66 CONDITION OF THE BOORS. 
lation, and all those individual and combined efforts 
in behalf of our rising community, which dignify a 
free and enlightened people. 
“'To kindle, or to fan this flame, the agricultural 
societies are everywhere exerting their strength, and 
have a solid claim to the zealous co-operation of 
every one who professes to love his country—of 
every one, indeed, who understands his own interest. 
Though yet but in their infancy, the influence of these 
societies has been beneficially felt far and near. But 
they have still much to accomplish in the way of 
EXCITEMENT. ‘The farmers live so far apart from 
each other, that the spirit of emulation, and even of 
imitation, languishes and falls to the earth between 
them. Instead of comparing himself with his more 
active neighbour, and girding up his loins to 
overtake and pass him in the race, the solitary Boor 
is too apt to talk of his grandfather, to plead old 
custom asa bar to experiment, and to hold himself 
excused from the labour of thought, by a dutiful 
adherence to the habits of his infancy. The diffusion 
of mere agricultural information will not break this 
spell. ‘To tell men how to sow and plough and reap 
is only part of our business. The poorest practical 
farmer is perhaps better qualified than any lay mem- 
ber of these societies to give instruction on such 
matters. He will do most to improve the agriculture 
of the country, who shall open the eyes of the agri- 
culturists generally to the magnitude, importance, 
