I 



46 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vo.. 31 



Seneca County Agricultural Society. 



Through the politeness of the President of this 

 Society, we have receiveil a copy of its constitu- 

 tion and by-laws, and of the dddress delivered at 

 their annual Fair on the 21st Oct. last. It forms 

 a closely printed pamphlet of 20 pages. 



The address is preceded by an interesting sketch 

 of the history of the county, the whole of which 

 we should be glad to transfer to our columns, if 

 our limits admitted of it. It is from the president 

 of the Society, G. V. Sacket, of Seneca Falls. 



The country now constituting Seneca county, and 

 indeed Western New York, was in possession of 

 the ladians until 1779, when Gen. Sullivan and 

 Gen. Clinton entered it with a strong military 

 force to repulse the Indians then in alliance with 

 the British troops, and whose incursions upon the 

 settlements of the whites had become exceedingly 

 disastrous and troublesome. The enemy were 

 routed and the combined forces having travelled 

 300 miles in a circuitous route in the wilderness, 

 came at length upon the Lake shore. Mr. Sacket 

 says that, until this time, none but the captives 

 taken from our border settlements, or perchance 

 some struggling French Jesuits, had ever set foot 

 on our soil. Yet when the array reached the love- 

 ly Lake country, as they approached the margin 

 of the Lake " they found in many places instead 

 of a howling wilderness, orchards, farms, and gar- 

 dens resembling civilized life." These were im- 

 provements made by the Indians. Seneca, he 

 denominates the mother county of Western New 

 York. In 1784 a treaty was concluded between 

 the United States and the Six Indian Nations, and 

 t'le lands east of Seneca Lake were ceded to the 

 United States. 



The change in the value of lands since that 

 time in this part of the country, is most remarka- 

 ble. Lands in this and the neighboring counties 

 were then estimated not by the acre but by the lot, 

 (the number of acres in a lot is not stated) and 

 lots which then sold for $25 per lot, are now worth 

 $25,000, being an increase of a thousand fold in 

 about 50 years. W^ho would not have pronounced 

 the prediction of such an advance a mere dream 

 out of the Arabian Tales ? 



Mr. Sacket then speaks in an interesting manner 

 of the first settlers, some of whom were present 

 on this occasion ; one of whom Andrew Dunlap, 

 was the first man who put a plough into the 

 gi-ound between the Lakes, and now in his 83d 

 year, acted as chairman of the committee on 

 ploughs and ploughing on this occasion. The 

 President pleasantly remarks, that although he is 

 in favor of rotation of olfice as a general principle, 

 yet this appointment he hopes will be continued to 

 this patriarch as long as he can meet with them ; 

 and then he hopes to see it descend to the heir, 

 who should occupy the old homestead. A brother 

 of Andrew, William Dunlap, likewise a pioneer 

 at the same time, was on the same committee. 



There was no mill in the county so late as the 

 year 1794, nor in what is now called Western New 

 York until the end of the year 1790. Until that 

 time the inhabitants were under the necessity of 

 going to Rome, on the Mohawk river, or down the 

 Susquehannah to get their flour and meal. A fam- 

 ily of religionists under the direction of their 

 founder, Jemima Wilkinson, came here in 1789, 

 and built and put in operation the first mill in 

 Western New York in the latter part of 1790. 

 Since that time the increase of mills has kept pace 

 with the increase of the inhabitants and the growth 

 of wheat; and now in the villages of Seneca Falls 

 and Waterloo there are 13 raiUs ; myst of them of 



the largest class, turning 35 run of stone, aud ca- 

 pable of flouring 10,000 bushels of wheat daily. 



The county of Seneca is 33 miles long and 10 

 broad, containing 330 square miles. When settled 

 at S25 per lot, it would have been valued at 

 $8250. In 1840 it was estimated that 5-6th of the 

 land had been brOughtintocultivation,and estima- 

 ted at $44 per acre exclusive of villages, it would 

 now be valued at $8,250,000. In 1789 it may have 

 had 75 inhabitants. It now contains 24,000,. (jflual 

 to 75 souls to the square mile. The annual pro- 

 ducts of the county were as follows : 

 Wheat, 350,804 bushels at $1,00 $350,804 

 Corn, 178,674 " ,50 89,337 



Rye, 5,520 " ,63 3,425 



Oats, 213,826 " ,25 53,455 



Barley, 15,819 " ,50 7,909 



Buckwheat, 19,798 " ,50 9,899 



Potatoes, 263,293 " ,25 50,848 



Hay, 33,163 tons at 7,00 267,141 



Beef&,Pork,20,010 lbs. at ,10 206,610 



Wool, 166,954 lbs. at ,50 83,277 



$1,122,105 



These facts are remarkable and highly deserv- 

 ing of being recorded. 



These historical sketches are followed by an ad- 

 dress from A. B. Dunlap, the Recording Secreta- 

 ry. The svibject is the " Nobility of Agriculture 

 and the means by which it may be elevated." 



The agricultural profession is to be elevated by 

 the Archimedean lever of education, scientific and 

 practical education. The agricultural profession 

 is among the most important in the community. 

 It should be among the most esteemed. The cur- 

 rent of public opinion is now setting strongly in 

 its favor. It has been made honorable by the ap- 

 plication to its practical improvement of some of 

 the brightest minds, and of men of the highest po- 

 litical elevation and influence. 



Immense service has been rendered to the cause 

 by various publications, especially of a peri- 

 odical character. These have diffused widely a 

 vast amount of information. Agricultural Socie- 

 ties have contributed most essentially to the science 

 and the practice of an improved Husbandry. The 

 means of advancing its progress, however, upon 

 which he dwells with most emphasis, is the estab- 

 lishment of Agricultural Schools. It seems extra- 

 ordinary that while the teaching of almost every 

 other science and art is efl'ectually and liberally 

 provided for, this, in various respects, among the 

 most important, should have been to so great a de- 

 gree neglected. These are the main sentiments of 

 this useful and sensible address ; and we subjoin 

 an extract. 



" AVealth, influence, and talents have long been 

 engaged in building up the agriculture of Britain ; 

 and she will continue to take the lead of us — say 

 and do what we please — unless science is made the 

 basis of our agriculture. Her legislators are not 

 unwilling like our republican statesmen to grant 

 legislative aid to protect in every desirable way 

 her agricultural interests. We are not launching 

 upon the dangerous sea of experiment — we have 

 well established landmarks to guide us in our 

 course. Agricultural schools have been establish- 

 ed in Ireland, in France and Germany, in despotic 

 Prussia and Russia. The despotic reformer of 

 down- trodden Egypt has established a school for 

 the application of science to agriculture. But 

 here, in this boasted land of liberty, a govermnent 

 emphatically resting upon the shoulders of the 

 farmer, there is not a solitary school to foster and 

 protect this great, this all absorbing interest — an 

 interest upon which is based our national greatness, 

 and upon which depends tlie peace and perpetuity 

 of our free institutions. We require the physician 

 to have a knowledge of his profession, before we 

 entrust to him our lives and limbs. The lawyer 



must understand the laws, before we allow him ti 

 take charge of our property ; and the divine whi 

 has not stored his mind with the truths of botl 

 natural and revealed religion, is a blind leader ol 

 the blind. What then shall we think of the doe. 

 trine that the termer has no need of preparatio: 

 in order to fit Aim for Ais elevated calling? Wi 

 have our law schools, our medical schools, and ou; 

 theological schools ; and now we ask the impor 

 tant — the weighty question — why shall we no' 

 have our Agricultural schools ? 



We now close the subject, trusting that an inleL 

 ligent and enterprising community will answer the* *" 

 question, as their important interests, huliriilinily 

 soddl, and polUicfil, require — as the spirit of th 

 age and the honor and independence of the nation 

 demand. We have glanced at a few of the means 

 by which the character and standing of the Amfer» 

 lean farmer can be elevated, and his profession 

 raised to that point where nothing shall be abov^ 

 it but " God and the Laws" — means which will 

 bring back the golden age of husbandry, wheh 



" The sacred plough employed 

 The kings and awful fathers of mankind ; 

 And some with whom compared your insect tribe* 

 Are but the beihgS of a summer's day. 

 Have held the scale of empire, rul'd the storm 

 Of mighty war ; then with unwearied hand 

 Disdaining little delicacies seiz'd 

 The plough and greatly independent liv'd." 



The address is followed with a list of premiums^ 

 and the names of the successful competitors. 

 Few things will more contribute to the success and 

 popularity of the Society, than the publication an- 

 nually of its transactions, annexing the address, 

 the reports of committees, the names of the Win-T 

 ners of the prizes, their accounts of their ctiltiva.,J KJ^ 

 tion and management in all their details, a list of; 

 members, a list of officers, a listof pfemimns, and' 

 generally some valuable agricultural communica- 

 tion or information which may interest the far- 

 mers. Thi'? being sent to every member, will put 

 him in mind of paying his subscription, will lead 

 him to induce his neighbors to become members, 

 and will create an interest in the Society most can. ■ 

 ducive to its increase, its successful management, i 

 and its beneficial fruits. 



The following are the Officers for the ensuing 

 year: 



President, 

 G. V. SACKET. Esq., Seneca Falls. 

 Vicfl PrcsulcittSy 

 Nathan W. Folwell, Lodi, 

 . Truman Boaruman, Covert, 

 WiM. R. Schuyler, Ovid, 

 John D. Coe, Romulus, 

 John Y. Manning, Varick, 

 John Johnston, Fayette, 

 Joel W. Bacon. Waterloo. 

 Matthew W. West, Junius, 

 Jason S.mith, Tyre, 

 J-tcoB KisHLEK, Seneca Falls. 

 Abijah B. Dunlap, Ovid, Ree. Secretary. 

 Samuel Williams, Waterloo, Cor. Sec'y. 

 James Stevenson, jr., Waterloo, Treasurer. 



ill 



«1 



nl 



Sleeper's Address. 



An Adukess delivered before the Agricultural Soci- 

 ety of Wcstborough and vicinity, Mass., Oct. 1841. 

 By John S. Sleeper, Esa. 



This address abounds with sensible remarks and 

 useful suggestions, and advice to the agricultural 

 classes, given in a perspicuous style, which is not a 

 common characteristic, and inalivelyand playful man- 

 ncrsoas to attract attention ; which is as it should be. 

 The Society before which this address was delivered, 

 consists of farmers of Wcstborough, one among the 

 best farming towns in Massachusetts, and some of the 

 neighboring towns, who meet occasionally and fre- 

 quently for mutual inquiry and discussion in relation to 

 the great art by which they subsist; for the intercommu- 

 nication of their own actual experiences; and the im- 



