order, 

 which would have raised theni to distinction, had 

 such been their object, in any walk of human in- 

 dustry. But it is for this very reason, that I ivould 

 uphold Agricultural Societies and Shows. For, 

 let me ask, what becomes of the sterling wBdom 

 of these practical men ? Something of it trtiy be 

 communicated to their children or their iimledi- 

 ate neighbors, but the greater part goes icwn 

 with them to the grave. ' Certain it is,' say; an 

 ancient sage of the law, ' that when a good lavyer 

 dietli, much learning dieth with him ;' and there- 

 mark will apply with equal truth to the skill ind 

 information of the good farmer. My friencb, I 

 would arrest this valuable information before it 

 passes away. I would induce the jtossessor of it to 

 visit our shows and contend for our premums ; I 

 would have it coramuuioated by his coinersation 

 and simple statements, to our societies andtkrough 

 them to the public ; I would have it brougVt into 

 the great channel of intelligence, the press and 

 diiTused throughout the whole community. \ The 

 mere writer of agricultural essays has no n(fed of 

 societies and shows. His facility of compoition 

 enable him to place his thoughts on papel in 

 the solitude of his library, and the press isahWys 

 open to his effusions. But if we would remer 

 the intelligence aad experience of the true pi\c- 

 tical farmer either properly creditable to himsi|f, 

 or properly beneficial to his fellow citizens, Iki 

 of no means by which it can be so well cfFecti 

 as by those which I have mentioned. My friends, 

 I have spoken of the benefits which have resulted 

 to the JlgricuUure of our state from the establish- 

 ment of agricultural societies and cattle sho.vs. 

 But I believe we should do great injustice to the 

 subject, if we confined our attention to this class of 

 benefits only. There are others of a political or 

 rather mnral nature, of no mean importance. Ihe 

 youngest of us may remember the time, wlen 

 this coinmopwealth was divided into political pir- 

 ties by questions of the most momentous aid 

 most exciting character; when the contest vas 

 carried on between those parties with the activty, 

 the determination and fervor, which might hive 

 been anticipated from their nearly equal forces, 

 from the general intelligence of those who ccm- 

 posed them, and from the importance of the stb- 

 jects in dispute. Men wlio personally respec.ed 

 each other, were ranged on opposite sides in bat- 

 tle array, and many hard thoughts were entertain 

 ed and many hard words exchanged, which wore 

 ileeply regretted when the season of excitement 

 had gone by. These times have happily jiassed 

 away, but our community still is, and always will 

 be, divided on questions less exciting perhaps tluui 

 tliose which once existed among us, but still higljly 

 inqiortant and interesting. And yet, my friends, 

 we nowhere find the slightest vestige of party 

 spirit in the proceedings of this, or of any Agri- 

 cultural Society. So may it ever be; so we may 

 pronounce after our past trying experience, will it 

 ever be. In Agriculture we shall ever find a subject 

 of harmonious interest, and how consoling is the 

 thought, that however we may contend elswhere, 

 hero at least we shall be at peace; that here is one 



tojjic which can divide the opinions without sever- 

 ing the friendship of good men — one green spui 

 where the demon of party violence can never iii- 

 trndc — one most interesting object of human in- 

 quiry which we can investigate and discuss wi 

 all our heart and soul, not only without forgetti;, 

 but without being tempted to forget, that we ;;, 

 brethren. Yes, my friends, if ever all lines it 

 party division fadeaway — if we ever realize tliai . 

 we are all of one blood, nourished at the bosom of 

 one common mother, it is when the interests of 

 Agriculture are in question. 



But it is not political prejudices alone, which Ag- 

 ricultural Societies have tended to suspend and 

 soften. They have done much to alleviate others 

 e(|ually dangerous at least — I mean those of a lo- 

 cal nature. In this respect more has perhaps 

 been effected by the Massachusetts Society, than 

 by any other in the Commonwealth, not from any 

 superior merit in its members, but simply from the 

 force of circumstances. Owing to the manner in 

 which it is composed and the situation of the 

 place where its shows are held, it has served as a 

 connecting link between the City and the Interior. 

 To you, my friends, I need not say that the interesti 

 of these great portions of our community are one 

 and that any jealousy on either side is as impolitic 

 as it is illiberal. I believe that this importau 

 sentiment is constantly gaining ground, that if ini 

 pressiotis of an opposite kind exist anywhen 

 ilicy are founded in misconception, and are rapidl 

 assiug away. This is indeed a pleasing opinior 

 but it may be entertained on far better ground! 

 Every day's observation convinces me that 

 is not a grateful error but a sober truth. No' 

 what can better promote harmonious feelings b' 

 tween different portions of the state, what cc 

 more tend to strengthen, diffuse, and perpetua 

 them than that friendly interchange op sen' 

 ments, upon sidijccts of deep and iinmutab 

 interest to us all, which results necessarily fro 

 Agricultural Societies and Shows ? He must 

 singularly inexperienced or singularly unobscrvin 

 who has not seen how often a little personal iiite 

 course, or a word in season has caused the gros 

 est misconceptions and prejudices to vanish, HI 

 the morning cloud, and if this society has confe 

 red any benefits on the public, that to which I a.| 

 now referring is certainly one of the greatest. I 



Permit me now, my friends, to submit to yoi 

 very few practica suggestions. The first reh; 

 to insects. 



These are evils to which our Agriculture is | 

 sumcd to be more exposed, than that of any p 

 tion of the Old World. These animals are pn 

 ably bred in most cases in our vast forests, ami 

 they are driven out from their ancient haunts 

 the progress of cultivation, descend in countl 

 armies upon our fields and our gardens. WL 

 ever he their origin, their prowess speaks but ' 

 well for itself. The beautiful and active Bc^ 

 which attacks the Locust tree, a tree comhin 

 rapidity of growth, wilh hardness of wood i 

 most singular degree, this insect I say, has lolil 

 our country of valuable timber to the amount 

 millions of dollars. 



The borer which mines into the solid trii 

 of our Ai)ple trees, and the Canker worm, wli 

 consuim.'S tlicir foliage like a flame of fin', 

 equally destructive, within the circle of their • 

 ages. It is true that our efforts to extirpate tli 

 minute but powerful enemies as well as other 

 a similar description, or even to check them 



