No. 144.J 301 



Mr. Waring — Mr. Chairman, the subject under consideration is 

 one of most vital consequence. To know how to escape drouth is 

 to fortify ourselves against the direst scourge with which we have 

 to contend, and every farmer in the country should diligently 

 apply himself to ascertaining the means of protection. 



Were a hostile army to sweep over our fertile fields and destroy 

 more than one half of our crops, the whole nation would be roused 

 to resistance. The sturdy yeoman would leave his plow in the 

 furrow and fly to the rescue. The spirit of '76 would be awakened 

 in every breast, and all that American energy could accomplish 

 would be done to overcome the common enemy, while the tide of 

 eloquence at Washington would ride as high as in a former time. 



But, sir, what is the case now an enemy has entered our fields, 

 destroyed whole harvests of plenty, and will carry our poorer 

 classes to the precincts of famine. Still, no voice is raised call- 

 ing our armies to the rescue. Our farmers are mourning their 

 blighted hopes, but they are doing nothing for protection. Elo- 

 quence is for a time dammed out at Washington, but when in a 

 few months more it shall flow into our capitol, the legislative 

 halls will resound with the roar of its waves, as, with quondam 

 force, they beat against the public coffers, crying as usual for 

 money for the benefit of commerce, and for the acquisition of ter- 

 ritory. Nothing indicates that the negligence which has robbed 

 us of about one-half of our crops, will receive a word of censure, 

 nor that the means of preventing a repetition of the calamity will 

 obtain a hearing in the august assemblage. 



The press, with its mighty influence, rarely mentions the means 

 of escaping drouth, and still less often does it make this a ques- 

 tion for public discussion and action. 



I don't suppose, sir, that we shall accomplish much by talking 

 these matters over here in the city, but when the reports of our 

 meetings go abroad throughout the country, in the various papers, 

 we may hope to see that at least a few farmers will take the mat- 

 ter into their consideration and feel disposed to improve their 

 modes of cultivation. 



