of the American histitute. 303 



ennoble the state of agriculture — who raise the standard of the cultivator 

 of the soil. The more science, intelligence, and indeed all the powers of 

 the mind, are pressed into the service of agriculture, the more sensible 

 will its professors become of its dignity and worth ; and in proportion as 

 these mental efforts are crowned with success, which they certainly will 

 be, in the same proportion will these men feel themselves elevated in the 

 scale of human existence, and find their happiness augmented. You will 

 perceive that my earnest desire is to raise in public opinion the tiller of 

 the soil ; not only because I am fully persuaded that there is no occupa- 

 tion which conduces so much to the independence, health and happiness 

 of a whole people ; but also, because it is sure that unless it is so elevated, 

 and can by that means command the association of superior talent and 

 education, it is not possible to introduce into practice, or even to imitate, 

 the vast improvements which the last few years have given to the agricul- 

 ture of other countries. What a spectacle, for instance, has been this 

 year exhibited at the various agricultural meetings in England. 



Men of the highest classes and character associating freely with all 

 cultivators of the soil like brothers ; every one feeling that the common 

 welfare and safety of his countrj^, as well as of himself, depended more 

 on the free development of the resources of the earth, than on any other 

 circumstance. These meetings are proud days for agriculture ; the mass 

 of information exposed, exhibited and interchanged, would fill volumes. 

 It is a subject of great congratulation, that such meetings are becoming 

 frequent here also. For it must be conceded, that although the informa- 

 tion collected at these assemblies may be afterwards condensed and dis- 

 seminated in a printed form, yet it is quite evident that knowledge of this 

 nature is more readily and clearly acquired when the senses of the eye and 

 ear are engaged, than when the acquisition of it is left simply to the men- 

 tal exertion of reading. It is quite impossible for us at present to esti- 

 mate the real value of these agricultural associations and assemblies. 

 There, meet men of various calibre, of all opinions and ideas ; the practi- 

 cal farmer and breeder, the theoretical agriculturist, the inventive genius, 

 the scientific and practical mechanic, the student of vegetable economy, 

 as well as the student of nature in its animal forms, the meteorologist, and 

 the observer of times and seasons ; and their polar star, agriculture, — 

 guided by this they wend their way, each anxious to throw his mite into 

 the common stock of knowledge, and to acquire further information. 

 There, are exhibited the finest specimens of the triumph uf the mind of 

 man over mere brute force and passion, in the magnificent breeds of cattle, 

 sheep and swine. One is valuable for its power of draft, and another for 

 its milk ; a third for its meat ; a fourth for its fat ; another for its wool, 

 &c. Here, on this side, stands the man of science, ready to explain the 

 nature of the various foods on which these animals are nourished ; and to 

 excite to comparison and experiment on that species of food most pro- 

 ductive of muscle and sinew, of bone or of fat : willing to expatiate on the 

 nature of milk and the other animal secretions, and to point out the re- 

 sults of researches into the mysterious relation which exists between these 

 and the food or treatment such animals require. In another group may 

 be observed the mind of the mechanic, dilating on the value of various 

 machines and implements of husbandry ; there again is the laborer in 

 chemistry, explaining the nature of soils, their capacities, the value ot 

 various manures, and collecting from the practical farmer his results for 



