14 



urged the farmers who listened to him to " cultivate no 

 more land than can be thoroughly ploughed, well ma- 

 nured at once, and kept free from weeds." "Never 

 keep land many years under the same crops." " Never 

 lay land into grass except it be well prepared and in 

 very rich condition." 



October 17, 1821. Rev. Abiel Abbott, one of the 

 soundest thinkers of his day, and one of the most care- 

 ful scholars and patrons of letters, stepped down from 

 the pulpit, and in an address delivered at the annual 

 exhibition at Danvers, declared that "Every attentive 

 farmer has doubtless observed that the best manure is 

 taken from under cover, from his sheep or cattle shed, 

 from his barn cellar. This should be an inducement to 

 make manure, as much as possible, under cover. Econ- 

 omy should induce us to make cellars under our stables." 

 He said furthermore, " Every farmer perceives a great 

 difference in the breed of cattle, sheep or swine ; that a 

 poor ox, cow, sheep or hog is not so easily kept, nor so 

 profitable as a good one." 



October 2, 1822. Rev. Peter Eaton, another of the 

 strong-minded and strong-bodied clergymen of that day, 

 delivered an address at Topsfield, in which he set forth 

 that it is a maxim in husbandry, that no scheme of 

 management is of advantage to the community, which 

 will not give a profit ; and that is the best which will 

 afford the greatest profit with the least labor and ex- 

 pense." 



The year following, October 6, 1823, it fell to the lot 

 of Hon. Frederick Howes to address the Society ; and 

 he did it well, for he declared that " an essential requi- 

 site of good husbandry is, that the soil should be kept 



