Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1858-10-28
ANNUAL ADDRESS
BEFORE THE
Marshall Co. Agricultural Society.
OCTOBER 10TH, 1858, BY
JASPER PACKARD.
Ladies and Gentlemen:

|
and scientific attainments are found in the farming
community, it seems almost presumptuous for me
to attempt to address you on this occasion. Stand
ing here, as do, by selection of your Association
and seeing before Inc many at whose feet might
proftably sit and learn Agricultural wisdom, must
admit that am somewhat surprised at the honor
you have conferred upon me, and l cannot help
thinking that you must have been governed in the
selection, by motives of friendship, and out of re-
gard for the days gone by, wlen /, as a barefoot
cd urchin, followed the plow among the oak open
:ngs of old North. Yes my friends, can boast,
and niH boast of being son of the soil-of your
own soil. feel at home among the farmers of
Marshall County; and although there are better
farmers here than can ever hope to be- still there
are none here who have greater regard for
the calling than I-none to whom the OLD farm
house, and spreading fields objects of greater
interest. / look back to them with feeling of
regret which time, and life's duties in other avoca-
tions cannot wholly overcome.
In attempting to fix my mind on some particu-
lar subject for consideration to-day, wide fields of
thought-wider far than the fields which you cul-
beckon me forward; but there IS one which for me
possesses most charms; and its usefulness you all
will admit, when announce as the theme of my
remarks to day-Educated Agricultural Labor.
Educated Labor has ceased to be merely catch
word for politicians. 1t is practical fact-a iv-
ng vital reality, which thrusts itself upon our no.
tice everywhere over the soil. Now do not think
fbotT Nil ~ ob
to you on book learning. shall do no such thing
directly the reverse / trust that you and /, and
ali of Us, willing to estimate at their proper
value the scientific statements of books in agricul-
ture as in everything else. But this is not the
whole of farming. There is work to be done,
work that hardens the muscles, stifens up the sim
ews, and sometimes even makes the bones ache.
There is honest earnest robust labor Of the hands,
and this is necessary. He who thinks to farm out
of books, without labor, makes most egregious
blunder, and blunder, too, for which there is no
excuse Such man was the owner of the field
and vineyard that Solomon passed by: "And 10.
it was all grown over with thorns, and nettes had
covered the face thereof and the stone wall there
of was broken down." Solomon saysit was ''the
field of the sothful, and the vineyard Of the man
roid Of Understandings" so that l have high au-
thority for talking to YOU about educated labor,
taking for granted that sothfuness in farming is
labor uneducated, or which is the same thing, agri
culturally, mere theory without work. Paul says,
"Fath without works is dead.'' So is theory with
out works. thas been said that there is no royal
road to intellectual eminence. Neither is there
any royal road to success in farming. There must
be labor of the hands combined with labor of the
brain. And this is well. Man is better and happier
that he is obliged to be laborer. 1t is the man
date the Almighty-"In the sweat of thyi brow
shalt thou eat thy bread,' and l believe it was
spoken more as a blessing than a curse. Hark to
the poets triumphant singing
"Labor is life! '1'is the still water faileth,
Idlencss ever dcspaireth, bewailcth;
Keep the watch wound, for the dark rust assaileth
Flowers droop and die in the Stiffness of MON.
Labor is glory. the lying cloud lghtens;
Only the moving wing changes and brightens,
Idle hearts only the dark future frightens.
Play the sweet keys wouldst thou keep them
in tune.
| Lsbor is Health, Lo. the husbandman reaping
| How through his veins goes the life current
leaping,
How his strong arm, in its stalwart pride sweeping
True as a sunbeam, the swif. sickle guides.
| Labor is wealth-in the sea the pearl groweth;
Rich the Queens robe from the frail cocoon
foweth;
F-om the fine acorn the strong forest bloweth;
Temple and statue the marble block hides.
Labor is rest-from the sorrows that greet us,
/ Rest from all petty vexatioPs that meet us,
Test from sin-promptings that ever entreat us,
Rest from world sirens that lure US to i'll.
Work, and pure slumbers shall wait on thy pillow
Work, thou shalt ride over cares coming
| billow;
Lie not down wearied meath woes weeping
willow;
Work with stout heart and resolute will.''
But although here must always be toll connect
ed with the farming interest yet there is no doubt
that modern Improvements have served, and will
serve still more to tighten the burden of the hus
bandman, and make his gains correspondingly
greater.
Educated Agricultural Labor is seen first in th.
inventive talent which is now devoted to agricul
.ural machinery. In the first quarter of the pres
ent century, inventive power was devoted to man
ufacturcs, and the world looked on and wondered
while the cstton gin cleaned the cotton with mar
vicious rapidity; and the spnningjen did the worl
of more than hundred Susies and Jennies; anc
besides these there were the power loom and th
rolling mill, and the trip-hammer, and the appca
ton of steam to manufactures, and a hundred othe
things. Then followed an era when inventv,
genius was given to commerce, and men entangle
the whole country with SPIDERS webs of iron, AM
fitted the engine to the vessel that was to pow tn
deep. The steamer is launched, and with put
and plunge, she's up and away, seeming to sa
as she leaves the sail-vessels far behind:
"I'm Queen, I'm Queen of the waters wide''
After this came the agricultural era, when man
inventive powers were devoted to agriculture, an
to this there seems to be no limit. Ofall fields fc
a the display Of inventive genius, this seems tn
J, most extensive and no other field has ever CON
e manded the genius of so many inventors. Nearl
every operation, hitherto performed by man
: hands alone, can now be effected by machinery
We can scarcely enumerate the vast number (
! ma chimes in use. There are Reapers, and Mower
and Rakers. and Separators--stationary and trave
ing, There are Seed-drlls, and Corn planters an
u Corihuskers, and revolving Harrows, and Stuml
fpulers, and Patent Plows innumerable. And or