Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-06-16
ADDRESS OF JAMES LYONS. ESQ.

sll,on, rhlch with very short notice YOU have s,a
upon me-, trust shall not incur the impualion Of
vanity ana pre- snmpiion but shall rather BE- credited
Tor my z'ai VI me noble cause which brings togp-
Their, ana my sense OF the obligation to perform the
part assigned him, which rests upon every member Of
this Society, hlthongh II be difficult and to him
ser dangerous. To me, feel that the task which |
now enter upon, Is both difficult and dangerous for
am required 10 tread that path which you, Mr. Presi-
dent, have trod before With no ability TO instruct
and art to enllven, can offer TO those who ha
accustomed 10 The products Of your deep culture
and rich top dressing, apology for bringing my
scany crop into such competition but that necessity
which you gentlemen, have created-npon you there
fore, as the employers must fall in agricultural con.
tracts always does the uss although the shame be
mine. And yet Mr.. President, have a set off even
against that, II may be allowed to make TO you the
reply which favori,e old servant, who acted as nv
head man, once made 10 me. When complaining 10
him Of the s'inted growth and almost total failure of
pelied crop of sugar beet and mangel wur,zel. he
mainianed the excellence of his crop, until overpow-
cred by comparison with the luxurant growth of nv
friend and neighbour, in my eye, (Nlr. Staples,
whose iafm was so justly compimented by your Farm
Committee IN Zealand then he excused himself by
saying, snow, Master, it won't DO to compare your
farm with MIR. Stapes's-he lives on his-and to tell
you the truth, Sir, this land is so miserable poor
It's hard TO make any thing out of it-and you are
what 10 blame, because the beets bad-for
could have done little better if you had given me
your orders in time" So, Mr. President, must not
be compared with you, and you must recolert that
you did not give me your orders in time.
Never, Mr. President, did more regret, than I do
TO day, that the soil which cultivate is "mserable
the mind which, always rising with the theme, adorns
the most digniled. We have assembled 10 honor and
MD 10 restore 10 lis elevation and 10 advance
that which has been described by an eminent writer
tas the most universal well as the most ancient oil
arts, the basis of ell other arts, and in all countries
lo of A nj.
ture was mans first occupation. From the writings
of Moses We learn that Cain titled the earth, and
Abel tended his ilocks, and Noah was husbandman
and vine dresser Kings and Emperors have been its
patrons, ana our own Industrious Washington was one
of ills most skiliul and distinguished votares In all
ages and among all nations il has been the favored
and most honored occupation among men, and
has been beautifully well truly described
as 'not only indispensable TO national prosperity,
but emnently conducive to the welfare Of those
who are engaged in l-ns ''givng health 10 the body
and energy TO the mind favorable TO vrtuous and
temperate habits and TO knowledge, and purity of mora
character, which are the pillars of good Government
and the true support of national independence And
who among you, gentlemen there that does not recog
nIze, without injustice TO any other calling The truth
this descriptions Who it, whose days. and often nights
spent as mine are within the limits Of an Office
ten feet square, or amidst the wrange OF the cours
who that tolls at The labos of the compiling room-Le
hind the counter-or in the din Of manufactures, and
odour OF the fresh earth nscends from the plough
Gurrow while the waving fields assure him OF plen
tiul harvest and the trees all verdant and all voca
invite HIM 10 repcse, his mind expand, his whole
nature soften, and his heart Involuntary turn TO the
God who gives them ell 2 Who, if he be II softer, does
not yet feel that he is better man. while this inspira
ton Of the coun,ry-this purifying influence Of the
great Genius of griculture, beathes over him. Who
does not feel in short higher Of his dependence
upon, and gratitude to, that Great Spirit from whose
hands these treasures flow speak not OF things uni
Yersa but general, and 10 dispaage any calling, az
shall presently she you but to illustrate the truth Of the
remark which have quoted Turn for momen; from
The agrcuiturist 1.-THE lawyer gains an important and
difficult cause, he TOO often "ays The atterng JUNCTION
to his soul, that his learning and ingenuity accom-
plnhed II. If the doctor rescues suffering patient
from immediate DEATH his healing and sugacious ar,
receives the praise If the merchant is successful in
his venture, thanks TO his keenness and good luck ii
The mechanic mouds the pondrous bar into beauleous
implement, or the raw lock into costly fabric, his
craft exces all others But if the farmer reaps bounte
Gus crop, and plenty smiles around him, "'rhank God
he e1clans, before he thinks, 81 hnve good crop
this year! And why not because the power is not
equally exered in each case, but because lis influence
visible and pa pabe 10 the farmer than TO any
other All tina, he can do, is to prepare with care his
earth, and SOW it, and for the rcs he must rely Ma
ture, as he calls it, Agriculture does tend and must
tend then, as our author says ITO vrtuous and Tempe
rate habits, end purity of moral character"
That tis the basis of all other arts, needs argu-
ment TO prove. Every man feels and is ready 10 ad.
init IT, BY many other arts may bread be bought, but
by none other can it be made. Every one is ready TO
declare that all other useless without the art
of making bread. And here, Mr.. President, let me
remark that in my humble opinion, is more
clear than that conveyed in the declaration which |
have heard that the ladies should not attend these
agricultural fetes. What duty are We called 10
discharge, that not performed with dignity,
proprety and grace, when they hold the lists, cbasten
by their presence all the sentiments of the day. and by
their approving smiles, or gentle sympathy, eward the
victor console the wounded; and more especially
al meeting like this, should the sweetest of all bread
makers, the very divntes of own art, be pre-.
sent.
But 10 return 10 the drier path of The discussion
with another illustration of subject. Let The crop
of the agrculturist fall and you have pressure-le II
fail again, and distress languIshes,
and The politician rets and figures, until he finds both
useless and last he discovers the only panacea, and
exclams give good crop end times will be easier
two three crops Will relieve the country. With
out agriculture, there Gun be neither corn, wheat cot
ton rce or tobacco; and, without these, what would
become of the man ufacturer, well as The mer-
chant
The interests of all classes unite, therefore, in that
of the agriculurist To honor this great art-to ele
vate and advance ito bestow thanks ard rewards
upon its volares and servants, assemble. In the
language of him who may be emphalcally termed the
A grc ullural Poet, we come TO tell
Whence Joyful harvesis spring. what heavenly sign
| Invites the plough, and webs To elm the vine;
Io,v reared aucks aud cattle thrive,
And yba prriencs stores the frugal hive.
Swayed no longer by the impulses Of passion-mov-
ed by no political inlluences-separat BY no party
dstlncons-we assemble to-day, in the spirit or our
great institution all other characters merged in that of
the farmer compare the products of our FARMS and
10 contribute 10 the common stock of information and
experie Dce our shares respectively that those pro-
ducts may be enarged-und here let me remark, Mr..
President that, in my humble judgment, full justice
is rarely done to the profits of Agriculture.
The usual mode of stating the account is to estimate
the value of the capital, and, calculating six per cent
upon that to add to that the expenses of The farm,
and comparing these two with the gross sales, TO as
certain the profit loss of the farm rarely, u ever
giving credit for the living derived from it, which Is OF
Itself handsome interest. The house rent ulone II IN
town being equal 10 the lawful interest upon large
portion of the value Of the farm, and sometimes the
whole of it. single instance will illustrate:-ln The
country man with sl0 600 invested in land and ne.
erues will II he ia industrious and frugal live COM
for,ably, rear family, keep cut o! debt and sometimes
make little money. II loaned out at legal interest,
that $1,000 would produce him only 5000, which
would scarcely maintain himself alone, and in town
bad