Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-06-22
agricultural Soorrss.
ADDRESS OF JOHN ?. BRADY. ESQ.
Before the Franklin Co. Agricultur-
al Society, Juno 2, 1855.
r.. President, and members Of hs


Franklin County 1g. Society
For three successive years | hay,
engaged in. aud watched over the de-
liberations of yoLr society, ard during
all that period, | fancy TO myself, tha
the business of the society was coa
Quoted in the way best calculated e
promote her interest, and advance th,
cause Of the farmer and mechanic
generally. But no sooner, however
did forego the pleasure of meeting
with you, on but one occasion. than
find your proceedings marked will
one act. which TO me appears rathel
inconsiderate. and that is. the appoint
ment Of one, so utterly incompeten
rs myself, to address you on this oc
casion.
Those Of you. who have stood asso
clated with me in the discharge Of tn,
duties devolving upon us as officers o
our society, must surely have learned
ere this. that | neither possess III,
tact, nor claim the ability, Of deliver
ing. even common place address
much less. oae worthy the attention
ard consideration Of the farmers anC
hiecbp aics Of our county.
Under such impressions, presum,
you will deem it no marvel, why
feel so much diflidence in appearing
before yod in the attitude. / nov
sand; knowing. as verify do. my in
ability to instruct or profit you. on th,
present occasion. | profess. howev
er. to belong to. and trust | stand as
sociated with that class Of individuals
recognizing the potency or importanc,
ofthe small word rRY; and shall there
fore claim your attention for brie
space Of time. while l hope to be able
to present few thoughts, which may
at least serve rs pass-timc, If nothing
more.
Having spent my life, thus far, up
on farm, is Of itself sufficient to JUS
tify me in calliag your attention to such
subjects in connnexion Herewith a'
may present themselves to my mind
In order to be a successful farmer
it is highly requisite to have good
farm, and il comfort is sought after
that farm should not be too large
Many are the evils growing out Of tn,
natural propensity for acquiring large
possessions, particularly, where an in
dividual is ambitious to add farm tC
farm, without any inclination to i'm
prove and properly cultivate the farms
thus acquired. That community made
up of individuals owning from 80 tc
100 acres Of land each, possesses inf
mite advantages over other districts o
country, where the land is in the pos
session Of but comparative few o
the settlers.
presume most, if not all, now pres
ent have home, and that home. gen
orally speaking. is composed of a trac
Of land, of sufficient size to constitut,
what is usually termed farm. 1t il
ore thing however. to be in possession
of a farm, aud another, to improve anC
enjoy it, as we may do. and as l hav,
frequently been led to believe duty re
quires we should do. BY way Of con
trast accompany me for a few moment
to yon two farms. the one on the left
the other on the right Of the road
These farms have been in the i'm
mediate possession, and under th'
control Of their present owners for tn,
last twenty years: are of equal size
and the soil and natural advantages
about the same. As you approach
the one on the left, you readily per
ceive its uncomely appearance. No
one square field to be seen, not scai ce
| ly one good pannel of fence; few build
ings and those of an inferior quality
and in quite dilapidated condition
no garden deserving the name. no
| fruit of any kind, save a few worthless
apples which occasionally grow OF
those scrubby trees, that have mlracu
lousy escaped the jaws of the hungr,
animals; few bars and their condition
such as to render them useless, ant
not one gate on the premises. Anoth
er view presents to you, that insight
| ly run, with those wet marshy place
on either side. which render quite
large portion of two fields unproduc
tive: and disagreeable to farm; as al
so. you have before you. natures plal
of furnishing blackberries, elder Der
ries, and such other things, as usual
spring up and grow in fence corners
around stumps. along runs. &c. w
shall let the cursory view we hav
now taken, suffice for the present an
pass over the way to the farm on tn
right.
AT first view, symmetry and ordc
appear visible in every direction. TIL
arrangement of the farm is such as {
add materially to every natural ad
vantage; fences good; fields square
the requisite numbers of building
skillfully construed and judiciousl
arranged; good garden properly en-
closed, and prudently cultivated; fru
trees Of various kinds, embracn
the apple. pear. peach. plum, cherry
&C., all ofwhich bear the marks {
prudent cultivation and are found I
produce the most valuable fruit of th
different species. Bars or gates are a
found in sufficient numbers to serv
as an entrance to each field or lot, an
each in such order as to render thel
truly valuable and convenient. Th
run which passed in almost every d
rection through yon farm also contir
ues its course through this, but no
different in appearance, instead
the unsightly view there manifest. "
8, here behold beautiful stream of W,
ter gliding swiftly along straigl
ditch. and each marshy place is rel
dered highly productive by means
under drains properly connected ther
with. AS matter of course yc
would scarcely expect to feast muc
upon wild fruits produced on such
farm as tLis,.nor will you; because IN
ther brier, elder, nor bush Of al
kind is to be seen on all the premise
The great contrast in the manag