ADDRESS. 



Mr. President: — It is pleasant to speak of Agriculture, 

 the earliest, most constant, most important employment. 

 Agriculture, most enduring art, which still goes on when 

 customs change and races die ; renewing its youth with 

 each generation, employing the largest force, aggregating 

 the greatest wealth, and furnishing the basis for all the 

 labor of men. American Agriculture, in the forefront, 

 eager in invention, bold in execution, patient in labor, 

 confident in its resources, with a certain audacity gives its 

 challenge to all the world. 



One quarter of the total wealth of our country is em- 

 ployed in cultivating land. The capital invested in farm- 

 ing, including live stock, is twelve thousand millions. 

 Manufacturing, which comes next, is about one third as 

 much. England may boast a larger navy, Russia may be 

 proud of a larger standing army ; we " beat our swords 

 into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks." We 

 study the arts of peace. 



Agricultural products are the sure indications of endur- 

 ing life. Austria turns into the commerce of the world 

 $322,000,000, next comes Britain with 1280 millions, 

 France 2220 millions, Germany 2280 millions, Russia 

 2545 millions, and last and highest of all, our own land, 

 3020 millions. We have fifty-six and three-quarter million 



