Reviews. — Colmmi's Address. 109 



ter or humus of tlie soil, itself tlie product of former vegetable growth. 

 So far then from vegetable production serving to impoverish the soil, it is 

 the means of increasing its fertility. 



In proportion as we cultivate and enrich our lands from their own re- 

 sources, under a judicious arrangement and management, they constantly 

 become more and more fertile. By tlie beneficent constitution of Divine 

 Providence, the earth, while it contributes to the support of man and 

 beast, is designed to become more productive, or to keep up its richness 

 from its own activity. It is like the fountain of true charity, and beauti- 

 fully emblematical of the Divine beneficence — the more it expends, tlie 

 more its abundance increases. It is also like tlie human mind — the more 

 active it is rendered, tlie more its powers are invigorated — tlie more it 

 does, the more it can do — and the more its treasures are poured out, the 

 more its fulness is enlarged. The great object of the art of agriculture, 

 is therefore yet to be achieved. What has been done once, can be done 

 again. There is no monopoly of power in this case. Nature is uniform 

 in her laws and operations. It is an old saying that " fortune favors the 

 brave ;" that is, men find their power increase with their activity. Ac- 

 cording to the Latin proverb, " they are able because they believe them- 

 selves able." In many respects they command fortune. Taking advan- 

 tage of the simplest of Nature's laws, and using her forces as she de- 

 signed they should be used, she is never wanting on her part, but seconds 

 every eflfort for improvement ; and the more readily and cheerfully as 

 these efforts are the more spirited, energetic, and determined. If any 

 man has raised one hundred bushels of corn, or sixty bushels of wheat to 

 an acre, who will pretend that it cannot be done again ? No farmer who 

 deserves to be called a farmer in the highest sense, and to take rank 

 among the noblest of this Nature's nobility, the lords of the soil, ought to 

 remain content until he has done it. When he has accomplished this, 

 then he should not be satisfied until he has done even much more than 

 this. There is undoubtedly a limit, beyond which we cannot advance. 

 All human attainments are necessarily finite. But who knows where this 

 limit is ? Who ever went so far as to be certain tliat he could go no far- 

 ther ? The difference between that which cultivation has produced al- 

 ready in some hands, and that which is ordinarily produced, is very great, 

 and sufficient to occupy the enterprise and ambition of most farmers, 

 for a long time to come. But let them make the attempt to do all they 

 can do, or rather all that can be done. They may not succeed at once. 

 Few men succeed at once, in any great enterprise. But let them try 

 again, and again, and again. If, after doing tlieir best, tliey fall short 

 of the goal of tlieir hopes and expectations, yet there is a great pleasure 

 in trying. There is a great satisfaction to a generous mind, in the 

 mere pursuit of a good and useful object. An immense benefit comes 

 to the community, from an example of intelligent and persevering ex- 

 ertion. Let there be a generous ambition and a constant stimulus to 

 enterprise, in all tlie departments of human industry and activity. When 

 the heart beats, the impulse is felt throughout the frame ; and you cannot 

 quicken the stream of life in any one part, without accelerating the 

 circulations through the whole body. Go on, then, trying always to do 

 better and better. The farmers have been too often tlie sport of tlie rest 

 of the community for their sluggishness, their indifference to improve- 

 ment ; and for their incredulity in respect both to what may be done, and 



