Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-09-02

MATTERS OF INTEREST TO ALL.
We venture to lay down the following
propositions as adapted to our day and coun-
try:
/. Eyery business in life is IN linly depend
ent far its prosperity, upon The tabors q
agriculture.
Agriculture is the body. while tho other
professions are the members; and although
the body aud members are mutually de
pendent, aud reclprocally useful to each
other, the cody can exist without the mem
bers, much better than tn" members can
exist without the body The farmer can
supply the necessities, and most of his rea
sonabc wants, within the circle of his fam.
lily; he can feed aud clothe himself; bat
mis- wants are enlarged and his ability to
crafty them increased in proportion to the
profits of his labor. If through ignorance
or sloth he produces only what is necessary
for the sustenance of his household, he can
buy neither Of the merchant, the manu'ac-
turer or the mechanic, nor contribute to
the support of the learned professions or.
if he buys he cannot pay. But If his pro.
duce is double what is required for the con-
sumption of his family, The surplus half may
be employed Cot the benefit Of he other
classes purchasing from them the com
forts and eleganclei of life. The other
classes. on contrarywise, cannot thrive. as
such, without the aid of the farmer: he
furnishes the raw materials for The manu-
facIurer, he feeds the mechanic, and frcights
the bark Of commerce; AMI is besides the
principal customer to them all. IL follows,
asa corrollary, that
2. The prosperity ora State is determined
by The good or J1d state IF It's husbandry.
We see every whore, in districts as well
as entire states, the strongest proofs Of the
correctness of this proposition. Contrast
Duchess, Orange. and Columbia, with
any three Counties where agriculture Is
neglected or managed in The old sovenly
manner. In the first. all classes thrive and
prosper. if they are industrious and pru-
dent; because there the body - III hralih'n'
vlgor. 10 the inter, You wall Fl vi the body
le,hargc, diseased, aud covered with pu
uifying sores. and the members partaklug
of oil ITS infirmitles. The last winters ex
perlence, in our c'i $ and towns. show,
their extreme constituencies to the ficlua-
lions IN the supply of agricultural products
Some ofthe farmers crops we're las, yea,
deficient in the accustomed yield, and The
consequence was, the buyer had to pay %
and SO per cent above the ordinary price,
for many articles of the first necessity. =
Had the products of the SOL been double
what they were, prices would have beer
low, and the buying classes would have
subsisled cheaper aud better, and the far
mer would have purchased Of them in re
turn more literally.
3. The Improvements and profits Of agri
culture, and The consequent prosperity of
Slate, are in The ratio Of The measure O.
intelligence Which guides It's iabors.
The head can do no more than The
hands. The animal strength Of the hors,
or the OK would effect no useful purpose
without the continuance and direction o
man. In many countries on the old CONT
nent, where the cultivator is debased b
ignorance and despotism, the awkward, III
contrived implements of the primitive age
are still in use. and in some parts of gu
own land, the hoe, or the rudest machine
q plough, is still substituted for the great
improved implements Of modern times, be
cause the cultvator is ignorant and servilt
There 10 not manufacturing employment
nor a mechanic art, but has been great