PRESIDENT HITCHCOCK'S ADDRESS. 155 



in every pursuit of social life. But none of these pursuits are so 

 well adapted as agriculture to give them the needful discipline. 

 Now just such men as agriculture produces are needed to fill 

 up the ranks of other pursuits in society. For though these 

 other pursuits are of the utmost importance, nay, indispensable 

 to the prosperity of society, and therefore those who engage in 

 them are in a most honorable and respectable path, they are 

 not adapted, like agriculture, to give that physical energy 

 and happy development of character to the rising genera- 

 tion, which they need to take the place of their fathers. In- 

 deed, all the sedentary pursuits in which men engage, tend 

 rather to the deterioration of the human constitution, so that 

 the sons of mechanics, merchants, and professional men, can 

 only in part fill up the vacancies occasioned by death. Nay, 

 an enfeebled constitution often compels them to resort to agri- 

 culture to restore its lost stamina. Hence there is needed a for- 

 eign supply, to keep the ranks full and strong in these profess- 

 ions. And, where agriculture is in a proper state, it furnishes 

 such a supply. The discipline which the young are undergoing 

 on every well conducted farm in the land, is fitting them to be- 

 come future artizans, merchants, and professional men. Espe- 

 cially are they preparing there to supply the enormous demand 

 which the cities and larger towns are making upon the country. 

 The fact is, that the strong mental excitement, the heavy press- 

 ure upon time, the unseasonable hours, the luxurious habits, 

 and the want of fresh air and exercise, in city life, ere long 

 break down the strongest constitution ; and in a large propor- 

 tion of cases the children of robust parents are feeble, and, 

 though precocious, are destitute of the bodily hardihood and 

 mental energy essential to eminent success in any pursuit. 

 Hence such children must usually give place to youth from the 

 country, whose decendants in time must yield to others from 

 the same prolific source. Scandinavia was called by the histo- 

 rian, " the workshop of the human race," because it poured 

 forth such swarms into southern Europe. Equally proper is it 

 to call the farm houses of the land the workshop of the nation. 

 For, if this supply should be cut off, our cities would soon be 

 depopulated, or at least sink into weak effeminacy ; and in fact, 



