Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1842-04-09
DR.. SMITHS Address.

DIR. SMITHS ADDRESS.
DeitUfred btfots the agricultural society NJ
Faint fiouPte, at Is organization, larch
-, 1912.
GEHrLGmEa Tie hest way | can iilue~
trats the important results HE Society we
have mel together 10 form il tiErly 10 lead To-,
isla by giving you Il brief aud very superficial
outline of the origin and progress of aRrlcIl-
tnte, through past ages, up to the present
time.
Tie art Of agriculture sprung inio existence
rueval with the first dawn of civilization. sug-
gcgtlnT inventions, aud claiming 10 be tho
foundation OF all other arts. Under ite be-
uien Influence man was reclaimed from his
eayore g ate and the precarious pursuit Of the
chase the cave and the rude hut made way
for the comfortable farm house the forest
! fell before the axe Of the hnsbandmau, aud
The plains were enliyened with the animals
he subjected 10 his use.
This ancient and universal art, go Eminent
" conducive to The welfare Of those engaged
ii il, a large proportion Of the population Of
every civilized country, and ia justly consyd-
cred the true aorrce Of national prosperity. 1t
gives competence TO the frugal and induetrt-
ore, health and energy to the body aud tho
mind, and is favorable to knowledge, temper.
ance, v%irtions habits, and purity OF character,
essentials to good government and national
Independence.
Moses makes the earliest mention Of agr;-
culture. lie says that "Cain was a tiller Of
the soil" that " Abel sacrificed the i~irstlings
of hja flock" aud that "Noah began to be n
husbandrnan and planted q vineyard" From
the time Of Noah, agriculture was conducted
-, cha, r,1,,t -, +In..,,1, So ntt,. .,c.
1nornly to supply the wants Of the cultiyator
aud bis domestic animals. We learn that
Ruth went INTO the field Of Boaz and cleaned
after Tho rcapcrs, and hat The brethren Of Jo-
eenh wont into Egypt 10 buy corn, in the time
Of q famino in the Land Of Israel. This is
nearly MI VIC learn on the subject in the dark
ages. II is supposed the Egyptians bad car
ricd agriculture and mechanic arts to some
degree Of perfection as early as the third
epoch. They believed agriculture to be the
invention of super-human agency, and paid
divine honors to the OK for his services as a
laborcr. Among the ancient nations, the
Chinese held agriculture in high estimation !;
avery year, on the 18th day of the first moon,
the Emperor holds a festival in honor Of that
art, and invokcs Tie blessing Of the "Grcat
Being" on the labors Of bis people, sacrifices
Il 9hiInGN, ana pioHglS a luffoW.
The Carthageuians carried the art of az.
riculture to a higher degree OF perfection
than any other nations their contemao ra-
rjes. The IS books Of Mage, their cc1e-
bratod general, were translated into Latin
bytdecree of the Roman Senate.
In the reign oftho third king Of Athens,
Ernthonius came from Egypt and taught
the natives the art ofagriculture, for which
-he was raised to supreme power, in the
place Of Amphictyon. Greece has prodH-
ced many Writers, both in prose and verse,
on agricultural topics, but the poem Of Tie.
sold. contemporary with Homer, is the on
ly work extant of that age. Augeas is
supposed to be the inventor Of manures.
To say he was an industrious husband
man, was the highest praise that could DO
conferred on an illustrious character by the
ancient Romans. Cato, the censor, was a
celebrated orator, a great statesman, and a
successful general he subdued nations
and governed provinces, yet his highest and
most durable honors were derived from
having written a work on agriculture.
ColumelIo, Vano, Pliny, palladns, and
many other celebrated Romans wrote at diff
f'rent periods on agriculture. The ilnplr~
Inents of %husbandry ofthe ancient Romans
were numerous, but they are more worthy
the notice Of the curious antiquarian than
tho practical farmcr.-VirgiI brought the
grace Of verse to the subject, but it is clear
he understood little Of practical husbandry.
Agriculture was almost wholly neglect
ed during the age Of anarchy and barbar-
ism which succeeded the fall of the Roman
empire. Herds. and 1ocks were the chief
reliance OF the people, owing to The facii...tsy
of secroting them in forests md mountains
when the country was inyaded.-When
Rome vas il the ~plenitude Of her power
she did a great deal to promote the useful
arts in the nations she subjected, guarding
them from devastation and promoting the
comfort, happiness, and improvement of
the people.
In England, up to the invasion Of VII
liam the couqneror, the people were in the
habit ofimporting much Of the grain they
consumed. That monarch brought from
Flanders and Normandy. many thousands
of husbandmen who becoming landhoiders,
pursued the same mode of culture to which
they had been accustomed in their native
countries. Some Of the Norman barons,
clergy, and monks are celebrated in hlsto-
ry for their skill in ~husbandry. The cele-
bratod Thomas a Beckett, afterwards Arch
Bishop of Canterbury, and afterwards can
onized, used TO join the monks in their labors
in the field. The first English treatise on
husbandry was published in the reign of
Henry VIII. by SIR A. Fltzsherbert, judge
Of the common pleas. 1t contained in
~stractlons for enclosing a farm and render
ing it fit for tillage;-his plan for the cul-
ture Of corn is adopted with little @altora-
ition at this day.
uae look tiroagh The vista Of time, and
mos -sss of agriculture through the
aritg, now advancing