Exhibition Addresses. 145 



their defects by careful breeding and feeding ; and the progressive 

 farmer seldom goes to those countries for those breeds which have 

 been developed into the best proportions and quality for specific pur- 

 poses. The plows of Lombardy do not differ much from the plows 

 used there in the days of Virgil. The lands is managed, the seed is 

 placed in the earth, and the crops are gathered now much as they 

 were centuries ago in France. There has been but little change 

 either in the value or in the quality of the labor employed. "When 

 intelligence is low and labor cheap, and the husbandman expects but 

 a small reward, and individual ambition is chilled by the surround- 

 ing indifference, the importance of improvements of any kind is 

 severely felt — and the real ingenuity of agriculture is but little exer- 

 cised. Now, over this condition of labor and society, we, in this 

 country, enjoy an immense advantage. Whatever improvements' are 

 made here redound to the benefit of the whole, and grow out of the 

 stern and insatiable demand of the whole for every means by which 

 they can be added in their work. On this account we have already 

 outstripped the best countries of Europe in some of our agricultural 

 operations and in many important inventions. For instance : Ameri- 

 can reaping and mowing machines have been brought to a high state 

 of perfection within the last ten years. They have already won a 

 world-wide reputation. Their superiority is generally acknowledged 

 and the credit of having for the first time made the principles appli- 

 cable to such machinery practically useful, undoubtedl}^ belongs to 

 our ingenious mechanics. 



Some years ago the American machines were brought to trial at 

 the exhibition in Paris, in competition with the world ; and, after long 

 and careful experiment, were found to have hardly a rival in the 

 manufacture of other nations. The enthusiasm of the sj^ectators was 

 unbounded. " All the laurels," says the report of a French agricul- 

 tural journal, " we are free to confess, have been won b}'' the Ameri- 

 cans ; and this achievement cannot be looked upon with indifterence, 

 as it plainly foreshadows the destiny of the new world." I can give 

 you another illustration of the superiority of that general and unlimi- 

 ted intellectual activity which is found in America, applied to 

 agriculture. The introduction of merino sheep took place in France 

 and America about the same time. In France the famous Rombouillet 

 flock was reared with all the care possible, and regardless of expense. 

 It offered to the farmers of the empire the strongest inducements to 

 improve their flocks ; and the offer was rejected. In America the 



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