S68 " VTILITY OF AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 



tion in the affirmative. Confining ourselves to a few ©I 

 the more obvious views of the question, let us ask, is 

 there any thing novel or absurd in the idea that a large 

 number of persons, by associating together and applying 

 their faculties to the snme subject of mutual interest, 

 may thus enlighten, aid, and benefit each other? Differ- 

 ently constituted by nature ; brought up under different 

 circumstances ; having had different opportunities for ob- 

 servation, and thus having been led to take different 

 views of the same things, is it not naturally and most ra- 

 tionally to be expected, that what one may never have 

 thought of, another ma\ h;'Ve had the opportunity to ex- 

 amine ? what one has invfntfd, another may impiove — 

 what one has never tried, another may have submitted 

 to ihe test oJ" experiment — and what one may be igno- 

 rant of, another may know ? Thus by communicating 

 one to another all that each individual may have learn- 

 ed by study, cb-ervation or experiment, each becomes 

 possessed of the whole mass of inforn.ation, and receives 

 the full benefit of the collected nisdom and experience 

 of all. No art would ever be improved by individual 

 skill in any ratio equal to that to which it would attain 

 by mutual c<>mmunic3iion. The gi eatt. st genius that the 

 world ever produced would find himselt ujrch Lenefiied, 

 and his schemes much corrected and improved, by sub- 

 mitting them to other". 



Agricultural soci'-ties fiirnish one of the mogt effectu- 

 al ntethods for the eir culaiion ot useiul iniormation. At ^ 

 their annual n»eeiing, useful observa'ions are made, ne\T 

 fnciv are s ated, erurs are di,-coveren, truths are estab- 

 li«!»('d. an 1 [iractical knowledge, derive! from experi- 

 ence, is elicited, and c( mmunicaled to the publick, which 

 olbervsise might have remained for many years conlined 

 wi'hin H very limited sphere. 



ivery man who cuidvates* the ground should be am- 

 bit nu-; to contribute S( metlii g from the stock ol his 

 lin«>\vif<^a:e, whether acquired by reading, observation or 

 ex| eii»r.c'% to tl-e genc-ral fund of agricultural inlorma- 

 tion. Ii be i- convinced that he has made any improve- 

 ment-, ' ! :! prtnj"^^' to be n-ciul to his fellow-creat- 

 ur -. ' I ' i not p^Tit'rm the part of a patriot nor phi- 

 lauihru^iai| ii he does not put mankind in possession of 



