, 1859-10-01
WISCONSIN STATE FAIR,

DELIVERED 1Y
HON. 4. LINCOLN, OF ILLINOIS,
On Friday. September soth. 1859
Agricultural fairs nre becoming An in,titu
lion OF the country. They are useful in NOR
we've 1han one. They bring us together, an,
toereoy make us better acquainted. and bette
friends than ne otherwise should be. From ib
nrst appearance of man upon the earth, dow,
10 very recent times, tue words "stranqer'' m.
enfnay were quite, OF almost. SYNONYMOUS
Long after c1Vl1ized nations had defined robber,
ana murder as high crimes, and had afi1ess
seseIe pun,shments to them, when prnctiset
among = ana upon their OWN people respectively
"As oeemed no offence, hut eyen meritorious
70 ron, and murder, anil cnslavc stranatrs
whether as nations or as indiyiduals. EFe,
yet, this has not totally disappeared. The mai
OF the highest moral cultivation, in spite Of al
that abstract principle can do; likes Ilim whon
ne dots Know, much better than him whom b,
: does "ot know. To correct the evils. great aut
smau, WHICH spring from want Of 81 ,npathy ant
!!om posture enmty. among strdnye1y, as NJ
tsons OF as individuals, is one Of the higbes
cultural fairs contribute in no small deefee
1hs} make more pleasant, and more strong
and more durable, the bond Of social aud polit
1cal union among as,
Again, if; as Pope declares, Happiness is on,
he'ngs end and aim," our fairs contribute much
to TINT end and aim, as occasions Of recreation
-as aosidays: Constituted as MN is. be has
posture need of occasional recreation. and
whatever can give him this, associated With NH
virtue and advantage, aud free from rice and
dfsadsaatage, is positive good. Such recrea.
ton our fairs afford. They are q uresent nleo,
sure, to be followed by no pain as consequence.
lhey are present pleasure, making The future
more pleasant.
But the chief use of Agricultural Fairs is to
aaa s III improving Pr the great calling Of Agricuz
tuFe, IN all IT'S departments and minute divi-
sl9ns; to make mutual exchange Of ncricuI,u.
fal discovery, information and kpoyledrr. so
that, at the end, al may know everything wb;cl,
may hare been known to but one, Or to but fer.
a. The beslnning-to bring together especialIy
a'l which Is supposed to not be generally known,
because OF recent discovery or invention.
part, NIL that has been docidentaXy discovered
or invented upon ordinary motive; but, by ex-
ellng emulation. for premiums, and for the
PRIDE and honor Of aucccss-pf triumpb. in
some sort--to stimulate discovery and inreu-
t.on into extraordinary activity In this, these
11l1s are kindred to the ratent clause in the
Constitution of the United States: and tn The
department and practical system based unon
that clause. ~f0N'
One feature believe of every fair. is 4 REGULAR
d3dress. The AgTicu;ura1S Society Of the rounr.
prosperous, and soon to he great State of Yis.
consln, has done me the hish honor Of selecting
me to make that address upon this occaslonSe
an honor for which make my profound md
gratefu: acknowledgement.
presume am not expected In emn,or the
time assigned nc in the mere Gatterv az frr.
mcrs. as class. Ny opinion Of them IS thai. in
proportion TO numbers, they are neither better
nor worse than other people. In 1ile nature Of
lungs thcg are more numerous than ouy other
oiass; aud belieTe there really are more at-
tefnpfs At hattering them than any other: the
reason Of Which cannot perceive, unless it be
toot they can cast more votes thnu any other.
Un reflection, ! am not quite sure there Is not
cause OF suspicion against you in selecting me,
IN some sort politician, and in no sort q fur.
nier, to address you.
But farmers being the most numerous c1as,
It fellows that their interest is the largest inter
est. 1t also follows that that interest is most
worthy Of all to be cherished and cutirated-
interest and any other, that other should Weld.
Again, suppose It Is not expected of ME to
Impart to you much specific ipformat;on m
Agriculture. You hare no reason to beliere
mud do not believe, that I posse il. if that
were what you seek in this address, any one Of
your own number, or class, would be more able
to furnish it..
You, perhaps, do expect me to give some
general interest to the occasion; and to make
some general suggestions, on practical mattera.
shall attempt nothing more. And in such
suggestions BY NE, quite likely rerv little viii
be new to you, and large part of the rest DOS
slbly already known to be erroneous.
Ny first suggestion is an inquiry as 10 the
ELECT Of greater faoronghn<ss in ali the depart
If n1 11ts7rn
Northwest perhaps might say, In America.
70 speak entirely within bounds, it is known
Int fifty bushels Of wheat, or one hundred
bushels Of Indian corn, Gun be produced from
70 acre. Less than year ago saw it stated
hat man, By extraordinary care and labor.
lad produced Of wheat, what was equal to two
hundred bushels from an acre. But take fifly
# wheat, and one hundred Of cora, to be the
'.o1atitiy, and compare with it tue actual crops
u the country. Aany years ago saw it stated !
n Patent 0tlice Report that eighteen bushels |
o the acre was the average crop throughout the |
Ehcat growing region Of The United States; and /
his year, m Intelligent farmer Of Illinois assur-
d me that he did not believe the land harvested
n that State this season, had yielded more thun
rag crop. heard Of in our vicinity was two
housand bushels from nincty acres; many
Fops were threshcd, producing no more than
hree bushels to tie acre; mucl, sras tut. and
hen abandoned US not worth threshiug; and
iuct was abandoned without cutting. As to.
indian corn, md, indeed. most other crops, the
asc has not been much better. For the list
'ur years do not bclieye the ground planted
,ith corn IN Illinois has produced m average
twenty bushels to the acre. It is true that |
eretotore we hare had better crops with m I
etter cultivation; but believe It Is also true
mt the soil has acvcr been pushed up to one.
alt Of its capacity.
~ T. q. t
lterest to push the soil up to Something near
$ full capacity: Unqucstionably it wifi tats
lorc iabor to produce ..ffty bushels from an
re, than it vii to produce ten bushels from the
ame acre. But will it take more iaLor to nro.
nee flfty bushels from one acre than from Hrsp
nquestionably, thorough cultivation viii re-.
a're more labor to the acre: but Wilt require
ore .o me o. 1Hsh<lI II it should require just
mach to the bushel, there are some proLSIL
ID several certain advantages In faror Of the
oronga practice. 1t is probable it would de-
'lope those unknown causes, or dcYelooe nm. |
'own cures for those causes, which Of lafa
'afs nave cut down our crops below their for-
er aserage- Its almost certain, think. TINT
the deeper plowing, analysis Of soils, experi.
ents with manures and yarieties of seeds, oh.
france of seasons, and the like, these cures
'uld be found.
II Is certain that thorough cultivation yould
are halt, or more than bali, the cost of land.
np'y because the same product would be rrnt |
IN hall, or from less than half, the uuantitT Of
i'd. This proposition is sc1E.efideni: and can !
made no plalner by Eepetitions and iiIustra-
rs. The cost Of land is great item, ovenin
= countries, and constantly grows greater
d greater, in comparison with other items. rs !
country grows older.
: also would spare large proportion Of the c
king and maintaining of incIosu resNthe 2
ne, whether these Enclosures should be =
1ges, bitches or feoce5. This. again in n
'yy item-heayy ut first, and heavy in its
'tinual demand for repairs remember .
e being greatly nstonished By an apparently b
hentic exhibition ofthe proportion the cost
Enclosures bears 10 all the other expenses Of ID
iarmer, though cannot remember, exactly. p
1t that proportion Was. Any farmer, if ke Ct
!, eau ascertain it, in lis owti case. for him. q
gan, great amount Of "loeomotion p is oi
red By thoroug cultivation. Take tifty bush ~
Of wheat, ready for the harvest, standipv -,
n asanyte acre; and it can be harvested. in r.
OF the known ways, with less than half the ~
II which would be required if it were spread ~
fre acres. This would be true, il cut bT a. ~
old hand sickle; true to a greater extent. If w w
ne scythe and cradle; and to still greater r.
ut, II By the machinery now in use These #,
h.nes are chiefly valuable, IS Il means Of ~
uf9tlng animal power for the power of men nd
lis branch OF tarm work. In the highest de-
Of perfection ret reached, in applying III
G power to harvesting, fully nine.tenths Of ~ ~
'o"er is expended by the animal in carry ~ s
himself and dragging the machine over tie w.
; iesving certainly not more than one-tenth ~ ~
G applied directly to the only end Of the t;c
(: operation the gathering in the grain ne NJ.
clipping Of the straw: When grain is very MS
on the ground, 1t is atways more or less in. ~,
infvfnd With tyoa3R rf,ass md tt, fu'