13 



in war the time taken for preparation by one army is time 

 given for preparation to tlie otlier ; but scarcely any one iii 

 history till Bonaparte's day, had courage to put the fact to 

 a practical test. It is yet the exceptional farmer who has 

 courage enough to fertilize rather than skim the land. 

 There is really little need of sending the boys West when 

 they want farms of their own ; the home farm can be di- 

 vided, and plenty of land be found for concentrated cul- 

 ture by the father and all his sons. 



Farming, for all that I can see, will continue to be the 

 pursuit in which men must not be afraid of hard work. If 

 farming could be made as easy and secure and profitable 

 as some farmers would have it, the business would be soon 

 ruined. Then every lame merchant and briefless lawyer 

 and unwelcome minister would go to farming. Farming 

 needs to be kept so hard as to repay work and skill, and 

 also pretty much bar out the amateurs. Agriculture in 

 the nature of things cannot, if overdone, be profitable. 

 The farmer's calling, as society is now organized, is tlie 

 most essential to mankind of all the callings. And no 

 calling can be more honorable. And in no part of tlie 

 world, I am persuaded, can agriculture be pursued, all 

 things considered, under more favorable circumstances 

 than in Essex County. 



And now, with whatever patience and hearing faculty 

 you have left, we will take up for brief closing suggestions 

 the final word Society. 



To the justification of my optimistic prophecy concern- 

 ing agriculture in this county two things among others 

 might be made to contribute. 



Farmers tlu-ough more complete and business-like or- 

 ganization might bring themselves into more direct and in- 

 telligent relations to the market. Why is it not feasible 

 for farmers of a given district to combine and employ an 

 agent in the centre of the markets, to advise them what 

 crops to raise for the actual or prospective market demand^ 



