The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1822-10-29
agricultural.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY or M.4INE.
AN Address

AN ADDRESS
Read on October 9th 1929, at Hallo,oeU before
| the AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF MAINE, on
| the day of its Annual Meeting, and after the
Agricultural Exhibition Of the year had taken
place:
By WILLIAM LADD, Esq. of .Minot.
-0o-oo-o0--
When we look around on mankind, and
contemplate on the great variety Of occupa-
tons in which they are busily engaged, in
their eager search after happiness; we natur-
ally enquire, which, of all these various pur-
suits, is best adapted to obtain the desired
end And when we consider man as So
cial being, our enquiry will not end 10 his in
dvidual happiness but will be extended TO
the society, the nation, and finally 10 the
whole race, of which he is member.
If we trace back the history Of almost any
nation, we shall find it originating 10 the saw
age or hunter state, in which man wages con-
tiuusl war with savage beasts, and men more
savage still and lives I'm state OF perpetual
alarm or aggression, without any regular
means Of support; sometimes gorged with bis
prey, but more frequently pinched with hun.
ger without ostursI affection !; and destroying
his aged parents and helpless infants when
they become bu.thensome to him.
Ia the first stage toward civilization, we
find families and tribes of wandering sheps
herds, without any fixed hsbitsiion or bounds
OF landed property +; without any law but
force among whom bread is luxury, and
wine unknown who are ignorant Of almost
ali fba . a,ta and
most of those enjoyments which make life de-
sirable.
Let the visionary sophist who delights TO
wage war against common sense, let the fam
tastic poet whose food is fiction, eulogize the
hunter end the shepherd state, as the gold and
silver ages of the world Though we may
be amused with the ingenuity of arguments
which do not convince u.s. and pleased with
brilliant, but false coio.ng, which does not
deceive US and though we do not feel uDea-
sy at encomiums on characters which we do
not envy, yet the generality of mankind allow,
that we are never happy until the . bounds
OF our habtation' Gre established by known
laws, and we return 10 the employment of
our first parents in Paradise.
We have not time TO compare the pursuit
OF agriculture with those occupations, which
necessity or ambition induce others 10 EN-
brace : but to prove its superiority we refer
| 10 The practice Of the most enlightened ma
tons, 10 which we find great majority of the
people actually engaged in busbandry; and
those who have been prevented by necessity.
real or imaginary, fly 70 il as soon as they
have obtained competency and il il be not
so generally the case with the ambitious, it is
| because ambition is more Unsuitable than ava
rice.
What occupation is SO healthy, 90 innocent,
SO delightful, so truly honorable, so inoepen-
dent on man. so dependent on God What
so productive of national wealth, population,
military strength, general knowledge, equal
fortunes, steady habits, and all the essentials
OF republican government Ii it is not so
productive Of individual wealth, il is because
ii has SO many other attractions, which induce
many 10 enter on it, who are willing TO give
up greater profit, for the sake of more valu-
able considerations & because the happy cir
cumstances of this section of our country,
where the hardy yeoman tills bis own soil
with his own hands, and where slave and
peasant are equally unknown.) do not permit
any great extension OF agricultural capital
Nevertheless, as far as my own experience
goes, | am bold 10 assert, that investments in
agriculture have of late years been more pro-
ductvc> than capital employed in commerce !;
and il is to be doubted, whether manufactures
have been more able.-IIow thankful
we ought 10 be, that the great Disposer of
events, has suited toe occupation Of the bulk
Of mankind SO kindly TO their natures What
tessoD have we not 10 exclsim, like the NJ an
tau bard 0 hoppy farmers, did are but knosc
our happiness
But the theory Of agriculture is science 10
be studied-and its practice, is an art to be
learned. As well may we expect to be able
merchants. or expert mariners, without dill
gent application TO the necessary studies as
10 be successful farmers, while we wholly ne
sect the theory, and but uegIgeuly attend
10 ihe practice Of Agriculture. Our mistakes
are nei 50 immedialely obvious, as hose Of The