MR, perry's address. 15 



tensely desire. I once knew a field owned by a person who 

 possessed some taste for improvement, and who had been at 

 some expense to introduce into it specimens of better fruits and 

 choice vegetables, in relation to which I have heard the neigh- 

 bors say that the injury sustained by the licentiousness of which 

 I am now speaking, could not be less that eight or ten dollars a 

 year for a dozen years in succession. This makes a considera- 

 ble sum and was a serious loss to the individual, whose means 

 were small ; great as it was, the perplexity, vexation and fre- 

 quent disappointment in experiments upon certain articles, were 

 still greater. The discouragement which is thus spread through 

 the community is more serious still. From the loss and perplex- 

 ity produced in this way, many persons (1 think very errone- 

 ously) have been induced to cut down trees which they had 

 cultivated with much pains and expense, and many more have 

 been prevented from any attempt to raise them, from the little 

 prospect that they would be permitted to enjoy the produce 

 when brought to maturity. 



It is certainly desirable that these evils and discouragements 

 should be removed. And I think as your plans for improvement ad- 

 vance, the sentiments and habits of the community on this subject 

 will improve. But I apprehend you should not remain satisfied 

 with the slow reform which would thus be produced. The evil 

 as it now exists is one of the greatest and most extensive hindran- 

 ces with which the Society has to contend. I must suppose it 

 both their duty and interest, to put forth a direct and powerful 

 effort to stop this injurious and troublesome practice. The at- 

 tention of the community, I think, should be called to the sub- 

 ject, by an able and special appeal, addressed to their under- 

 standing, their moral feelings, and their interest ; and where the 

 dictates of reason, a sense of justice, and the generous feelings, 

 prove ineffectual, the restraint of law should be called in. And I 

 know of no body of men, considering their high standing in the 

 respect and confidence of the community, their situation scattered 

 through the county, and the object of their association, by whom 

 such an appeal could with greater propriety be made, and if 

 made, promise better success, than by those of this association ; 



