IV ADDRESS. 



tion, the earth could support but a comparatively 

 small population, and this only of uncivilized men. 

 Savages may subsist by hunting and fishing, with such 

 eatable herbs, fruits and roots, a.s the ground spon- 

 taneously produces ; but they can never advance in 

 civilization, while they live in this way ; nor can those 

 portions of the earth's surface which are not cultivated 

 sustain, for any considerable period, more than a very 

 sparse population. The productiveness of the earth, in 

 those substances which are necessary to maintain 

 human life, and equally in tnose substances which 

 minister to human comfort, and to the progress of civili- 

 zation, depends very largely upon that human tillage 

 which we denote by the word, agriculture. This 

 undeniable fact at once challenges for agricultural 

 labor the most important place and the most honorable 

 rank among the diversified employments of men. In 

 connection with this great fact, I would invite your 

 attention to some general views of the productiveness 

 of the earth. There are several aspects of this subject 

 which are adapted to suggest interesting moral reflec- 

 tions, and to open important questions in regard to the 

 future prospects of mankind. 



We may introduce the subject by considering, first, 

 the earth's productiveness as limited by the extent of 

 its land surface. Of the 200,000,000 square miles 

 which make up the surface of this terraqueous globe, 

 about three-fourths are covered with water, leaving only 

 about 50,000,000 square miles, or 32,000,000,000 

 acres of land. We might wonder that so large a 

 proportion of the earth's surface should be covered with 

 water, and be tempted to adopt the suggestion of an 



