

296 [Assembly 



"Two thousand years ago, it was remarked by an ancient philoso- 

 pher, that although granting honorable distinctions to those who 

 should best cultivate their lands, might tend to the encouragement of 

 agriculture; the Grecian republic was so occupied in distributing 

 favors to idle and powerful men, it could not bestow a thought on 

 useful and obscure citizens. The American republic is subject to the 

 same opprobrium in the infancy of it ; neither will it be removed, if 

 the occupation of agriculture shall be considered as a mere menial 

 exercise, unworthy of the efforts of intellectual capacity!" 



"Of the utility and improvement of studying agriculture as a 

 science. 



"Chemistry most important to agriculture which derives from that 

 science, improvements which cannot be obtained from any other 

 source. 



"The maxims and principles which relate to agriculture should be 

 correctly recorded and studied as other sciences. The innumerable 

 volumes which have been written upon the subject among the wisest 

 and most learned nations, may convince us that it has been so con- 

 sidered by them, and not regarded as matters easily understood. 



"The discoveries in the cultivation of the earth are not confined to 

 the time and country in which they are made, but may be considered 

 as extending to future ages and intended to meliorate the condition 

 of the whole human race, and providing subsistence for generations 

 yet unborn," 



Mr. Skinner has said that for more than twenty years, if his post- 

 age, chiefly agricultural correspondence, had been paid by him, instead 

 of being free, he being attached to the post-office, that postage 

 would have been three thousand dollars per annum. This at a shil- 

 ling a letter :^puld give twenty-four thousand letters a year, or about 

 eighty a day, excepting Sundays. 



That implies a vast amount of correspondence indeed, nor can it 

 be doubted that he has thereby greatly contributed to the diffusion of 

 that important science among men. 



Mr. Wakeman observed that the success of the original plan of 

 this Club is abundantly manifest, for its proceedings have been ex- 

 tensively noticed by the press and elsewhere. It was the collecting 

 of practical and theoretical lovers of agriculture, who in short speech- 



