£l)c .farmer's ittoittljln Visitor. 



21 



dso ;it the woolen manufactures (and il gave trie 

 nucli gratification to see some excellent speci- 

 nens of native in.lu.~tiy in lhat department, 

 which were exhibited at the show to-day,) see 

 iow (le|ieinlent that interest also is upon agricul- 

 ture, which rears tlie sheep and improves his 

 condition so as to secure a fine and valuable 

 9eere. Or, to take a higher view of this subject, 

 agriculture is the art, by the cultivation of which, 

 it gracious and merciful God, enables his fallen 

 creatures lo extract ti blessing out of the primeval 

 curse. (Great applause.) 



But let me ask again, what in a more special 

 and peculiar sense, is involved in the promotion 

 of agricultural improvement here in Canada? 

 What has agriculture already done for Canada? 

 and what may it still be expected to do for Cana- 

 da ? (Some person at the table culled out " every 

 thing" — and his excellency replied " quite right 

 sir.") Let us look back a little to the past. But 

 a few years ago this territory, which now sus- 

 tains gome hundreds of thousands of inhabitants 

 in comfort and plenty, and enables them out of 

 their surplus produce, to remit large supplies to 

 other countries — but a few years ago, I say, this 

 great territory was traversed by a lew wandering 

 tribes, who could with difficulty procure through- 

 out its vast extent, the means of a scanty and 

 precarious subsistence. And, gentlemen, this 

 change so sudden, so marvellous in its results, 

 that it appears more like fable than reality, is 

 mainly to be ascribed to the introduction of ag- 

 riculture. I hardly presume to lift even a corner 

 of that veil, which hides the future from our 

 gaze, lor the prospect beyond that veil is almost 

 too dazzling to contemplate. But who, I ask, 

 will venture to assign limits lo the prosperity 

 which Canada will yet attain, if she continues to 

 advance at the same constantly accelerating rate, 

 at which she has of late years progressed. (Ap- 

 plause.) Well, gentlemen, the question forces 

 itself upon every reflecting mind, how does it 

 come to pass, that the introduction of agriculture 

 and of the arts of civilized life, into this and 

 other parts of the American continent, has been 

 followed by such astonishing results? It may be 

 said, that these results are due to the qualities of 

 the hardy and enterprising race by which these 

 regions have been settled, ami the answer is un- 

 doubtedly a true one; but it does not appear to 

 nie lo contain the whole truth — it does not ap- 

 pear lo account for all the phenomena. Why, 

 gentlemen, our ancestors had hearts as brave, 

 and arms as sturdy as our own, but it took them 

 many years, aye, even centuries, before they were 

 enabled to convert the forests of the Druids, and 

 the wild fastnesses of the Highland Cbieftians, 

 into the green pastures of England, and the wav- 

 ing corn-fields of Scotland'. (Great applause.) 

 Hon then does it come lo pass, that the labors 

 of their descendants here have been rewarded by 

 a return so much more immediate and abund- 

 ant? I believe that the true solution of this 

 problem is to he found in the fact, that hero for 

 the first time the appliances of an age, which has 

 been prolific beyond all preceding ages, in valu- 

 able discoveries, more particularly in chemistry 

 and mechatiics, have been brought to hear, under 

 circumstances particularly favorable; upon the 

 productiveness of a new country. When the 

 nations of Europe were young, science was in 

 its infancy; the art of civil government was im- 

 perfectly understood; property was inadequately 

 protected ; the laborer knew not who would reap 

 what he had sown, and the teeming earth yielded 

 her produce grudgingly to the solicitations of an 

 ill-directed anil desultory cultivation. It was not 

 till long and painful experience had taught the 

 nations the superiority of the arts of peace over 

 those of war; it was not until the pressure of 

 numbers upon the means of subsistence had 

 been sorely felt that the ingenuity of man was 

 taxed, to provide substitutes for those infective 

 and wasteful methods, under which the fertility 

 of the virgin soils had been well nigh exhausted 

 (Applause.) Rut with you, gentlemen, it is far 

 otherwise. Canada springs at once from the 

 cradle into the full possession of the privileges 

 of manhood. Canada, with the bloom of youth 

 yet upon her cheek, and with youth's elasticity 

 in her tread, has the advantage of all the experi- 

 ence of age. She may avail herself, not only ot 

 the capital accumulated in older countries, but 

 also of those treasures of knowledge, which have 



been gathered up, by the labor and research of 

 earnest and thoughtful men throughout a series 

 of generations. (Gieat applause.) 



Now, gentlemen, what is the inference that I 

 would draw from all this? What is the moral 

 that I would endeavor to impress upon you ? Il 

 is this. That it is your interest and your duty to 

 avail yourselves lo the Utmost, ot' all these un- 

 paralleled advantages; to bring to hear upon this 

 soil, so richly endowed by nature, all the appli- 

 ances of modern art ; to refuse, if 1 may so ex- 

 press myselfj to convert your one talent into two, 

 il, by a more skilful application of the true prin- 

 ciples of husbandry, or by the greater economy 

 of management you can convert it into ien. 

 (Cheers.) And, it is because I believe that soci- 

 eties like these, when well directed, are calcula- 

 ted to aid you in your endeavors to effect these 

 important objects, that I am disposed to give 

 them all the protection and countenance, which 

 it is in my power to afford. They have certainly 

 been very useful in oilier countries, and I cannot 

 see why they should be less serviceable ill Cana- 

 da. The Highland Society of Scotland was the 

 first instituted, and the proud position which 

 Scotland enjoys as an agricultural country, 

 speaks volumes of the services rendered by that 

 society. The Royal Agricultural Society of lie- 

 laud, followed in its wake, and with similarly 

 beneficial results. I myself was instrumental in 

 establishing an agricultural society in the West 

 Indies, (cheers) which lias already done much to 

 revive the spirits of the planters; and I shall be 

 very much disappointed indeed it' that society 

 does not prove the means, before many years are 

 past, of establishing the truth so important to 

 humanity, that even in tropical countries, free 

 labor, properly applied, under a good system of 

 husbandry, is more economical than the labor of 

 slaves. (Great cheering.) 



And, gentlemen, I repeat it, I do not see why 

 results equally beneficial should not follow, from 

 the establishment of the Provincial Agricultural 

 Society in Canada. But in order that it may be 

 rendered so useful, it must be supported — it must 

 be supported not only by pecuniary contributions, 

 hut also by contributions of information. These 

 societies, as it appears to me, have two very im- 

 portant functions to discharge. On the. one hand 

 they may lie made the means of diffusing sound 

 views upon the general principles of agriculture, 

 among the lower population, and on the other 

 hand they may be made useful to the country, by 

 collecting together the local experience of prac- 

 tical men, digesting them and [Milling them into 

 a shape in which they may be made generally 

 available. I persuaded the general Agricultural 

 Society of Jamaica wiih ibis view, to cause forms 

 to be printed, on which the results of experi- 

 ments made by practical agriculturists could be 

 easily and succinctly described. These forms 

 were transmitted to the local societies, and by 

 them distributed among farmers in their respec- 

 tive districts. Any farmer interested in this art, 

 (and when I look at the intelligent countenances 

 around me, I feel how many there must be here, 

 who are sensible of the dignity which attaches to 

 the. pursuit in which they are engaged, and who 

 do not follow it as a mere drudgery) — any farmer 

 1 say, who is interested in his art, hail, through 

 these forms an easy and simple method of de- 

 scribing tin; results of any experiment in cultiva- 

 tion which he might have made. These docu- 

 ments, when filled up, were transmitted to the 

 local societies, who appointed committees to re- 

 port upon them, and the reports, with the data 

 on which they were founded, were finally trans- 

 mitted lo the central society, who were enabled 

 to state the results of general information. I 

 think this plan a good one and worthy of imita- 

 tion; but, gentlemen, I feel dial I am gelling into 

 details, and that there are many persons here 

 present who are better able to handle them than 

 myself: (No, no, and cheers.) 



! think that I have assigned ample reasons to 

 justify me in hoping that you will join with me 

 in drinking success to the Provincial Agricultural 

 Association of Upper Canada. (Cheers.) This, 

 gentlemen, is the first time, on which I have had 

 an opportunity of being present at the Agricul- 

 tural meeting in Canada, but I trust it may not be 

 the last; and if we should ever again have the 

 good fortune lo meet together, I trust that our re- 

 union may be characterized hy the same zeal, the 

 Knrrte nnarmnifv and kinrtlv fpplin** which has 



marked this ; and that there may be such addi- 

 tions to the number of the articles exhibited, and 

 such improvements in their qualities, as will 

 shew that the Provincial Agricultural Association 

 has not existed in vain. (His excellency resumed 

 his seat amidst the most enthusiastic and long 

 continued cheei ing.) 



(By his excellency the Governor General.) — 

 Prosperity to the Agricultural Association of 

 Upper Canada. 



This toast was responded to by the Vice Presi- 

 dent, The Hon. Adam Ferguson, in a felicitous 

 speech, during the delivery of which the honor- 

 able gentleman was repeatedly cheered. He ob- 

 served that the i'ew words he would say, catno 

 from his heart. After the most eloquent and 

 highly patriotic address of bis excellency, any 

 thing he could say must fail to interest the com- 

 pany. Alluding lo the unfortunate state of the 

 weather, he would take the liberty of stating lo 

 his excellency a fact of which his excellency 

 had no personal experience, that there was such 

 a thing as "■sun-shine in Upper Canada.'" Al- 

 though his excellency had seen much at the ex- 

 hibition, that was well worthy of attention, \et 

 he could as yet form no estimate ot the vast re- 

 sources of the Province. He could direct his 

 excellency to farmers who had recently sown 

 from 200 to 300 acres of wheat, from which they 

 expected to reap thirty bushels per acre. He 

 alluded to one farmer who had pocketed 25,000 

 pounds from his hog-pen, during the past year. — 

 It afforded him sincere pleasure to witness a 

 nobleman, entrusted with the government of this 

 Colony, (second only to the Vice Royally of lie- 

 land,) who made such praisworthy exertions to 

 become thoroughly acquainted with the position, 

 the feelings, and interests of those over whom he 

 was appointed by the favor of our Sovereign to 

 rule; and he sincerely hoped the present meet- 

 ing would prove as gratifying to his excellency, 

 as it was flattering to this large and intelligent 

 assembly. 



near the 

 few days 



Early Potatoes. — Persons living 

 market towns must be aware that a 

 difference in early vegetables will make a great 

 difference in price. Thus it is with green peas, 

 the first will sell at $2 per bushel, changing per- 

 haps in a fortnight in a reduction of one-half: 

 the same rule will apply to early potatoes. The 

 farmers, our friends a few miles out of Boston, 

 have the art of stimulating their richest lands to 

 early production: they have peas and potatoes in 

 market almost as soon as the wide-awake farm- 

 ers in the country can get theirs out of the 

 ground. We have a West Cambridge fanner, 

 moved several years since into the west parish of 

 Concord : he always comes in with peas and po- 

 tatoes in season to get a double price. These 

 market farmers, upon lands cultivated two hun- 

 dred years in succession without deterioration, 

 know how to sprout and advance potatoes a full 

 three weeks in advance of their natural growth 

 in the sun ; hut we have despaired of learning 

 their art. We will, however, state how the po- 

 tato crop in the country, by a simple process, was 

 forwarded a full fortnight, enabling the cultivator 

 to realize a double price. Mr. Orcutt keeps a 

 tavern in Chester street, fifteen miles from Man- 

 chester, N. II. He now goes into the country 

 instead of going to the seaboard for a market. 

 The last year he forwarded his seed potatoes by 

 setting them in barrels in a room kept warm by 

 a stove: they remained here about a week, until 

 the sprouts were started for a healthy growth, 

 not large enough to break off when dropped and 

 covered in the ground. The potatoes started 

 from the ground and grew at once, being a full 

 fortnight it) advance of those not thus prepared. 

 This early prnducton was an item which enabled 

 Mr. O. to obtain in the market at Manchester, 

 about one hundred and fifty dollars in cash, for 

 the production of three-fourths of an acre of 

 croon d. 



