ADDRESS. 271 



itants of a classic city,* who have long since demonstrat- 

 ed, in practice, the truth of the lessons I would inculcate. 

 I will therefore dismiss this branch of my subject, and 

 turn to the more rugged, though not less important, topic 

 of Agriculture ; barely adding, — 



That in all endeavors to improve the condition of so- 

 ciety, w^hether religious, moral, or industrial, individual 

 efforts and example caji effect but little ; and hence, that 

 in every great work of reform or improvement, the con- 

 centrated strength of many has been resorted to, and 

 brought to a focus, by means of associations ; and that 

 the great objects of society are not likely to be promoted 

 in a more eminent degree, by any, than by associations 

 formed for like purposes with those which I have now the 

 honor to address. 



Being a native of this State, and having spent my early 

 days within its borders, I can well remember the farming 

 practices that w^ere wont to prevail. The farm w'as, to 

 use the commendatory language of that day, "suitably 

 divided into meadow, pasture, and plough land," and each 

 division was exclusively devoted to its object, until most 

 of the nutritious grasses had '-'run outj''^ in the meadow, 

 and the plough land had become too much impoverished 

 to bear a remunerating crop. Many an acre was turned 

 into " old field ^^^ or commons, destitute alike of natural 

 or artificial herbage, affording scanty gleanings to half- 

 famished cattle. I beg not to be misunderstood. I am 

 describing what was a bad feature in Yankee husbandry. 

 Farming has no doubt recently undergone great improve- 

 ments iniConnecticut, as it has elsewhere. Yet on a fair 

 comparison with highly-cultivated agricultural districts, I 

 believe that it will be found that the husbandry of this 

 State, in the main, is susceptible of great improvement. 

 The lands of Connecticut were originally rich and pro- 

 ductive. The earthy elements remain in a great measure 

 unchanged ; the seasons are about as propitious as they 

 were wont to be ; and the lessons in improvement that 

 have been taught elsewhere, leave httle reason to doubt, 



* New Haven. 



