16 



The ownership of land in itself is honorable, and, as 

 was well shown in the address to which we listened one 

 year ago, is of great importance to the State. The re- 

 tention of a homestead and farm in the possession of a 

 family is one of the most desirable things, whether we 

 consider it as a matter of investment, or of a just and 

 honest pride, as tlie foundation of a sentiment of fam- 

 ily respectability and honor, which successive genera- 

 tions feel themselves bound to maintain, thus proving a 

 safeguard to the children, restraining them from conduct 

 which might disgrace the family name, or sacrifice the 

 cherished inheritance. 



Plaving decided to retain the farm, the question ivhat 

 to do tvith it, returns ; a.nd the solution of this rjuestion 

 can be reached only by taking into consideration the 

 adaptedness of the farm to this or that purpose, its 

 extent, aspect, soil, and relation to the market. 



As it should be worked with a view to profit, the first 

 thing to ascertain is, what it may he made to jrroducc that 

 is worth raising — that will pay. 



We may safely assume, at the outset, that no man in 

 our good County of Essex can make his farm ver}^ prof- 

 itable who w^orks it on the plan, too frequently pursued, 

 of raising scattering patches of corn, potatoes, yjq, oats, 

 beans and grass, on a small scale, and half starved soil; 

 Avith a large extent of cider orchard, left uiunanured and 

 uncultivated, a perfect hotel for caterpillars, borers, 

 canker-worms, and apple-moths ; this lean plantation 

 stocked with a few indifferent cows, a pair or two of or- 

 dinary oxen, two or three pigs, and a horse of all work 

 the whole establishment barely supplying the annual 

 consumption by the family through hard work and much 

 economy on the part of all its members. 



