ADDRESS. 



BY JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, OF QUINCY. 



Ladies and Gentlemen, — When your admirable presi- 

 dent asked me to address you, I confess to having been 

 somewhat alarmed. My strongest impression about agricul- 

 ture in my vicinity has been that it was an expensive luxury. 

 I felt that I had nothing to say which could profitably occupy 

 your time ; but it did occur to me, I must say, that if I could 

 not teach I might certainly learn. If I was unable to offer 

 valuable advice to the practical farmers I should meet here, 

 yet they might have a plenty for me. At least, like a true 

 Yankee, I could ask questions. Now my question is this. 

 How are you to farm it profitably, close about the city here, 

 say within ten miles of City Hall ? It is twenty-five years 

 since this society was incorporated, and in that small space of 

 time the change of circumstances has been great. The 

 answer to my question was comparatively easy then, but 

 every year seems to me to make it more difficult. Now I 

 want some assistance on this point. I have, in fact, very 

 urgent reasons of my own for wishing to get a satisfactory 

 reply to my question. I carry on just such a farm ; but to 

 show that I am ready to do my part, I will, if you like, Yankee 

 fashion, make my guess at it. 



Bearing in mind, if you please, then, that it is only my 

 guess ; and taking fair warning, besides, at the outset, that I 

 am not talking to my friends who cultivate their lands as an 

 amusement, or enjoy it as a luxury, nor to those who turn to 

 the land as a mere make-shift to eke out some trade ; and 

 especially that I do not refer to gentlemen who buy and hold 



