Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1857-10-21
Ottawa County Agricultural Society.

Second annual Fair of the Ottawa County Agricultural
Society," at Eastmanvi2e, September 24m, 1857
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS THE OTTAWA COUNTY
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
The occasion upon which you assembled is one
which in all ages has excited the attention of mankind
The Harvest Home when the bright sheaves gathered
into the garner and the bending boughs give up
ed fruit has been the poets theme the emblem of rejoicing
everywhere When the sword of fire had driven first
parents forth from Eden and they compelled by the
sweat of their brow to their daily they and their
descendants did FAIL the earth yielded Its increase TO
bring of its first fruits, tribute to him, through whose
forbearance though outcass they still fed The
monies there instituted embodied in the Jewish rtua
and year by year. the ang of the flock and the products
of the soil smoked The altar OF thanksgiving the embems
of their gratitude The Greek and Romans too held their
dies fest, when crownng their beasts of the plough with
garands and poured forth their old Faernan wne they
sang the praises of Bacchus and Ceres and all the Gods
And then when the desolang horde from the Northern
Hive swept down upon the southern homes of civilization,
and Fuedas rod out beneath its iron heel nearly every
vesgc of systematic attention. still lords and ladies in their
rude manora halls with wild Boas head and wassal bowl
before tem amid all the gosser indugences
Gus life celebrated the Of their scany harvest
home The hardy peasant of the norh whose tedious abors
being but scanty reward contends with all that Nature
gives him. the returning of plenty with glad
And in the sunny SOUTH where the earth bushes
tendorly at the suns first smile, and sends up willingly the
tendr around whose brow the purple grapes shall cluster
though the aborer cannot claim large share in contrbu
ting the glorious harvest that hangs about him; still
peasants and madens they bear away the baskets filled
with the treasures of the ne sing together their harvest
song and with radiant faces the village green, mnge in
the dance of the newreah pole in honor of their Harvest
Home. If then the vassas of selfish baron the ten
ants Of titled landowner whose only interest in the soil
the ptance to them after the payment of their eXobtant
rental ifhese join in exultaon the rpenng fields how
much may the American farmer congratulate himself
he surveys broad all his his right which all
no way subjected to the capnces OF landed aristrocra
to any that does contribute directly otherwise
to the protection of his interests
congratulate you therefore, gentlemen, upon the cir
which surround you to-day. Plsood in tlo
rest portion of this fertile state, to which your state
motto fairly applies the ancient Grecan boast 50 quaeras
pentnSlaD circumspice if you would behold
charming peninsula look around you, placed say fa
vorable position for the developement of agriculture
enjoying the benefit of liberal state legislation and national
freedom at the close of abroad unprecedented
in the abundance of its productions you may appropriately
lead III the worlds anthem of thanksgiving The splendid
productions of the field the garden the dairy and the stock
yard which surround here evident both of the energy
and skill you have employed and of the abundant
which has crowned your labos during the Not in
vain have you prooed the study forest to appropriate the
mellow soil which its shadows have long brooded
in vain have you YEARLY guided the plough rough
places and smooth through the and the sunsne not
in vain have you wsuly and sometimes almost despondng
watched dreaded the changing temperature, the long
continued droughtS or the destroying nsect Inc tender
bursting germ has been osered by and rain to the
urty Of the full grown stalk bearing aof its golden burden
to be surrendered into your hand And like the
mariner who, through perous shoals and adverse
gales has guided his richly eghted bark safe into port
you at the close of this summer voyage meet to count over
the profits of the venture.
do not forget however, gentlemen that the object Of
your coming together solely congratulate each other
and satisfy commendabe pride in the excellence of the
articles here exhibited. You aim not only to show what
inquire into the by which the superiority of pro-
the progressive spirit of the age in all that affects agrcu
tue compare the experiences of with those another
and the results of both with the theories of the of
science illustrating conutng them; learn how best to
prepare the soil for the seed and the seed for the so how
best and economically and prepare the crop
for market.
Upon all these ubecs there progress day by day,
real in any department of human investigation The
studies of learned men, the experiments of the working
farmer made under the guidance of increased intelligence,
and under and varied circumstances adding i'm
mensely to this branch of human knowledge. The slow
and tosome manual process is yielding before the strong
iron snews of machinery, and the power of production with
given amount of expenditure vastly increased We have
yet indeed to find steam plough which shall meet with
universal favor but nearly every other branch of farm labor
brought within the scope of subtle mechanism, and
have believe that this desderatum will long
remain unsuppled
Upon these matters intimately connected with the
mnutia of practical agriculture cannot hope that my linn
tied acquaintance with the subject would enable to
interest," much less to instruct you The science too
lprehensive be taught by the learned, brie