Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-10-12
NASHVILLE.
STATE Fab.
First Day..monday, October II,

was formally opened By Gov. L g. HARRIS, Presiden
Of The Bureau, Who addressed those in aitenda-c
as follows:
Ladiss and Felloag-Caizsas:
As Governor Of Tennessee, I aIh Law, mad,
President of the A gricultural Buref those Annua
Fair we this day inaugurate g my position
here andthe honor Of addressin De industry o.
the State through its assembled REPRESENTATIVES, &c
the kindness Of my fellow citizens, in calling tC
another office, rather than TO eminent attainments
in those pursuits which IT was the wise policy Of
the State, in the establishment Of the Bureau. to
foster. il would be presumptuous in ne TO attempt
TO instruct the experienced and eminently success
fUl agricuturists and mechanics who surround me,
in their respective pursuits l come here equally
curious learner Of the arts by which many Of you
have illustrated your noble calngs, and to pay the
homage Of my ardent admiration 10 the signal sue
cess which is attending the general interest lately
awakened in our State in the great cause OF agri-
cultural and mechanical industry. address you,
not so much as matter Of choice asin the perform
ance of official duty yet almost shrinking from
that duty, in the certainty that your time
would be much more probably employed in
listening TO the narrative Of the long observation
land actual experiments Of some one Of the many
scientific or practical agriculturists who compose
my audience, than the mere suggestions or theories
of an individual like myself, who cannot justly
claim emineGce in either theory or practice
There are, however, some popular errors which
have taken possession Of the public mind which
need only to be pointed out and maturely consid-
cred, to be corrected, brief notice Of which is
deemed not inappropriate to the present occasion
The first of these errors is want Of proper appre-
citation Of agriculture and mechanic arts, as voca-
tons in life
1t may be set down as an axiom throughout the
world that man eXcels, if indeed, he succeeds
in any vocation where he does not feel that his
pursuit in life is in every way worthy Of his respect
interest, energies, and highest efforts He may
rest assured that there is industrial pursuit-no
vocation in lfe-to which the undivided energies
of the best Of the species may not be PrOhtably
applied.
Hence the agriculturist or mechanic who feels
degraded by his pursuit thinks that his position
in society is compromised by it. can never enter
upon its duties with that singleness of purpose
united energies. and fixed resolve absolutely neces
sary 10 success in every department Of the business
Of life; and the effort which may be made by this
character of hesitating, or reluctant hand must
Gcsut in the failure Of the enterprise, and the
degradation Of position which the individual is
unworthy to fill.
The origin of the evil is to be found in the fact
that too many fathers Of the present day. nsti into
the minds of their children. the idea thCt there Is
more dignity respects ility, and worth to be found
in the professions Of Jaw, medicine, &c, than in
those Of planting, farming, mechanism, or ma5Iu-
featuring; the result ofwhich is tina in almost every
family you find one or more Gag oates for prefer
ment in those professions, while tie latter pursuits
adopted as the dernier resort e those who are
supposed to be too dull to succeed in the former
and when thus driven to this department of labor,
they reluctantly adopt 1t temporarily, until sOmeem
ployment shall present itself which they regard as
more reputable and hence more congenial 10 their
taste, in which they hope 10 do better
Silly errors Fatal to the individual who enter
tains them. and injurious to the highest and best
interests Of the country. Will such a man honor /
the calling Of agriculture or mechanics? Never |
If you would excel, succeed you must give !
to your business whatever II may be the undivided
energies Of both mind and muscle, and act upon that
old adage which is certainly true it is homely,
50 Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing !
right, and doing well"
If you would honor your calling you must resolve |
to equal if you do not excel, the most successful
in your respective departments Of labor.
What employment is more dignihed or worthy, 4
than that department of labor by which God has |
decreed that all of his children shall eat bread
Palsy the hand Of agriculture, and the merchani@
doors are closed the wheels Of the manufacturer |
are stilled the tools Of the mechanic rust IN has
shop, the sails which whiten every avenue Of COM /
merce are furled and business in every department
Is hopeesslv Frustrated to be revived only by the
revival of that class of labor which ALONE PRODUCES
the wealth of the world
The Lawyer. the Physician, the Merchant, and /
the Teacher are all absolutely and indlspensabiy /
necessary the wel-being Of organized society let
however useful each may be to the community, and
however successful each may be IN his profession
he produces notiHg-adds nothing TO the aggregate
wealth Of the country; but is taX-a necessary
tax il is true yet he is tax to the extent OF his
consumption unon the productive industry Of the
nation while he who produces one pound OF cot
ton. wool iron, sugar or tobacco single gram
of wheat, rye or corn; even one sprlg OF grass,
or from the material has produced fabric
which contributes 10 the comfort Of man, has ADDED
something the aggregate wealth Of the world ana
is TO that extent a henetactOr.
VIan here Is he vacation honorable.
more dignif7ed, more important, and the yotaIles
of which are more independent than those OF agTl-
culture and mechanics. Another, and very serious
of those errors is the employment Of almost the en-
tire agricultural labor Of Tennessee in the produc
ton Of few crops; such cotton, tobacco ana the
cereals to the exclusion Of grasses, stock and choice
varieties of fruits and flowers which contribute So
materially to the profit, health, comfort and luxury
Of man. East Tennessee should recOuect that her
mountain sides however preCipItous, can be made
TO smile in the veriure Of the cultivated grasses,
supporting large hOcks and herds, rvalling in profit
and surprising in beauty, her fertile and produc-
tive valleys. Middle Tennessee should learn that
there Is scarcely cedar glade or hilltop within
her limits, that viii not produce blue grass and
clover luyUriantlv, however near the surface the
rock may approach, each Of which viii support
its number Of sheep cattle mules, or horses cost
ing the husbandman little or no labor while the
land is being improved every day, and yielding q
iarger return in pccuniary gain well as IN orna-
meut than the same amount Of toll would yield IN
any other department of agricultural labor. And
experience will very soon teach the planter Of the
west that the swamps Of that section, though too
Wet for cotton tobacco or the cereals will produce
herIsgrass and timothy in great perfection, the pro
. ducts Of each acre of which in hay and stock Will
pay larger profit than his best acre in cotton or
tobacco
These improvements, so important if not indis-
pcnsabIv necessary. 10 the success health, and
beauty Of the farm may be made by the judicious
employment Of such leisure as occurs between the
cultivation of crops at comparatively very triting
cost of labor or capital
The time has come when Tenncsseans should learn
the importance of variety of crops and diyersifying
their labor thereby improving, instead of lmpover-
ishng. a soil so generous and fertile as almost
TO tempt our people into a system of careless
and slovenly farming, especially when this lesson
may be learned and practised with so much profit
in every point Of view TO the farmer. Let each
grand division. nay. every hamlet Of the State,
learn that our soil and climate admirably adapt
to the successful cultivation of very choice varle-
ties of fruits. The grape the apple, the Peach
the pear, the plumb and the cherry may all be
grown to perfection IN any portion Of the State
and certainly there is no investment which pays me
msbandmau better in pecuniary profit physical
comtor, luxury, and beauty than that Tihlch Is
employed IN the cultivation of choice fruits. IN
view Of these very important considerations, and the
small amount of labor or capital necessary to the
accomplishment of fruit growing, he who dis
regards IL in the economy of the farm plantation