146 TJ^AXSACTTo^'^s of the American Institute. 



firet importations sank into neglect and disrepute. They lans^nislicd 

 in the hands of those whose wealth was greater than their agricultu- 

 ral skill. And not until the strife for their improvement commenced 

 among farmers tliemselves here, were they brought to perfection. 

 And so rapidly was the work done that when the French merino and 

 American merino were brought into competition at the world's fair, 

 the American merino took the lead in every valuable point — shape 

 of carcase, weight and quality of fleece, and general condition. 

 While the wealth of France had endeavored in vain to bring about 

 any really valuable improvement, and the farmers of France had 

 looked idly on, the intelligent yeomanry of Yermont had taken the 

 matter up, and with a skill and foresight equaled only by the best 

 breeders in England they had created the best fine-wooled sheep in 

 the world. ISTo more interesting sight of the kind was ever witnessed 

 than the triumph of George Campbell, an intelligent and unobtrusive 

 Yermont farmer, modestly presenting the sheep of his own State in 

 successful competition with animals reared without accurate knowl- 

 edge of their wants, and shown in the ornamented pens of the 

 Emperor of France. It is this popular necessity, this level, this 

 indiscriminate rivalry and effort, which sliapes and moulds the char- 

 acter of our agricultural progress in this country. Agricultural 

 schools and colleges spring up; Agricultural societies and clubs exist 

 everywhere — the least conspicuous being often the most efficient and 

 useful. In a town exhibition in this State I found a little herd of 

 shorthorns belonging to a working farmer, who had reached almost 

 the highest rank as a breeder. And I know many most valuable 

 herds in the hands of just such men in other States. At one time 

 every farmer in Yermont studied how he might produce the best 

 flock of merinos. Our villages are now full of rival fruit-growers, 

 on a lai'ge scale and a small one. The owners of small farms are in 

 the market as purchasers of pure-bred cattle of every description. 

 The questions of crops and manures and animals are discussed every- 

 where. Book farming is appealed to ; the aid of sciencejs invoked ; 

 agricultural lecture rooms are thronged. I have seen the entire 

 business of a thriving town in New Hampshire suspended for a day, 

 and the village church thronged in midwinter to listen to a long dis- 

 quisition on the practice of agriculture. Good implements of hus- 

 bandry are in demand — not heavy machines alone, but hoes, and 

 spades, and shovels, and forks, which are so nicely balanced and so 

 gracefully constructed as to work easily in the hands of the popular 



