ADDRESS. 



The speaker who would address this body finds himself 

 embarrassed, at the start, Avith a plethora of topics. The 

 whole field of agriculture — ancient and modern — lies open 

 before him. He may treat agriculture historically, as the 

 most venerable of callings, characterized as the " noblest 

 of pursuits " b}^ Timothy Pickering in j^our early by-laws. 

 He may trace its growth and development since Adam 

 delved and Noah began to be an husbandman and planted 

 a vineyard. Or he may treat agriculture scientifically, as 

 a grand, untiring chemical process, converting tlie elements 

 of the air and soil into fruits and root-crops and cereals in 

 the first instance, and these in turn, passed once througli 

 the potent alembic of the animal economy, — thus one de- 

 gree removed from the simple products of the soil, — being- 

 rendered into human food in a secondary or condensed con- 

 dition, as beef and pork and mutton and dairy products 

 and poultry, — the very expressed essence of vegetable 

 life. Or he may treat agriculture from its social and 

 political side, — showing the varying tenures by which its 

 votaries have held, from time to time, the soil they tilled, 

 the varying burthens imposed, from time to time, on land 

 and those who dress it, — showing the varying rank as- 

 signed the husbandman, from time to time, in the estima- 

 tion of mankind. Or he may trace agriculture in its new 

 adaptation of means to ends, — analyses of soils and 

 manures, — rotation of crops, — ever new applications of 

 processes and contrivances, — skilful crossing of varieties 



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