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world, and make them subserve bis interest. As man becomes educated 

 he becomes inventive, he finds shorter ways to effect given results ; and 

 every improvement, whereby man's power is made more effective, so that 

 greater results are obtained from a given force, lessens the necessity for 

 constant and severe toil and raises man from the animal towards the intel- 

 lectual. 



The rapid strides man has taken during this nineteenth century in his in- 

 creased ability to gratify his physical and intellectual wants, no one can 

 measure; but that his wants increase with his ability to gratify them, is ap- 

 parent, and we think legitimate. 



In the application of steam to manufacturing and locomotive purposes, 

 and of electricity to the transmission of information from one point to an- 

 other, time and space are annihilated; and as man adapts these and other 

 improvements to subserve his interest and pleasure, he is not bounded by 

 narrow limits, but lives with a rapidity before unknown. 



The improvements and inventions of the past century have been such 

 that in many cases man's power to accomplish has been increased from live 

 to one thousand fold. The various improvements of machinery, and the 

 application of steam, water, horse, and other powers, to accomplish what 

 was formerly performed by man's muscle alone, giving man an opportunity 

 to see, hear and reflect, and to bestow care and attention upon his wants, 

 which adds greatly to his happiness and pecuniary condition. Perhaps in 

 no trade, occupation or profession is there so much toil for the pay received, 

 as with the farmer, and he waits long and with great patience for the re- 

 turns of his labor, — but those returns arc measurably sure, and as he 

 reaches his hand down into the earth for an honest living, he feels that he 

 has prejudiced no man's just rights. And the farmer, having toiled long 

 and hard for what he gets, knows the value of what he has. 



Perhaps there is no class so slow to make themselves familiar with and 

 adopt those improvements which will lessen their labors, as farmers; but it 

 is only by inventing and adopting every means which will add to the efficien- 

 cy of man's labor, that the farmer can keep pace with the progressive age, 

 and maiutain that position in community that his industry and integrity 

 should merit. 



The improvements of agriculture, the success of agriculture, and above 

 all the dignity of agriculture, must depend upon the education, and the in- 

 telligence of those who pursue it. The success of the farmer of the pres- 

 ent day does not depend mainly upon the amount of hard work he performs, 

 but whether his returns are Drought in with the least necessary expense. 

 Whether he secures the aid of such machinery and power as will enable 

 him to accomplish the most with the least outlay. By the aid of the agri- 

 cultural machinery of the present day, the. farmer's life need not be one of 

 constant toil. He can plant and hoe with machinery; he can mow, spread, 

 rake and pitch with machinery; and it is for the purpose of showing to the 

 farmer that it is for his interest to let the horses mow and rake, that we are 

 gathered here this day, and also to test which of the several kinds of mow- 

 ing machines and horse rakes are the best for use, and in making a selec- 



