230 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JAIf. 19, ts* 



A.M> IIOnTICUt.TURAL RKOISTER. 



DosToii, Wednesday, Jakuart 19, 1842. 



SECOND AGRICULTURAL MEETING— JAN 14 



The commidpe oppciinted to nominnio officer" for tli< 

 season, reported 



For Preiidtnt — Hon. Josiah Q.oiKcy, Presidi-rit of 

 the Sennle. 



Vice Presidents — I'noli Lnthrop, Esq., of S. Haelley, 

 ofthe Hoiiso ; Hon. iMrPlunket, of the Scnnlc ; Hon. 

 Mr Hastings, of \\w Council. 



And the four Editors of agricultural papers in the 

 city, for roporii rs, ond also for a busines.i commitiee, to 

 announce subjectB for discussion, and obtnin gentle-inen 

 to commence the discussion. 



The Pri'sidcnt, upon Inking the chair, stated that he 

 oved his election to his olTico in the legislature, and not 

 tn his ngrictiltural acquirements. But his interest in n^* 

 riculturisls and their pursuit was f;real, and he was hap- 

 'py to a'-sist them as far ms was in his power. 



The subject that had been adopted at the previous 

 meeting was then taken up, viz : — " What ought to be 

 done by the Legislature and Congress to give un equal 

 impulse ;o agriculture with the sister arts?" 



Mr IJuckminsier, editor of ihe Massachusetts I'low- 

 man, remarked that in ihe opinion of some, Congress 

 and the Legislature may do much to benefit agriculiuro. 

 Bui he doubted whether legislation can do much more 

 ihon it already accomplishes. The State grants to each 

 of several county societies, $600 annually, to be brstow- 

 «d in premiums: this ie well. But he thought liitle 

 good comes from LouHties. Ho feared that if wo try to 

 do much more than is now done by legislation, we may 

 do more harm than good. 



Mr Merriam, editor of tho Boston Cultivator, then 

 coiumenct'd h\H speech. He maintained tliat much can 

 be done and ought to be dona by gnvernrasnt for the 

 benefit of agriculture. This pursuit has been hardly 

 used. Tho agricultural pre.is has done it harm. Judge 



for I ducaljun will lake the first rank. Farmers, not liav. operation this is not an oppressive burthen upon the 



ing these udvaiiiages, are not resj>ei:ted as much as oih- farmer. 



ers. The leginlature might make grants In each of the ^ Farmers, too, can get money at the banks upon rual 



colleges for purchueing a farm ; and agricultural protes- eatsto security — he knows Ihey can. 



surshijis should be cslublished. ! Mr Buckminsler doubted the propriety of trying to 



[The above contains the heads, as far as we recollect compel tlm banks to loan money upon real estaie seou- 

 them, of Mr Merrism's speech ] ."ty-- The banks Jiiusi redeem their bills in money, n<;t 



Mr Dodge, of Hamilton, remarked that Mr M. had in farms, 

 traversed a w ide field— and that if we aitempted to fol- 1 Mr Quincy pleasanlly said, that inveterate talkero .ire 

 low him there was dangir of our heipg distracted. It sometimes put in the chair to keep them silent — bui ,\t 

 bad not been (uslomary in former years at these meet-, this was bin lirst appearance there, he need not presume 



mgi 



to be BO discursive. Tho aim had been to present , that that trick had been played upon him. 



some single point in practical agriculture, and to adhere 1 He uskcd whether any thing can be done to make 

 toil. Having such a point and adhering toil, we get men ef education engage in farming? It raoy bo ditfi- 

 valuablii instruction, which we can carry nway with us. cull here — lor iho Yankee wrints to make m(mey. Agri- 

 He was unable to ogreo with the previous speaker in ' culture does not open a field for making a fortune nip- 



very many of his views. The idea that farmers were 

 not held in proper respect, he thou>,ht was incorrect. 

 He denied ihat farmers are not intelligent and shrewd, 

 and that they are not respectable and respected. The 

 education whir h they tan, orid which many of them do 

 get, fits thum well for their calling Agricultural 

 schools where attejnpted have, in this country, failed. 

 They are not strongly called for. You may have an 

 agricultural professor who may teach college boys the 

 poetry of agriculture, and draw their attention to it ; but 

 when they come to the practice — when they hove to 

 " hoe their row," they will find that farming "uintwhat 

 it 's cracked up to be." Such professorships may do in 

 Europe ; but here, it is on a good farm that the boy can 

 get his best education ns a farmer. 



He differed from tho gentleman (Mr Merriam,) in a 

 wish for bounties on silk, beet sugar, &c. The wheat 

 bnunty was not wise, and probably will not be renewed. 



Protection of fiirtners by duty upon hides, may injure 

 the shoe inokers, (many of whom are farmers,) and tho 

 good done to agriculture may be harm to mechanics. 



The fact, supposing it to be a fact, that farmers cannot 

 get accommodation at banks, is not a very lamentable 

 one. For farmers do not wish to got money there if 

 they can possibly avoid il. Their business, if properly 

 managed, does not often moke it necessary. Were it 

 Buol was the only editor who has taken correct vihtvsof . utiierwiac, no legislation can be of eervico, for we cannot 



the subject. «• 



Why are enterprise and cnpiinl thrown out oC agricul- 

 ture ? Why do tho young leave it ? Not from aver- 

 sion to labor ; but heeaui-e they seo government con- 

 stantly furnishing mercantile facilities and helping mer- 

 chants to the means of borrowing money, while the far- 

 mer cannot raise funds. Concentration of capital in 

 hanks, tends to cut off tho farmer's facilities for borrow- 

 ing. 



CftngresB can do sornclhing. It can lay a duty upon 

 hides, and thus help the farmer. He had v/atched Con- 

 gress with an evil eye, to Koe if thny would do any such 

 thing, hut they have not. Th« silk nnd sugar bent busi- 

 ness mny be encouraged by proper duties on the foreign 

 articles. Potatoes from the Provinces may he kept 

 from our market. 



Government makes no provision for agricultural edu- 

 cation. No class of citizens can flourish and take high 

 rank, unless there are many highly educated men among 

 them. 



The Stale may aid agriculture by oltering the laws in 

 regard to laxotion. Farmers poy more tax by one third, 

 than they ought to. Tho legislature mivht by law re- 

 quire corporations to send to assessors iho names of 

 stockholders. The farmer is taxeil not only for what he 

 is worth, but for oil his real esiato, even though it bo 

 under heavy moilgoge. 

 Our whole system of education is adverse to agricul 



compel tho banks to loan to one whoso credit is not 

 good. The subject wiis not, in his view, a proper one. 



Mr Merriam then romsrked : — There arc some poli- 

 ticians who wish to keep the farmers blind. But it was 

 not so with Judge Buel. — The subject not a proper one ! 

 These groat questions not proper! But we must come 

 here to talk about trifles, such as muck, and not about 

 laiBS .' 



Ml Stone, of Devcrly, stnled that he had at the former 

 meeting suggosted the subject of rnuc/^, and that the con- 

 versation upon it had been instructive to him. He hop- 

 ed that practical farmers present would tell the meeting 

 whether any tiling could ha done for them by legisla- 

 tion, and if any thing, what. 



idly. Our people, bent upon money gelling, lo 

 trade, where great risks are run, and where money mny 

 be made, and where, too, all may be lost. Tho farnu r s 

 life is quirt — his gains arc small — I. is risks small. What 

 needs to bo done then .' We need to leach men ihai 

 money-making is not the groat end of life. Teach ihcm 

 this, snd yuu may niako them forego the hazards, anxi- 

 eties ond temptations of mercantile life, and seek for 

 better thingt — for honesty, integrity, independuiice. 

 honor and virtue, where they can be more certainly 

 gained — oti the farm. That whicti seems to bo wanting, 

 is to teach the young what are the just aims and ends of 

 life ; for then they will turn to farming as the pursuit 

 in which those high aims can be most safely and surety 

 reached. Take just views of the true objects of lilt — 

 just views of man's duties and destiny, and then calcu- 

 lating and balancing the advantages and disadvantages 

 of the various pursuits, agriculture will stand well. 



[Subject for consideration at the next meeting — Cul- 

 ture of the Potato.] 



BOSTON ALMANAC. 

 Considerate. — Mr Dickinson, hoof the Boston Alma-, 

 nac, sent us a copy of bis book, (and his book is (As icMt 

 of almanacs) — which we duly noticed; and though we 

 praised, we did not flatter. Now there has come anoth- 

 er copy — (ono for our ojjiee and tho other for the farm, 

 as we take it.) Thank you, Mr D. fur remembering 

 that wc live at two places. And wo advise every body 

 around the city that wants fi good almanac, to buy yi^u/t. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



EXHIBITION or FR0IT8. 



Saturday, Jan. I, 1843. 



Fine specimens of the Beurre d' Aremberg and Co- 

 lumbian Pears, from the President, M. I'. Wilder 



A seedling Swoot Apple, from Jacob W. Watson, of 

 Princeton. 



From L. P. Grosvenor — fine specimens of Apples: 

 Peck's Pleasant, Pearmain, Chandler, Russet, Baldwins, 



For tbe (Joramitlei!, 



B. V. FRENCH. 



Pound Royal, Spilzenberg, tiucenin. Greening, Pipped, 

 Col. Newell, of West Newbury, thought the educa- Company, and two kinds unknown, 

 lion of fanners pretty good. Thought, .ilso, that the — - 



great political questions involved in tbe subject ond re- 

 marks upon it, worthy of consideration and debate. 

 And perhaps it might be well to waive the considera- 

 tion till some futiiro time, when gentlemen might be 

 lietter prepared for debate. 



lie then asserted that Mr Merriain's position in regard 

 lo laxniion, is false in theory ond in proctice. It is true 

 that the farmer does pay tax upon tho whole worth of 

 his farm, oven though it bo under mortgage 

 also true that Ihe merchant is taxed fur his stock in 

 trade, although he owes for n great part of il. The visi- 



Saturday, Jan. 15, 184?. 

 Samuel Mann, of Dedham, exhibited very fine Celery« 

 For the Committee, 



A. D. WILLIAMS. 



(live your collie but little iiay at a time, and lei tbA 

 But it is little be well shaken up. 



Again wo say, boys, doo't forget lo card the cows 

 re. Tho class which enjoys tho grsotest advalitages I '•'* P'T^'^'y '' 's»ed and must be, and in the general let this invariably be attended to before breakfast. 



