6 Address. 



the idea, that agriculture receives little advantage from the home 

 market produced by our manufacturing industries. He says that 

 that portion of our population engaged in the cotton, woolen and iron 

 interests, do not consume of our agricultural products more than 

 $135,000,000 in value annually, or about four and one half per 

 cent, of the whole production ; which is so small an amount as to be 

 hardly worth striving for. That the price of grain in the foreign 

 market, is the price here, less the cost of transporting, and without 

 regard to the home demand. We should therefore strive to produce 

 grain for the foreign market, and so cheaply as to compete with the 

 foreign production, and thus make exchanges in our favor. The in- 

 ference from his argument is, that our farmers can receive greater 

 advantage by the sale of their products to consumers three thousand 

 miles away, than if they were near at hand. This in all ordinary 

 years would be ruinous to the profit of our agriculture ; for except 

 in times of great scarcity, when bread stuffs are at starvation prices, 

 it is worth as much for a home, a3 a foreign market, and even then, 

 if the leading business of the craft which takes it abroad is the car- 

 rying of grain, the cost of transportation, elevation, storage and in- 

 surance, which in this case must be paid by the producer, brings the 

 price at the point of production ruinously low. Besides, a half 

 million people in Massachusetts consume more of the products of ag- 

 riculture, and have more with which to pay for them, than a half 

 million of people in any country under heaven, and by having them 

 here on our own soil, Ave save all it would cost to transport that food 

 to them, and relatively enlarge the market demand. The policy 

 recommended, as a purely agricultural policy, would be fatal. For 

 it is better for our soil, for the permanent fertility of our farms, to 

 consume all our grains, meats and vegetables at home, and export 

 manufactured products to keep our exchanges right, But again, the 

 agriculturist, on his farm on some distant mountain side, or in some 

 secluded valley, having little to do with the busy scenes of the town, 

 and almost wholly absorbed in the daily routine of farm life, which 

 seems to demand his constant care and attention, comes to feel that 

 his pursuit is the all in all, and other pursuits of little intrinsic im- 

 portance to himself or the community, or deserving little reward. He 

 labors diligently, and he thinks with will and intelligence, but he 



