CULTIVATION OF IIEART'S-EASE. 43 



Still the condition of the farmer himself — the desirableness or 

 undcsirableness of his position — is dependent, in some measnre, 

 upon elements which operate upon other callings as well as his 

 own ; but I shall treat of these elements only as they directly 

 or indirectly affect him. 



An obvious division of my subject is suggested by consider- 

 ing the answer to these two questions : What is the relation of 

 man to the land ? "What is the relation of man to the soil ? 



By land, I mean landed property, or real estate ; and by soil, 

 I mean that portion of the crust of the earth from which all 

 forms of vegetable life derive such part of their growth as is 

 not drawn from the atmosphere. Man's relation to the soil is 

 substantially determined by natural and irreversible laws, and 

 can ;only be modified by labor or capital. Man's relation to 

 the laud is regulated by usage and custom, taking the form of 

 positive law. 



Let us first consider what are the relations of the farmer to 

 the soil in Massachusetts ; in other words, what are the natural 

 advantages and disadvantages attendant upon practical agricul- 

 tui'c here. The soil of Massachusetts shares in the general 

 characteristics of the soil of New England. New England is a 

 primary region, in the nomenclature of geology ; and its soil is 

 the disintegration and decomposition of the primary, or crystal- 

 line, rocks. It is for the most part light and thin ; frequently 

 running into sand and gravel ; and, except in certain favored 

 spots, as in tlie Valley of the Connecticut, of only moderate 

 fertility. A larger proportion of it is more suitable for grazing 

 than for arable tillage. But if our soil be not of that great 

 fertility which invites capital, and tempts to minute subdivision, 

 little or none of it is of that hopeless barrenness which dis- 

 courages labor. It is a soil which stimulates industry, and 

 reasonably rewards it ; and who has a right to ask more than 

 this ? 



The climate of New England, though often abused, is not a 

 bad climate on the w^hole. AVe have long winters and hot 

 summers ; but the air of winter is pure and bracing, and the 

 heat of our short summers is rarely so great as to interrupt 

 labor, or make it dangerous to health. Such degree of solar 

 heat as we have in New England, is not only not injurious to 

 health, but I believe beneficial to it. When we are summing 



