ESSEX AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 7 



shed, from his barn cellar. This sliould be an inducement to 

 make manure as much as possible under cover. Economy 

 should induce us to make cellars under our stables." He said 

 furthermore, " Every farmer perceives a great difference in the 

 breed of cattle, sheep or swine ; that a poor ox, cow, sheep or 

 hog is not so easily kept, nor so profitable, as a good one." 



October 2, 1822. Rev. Peter Eaton, another of the strong- 

 minded and strong-bodied clergymen of that day, delivered an 

 address at Topsfield, in which he set forth that "it is a maxim 

 in husbandry that no scheme of management is of advantage 

 to the community which will not give a profit ; and that is the 

 best which will afford the greatest profit with the least labor 

 and expense." 



The year following, October 6, 1823, it fell to the lot of lion. 

 Frederick Howes to address the society. And he did it well, 

 for he declared that " an essential requisite of good husbandry 

 is that the soil should be kept free from weeds." And no one 

 disputed it. He also urged the cultivation of root crops. 



Reports of committees for 1824 were published in the " New 

 England Farmer." In 1825 no address seems to have been 

 delivered. In 1826 and 1827 the reports were published in 

 the " New England Farmer." 



On September 25, 1829, Col. Pickering was again called on 

 to address the society, the annual address having been omitted 

 since 1823. In this, his last appearance as a teacher of agricul- 

 ture, he spoke of ploughs, and said with much truth, " It is not 

 so much the iveig-ht as the shape of a plough which makes it of 

 easier or harder draft ; and this depends chiefly on the mould 

 board." He also urged keeping manure " under cover." He 

 says, " Many years ago I became satisfied that the hilling of 

 Indian corn was at least useless ; I was rather inclined to think 

 it injurious." 



The orator for 1830 was Hon. James H. Duncan, who is still 

 one of the active and useful members of the society. He 

 announced, with justice, that " there is the same and equal 

 occasion for discernment, good judgment and intelligence in 

 the business of husbandry as in the other employments of 

 life." He favored small farms and systematic husbandry ; 

 urged careful education in agriculture, and recommended 

 " good tools." 



