05 
their invaluable approval and confidence, and would entertain no higher 
-or loftier aspirations, than to seek to merit that approval and confidence. 
Let farmers but respect themselves and their high and praiseworthy call¬ 
ing, as they and it are in fact respected, and half the great work of their 
entire success as a class of community is perfected. Let them only 
apply the means in their own hands for their own advancement and ele¬ 
vation, and the great work is all performed. 
Powerfully auxiliary to this association, if not indeed superior to it, 
are limited or more strictly local organizations in the several towns, or a 
collection of towns and communities adjacent. These should be formed 
and their maintenance regarded as a duty, most religiously to be ob¬ 
served. The frequent commingling of thought, and comparison of the 
successes of each other, in any given branch of business, would not 
only greatly improve and increase their agricultural knowledge, but 
would tend to promote more extensively the cultivation and dissemination 
of other branches of useful knowledge and information, running 1 out into 
all the ramifications of society, and yielding to ourselves and to the rising- 
generation the rich fruits of a well spent youth in mature years, so cer¬ 
tain to result from well formed plans and designs for future usefulness. 
Let no one feel that the general objects of these organizations are be¬ 
neath or unworthy of his notice. Such an one has wonderfully mistaken, 
in his conceptions, the nature of true dignity. If he desires to be useful 
to himself and his oivn, and aid in greatly increasing the aggregate 
wealth, improvement and prosperity of community, this is, and must be, 
his most successful field of operations. The farmer alone is the producer. 
It is he alone that adds any thing to the great sum total of earthly 
wealth.—Not that I would by any means undervalue the usefulness or 
; 
importance of any other profession or calling. Yet in comparison with 
the farmer, all others are entirely secondary, and although necessary 
and indispensable, they can of necessity do nothing comparatively to¬ 
wards increasing the aggregate wealth of our nation. If, then, the 
farmers, the producing classes of community, are the great sources upon 
whom community so largely depends for its present and permanent pros¬ 
perity, how important that all the lights—of art, experience and science— 
should be brought to bear in their behalf, not only for the advantages 
which shall result to them individually or collectively, but as a matter 
of national and sectional policy. 
