Ellsworth American., 1864-01-22

Of our degenerate times. But these mar.
vellous stories are to be considered OF no
greater value than the other fables which
ancient writers loved to blend with the
! facts of history, and if we turn from
them to truth and Cicero, we shall learn
that the produce of wheat was then as
now, about ten for one While agricul-
turc remained stationary, or advanced
with pigmy pace, all other arts and sci
ences were moving towards perfection
with the stride Of giant. Chemistry
which had not even name among the
Romans, has interviewer itself with all
our pursuits and is unwearicd in increas-
ing the comforts and enhancing the lu1u-
ries Of lite. The noble art Of ship builG-
ing was then only in its infancy, and the
entire navy Of the masters of the world,
would not have been able to contend with
ship of the line. Nothing indeed could
be more unlike than the clumsy unman-
ageable galley, almost as much the sport
Of the winds and waves, as the weeds of
the ocean, and the gorgeous battle ship of
our times, q model of grace, strength and
fitness, whose movements seem to indicate
life and intelligence in the mass that de-
ies the storm, that sails in opposition to
the winds, and rides triumphant over the
waters of the abyss. And whence comes
it, that agriculture has remained station
ary, while thu other arts have made such
progress May it not be ascribed to
this circumstance, that while all other
arts are exercised in cities, and as it were
in co-partnership, agriculture calls its vo-
taries to the country and to comparative
solitude? The artisan, the mechanic, the
manufacturer, have not onl y the advan-
tages of aasoclatlng with their fellows
during the hours Of labor, but also of en-
joyins their society after the tolls of the
day are over, but the work of the farmer
is in Itself adverse to conversation, it is
mostly carried on without any asscmblage
and after the fatigues Of the day it would
be a. task rather than recreation, to
seek the society of his next door neigh
Dor, at the distance Of mile. Now it
is by the the collision of intellect that
the mind makes advances and the i'm.
provements are elected. Let those who
have read and studied most, compare
what they have learned from books, with
what they have acquired in their social
intercourse, and they will find the latter
source Of information the most product
i've This is SO generally felt that when
men are brought the closest together, they
still seek more intimate union. The
clergy have their associations and conyo-
cations; the professors of the healing art
unite into colleges or medical societies
the gentlemen of the bar make but one
family, and accost each other with the
endearlng appelation OF brother, land
though in some instances their brotherly
feeling may resemble that of Cain for
Abel, and however they may differ in
other respects, they still unite heart and
hand in promoting the welfare of their
fraternity. The various handicratts have
each their worshipful company, and all
had long experienced the advantages re-
suItins from their union before agricultu-
raj societies were thought of-although
from the causes already stated, agricul-
ture would seem most particularly to re-
quire their aid
These societies were first formed in
Great Britain, and as the spirit of i'm
provcmcnt rose aud went forward with
them. We may fairly ascri5c to their ill.,
huence the astonishing progress which the
art of husbandry has made in that island,
The population there is SO dense, that
there are III England and Wales, only three
and one-half acres to each person, and
less than three elghths of the population
are engaged in cuItivating the grouad.-
So that each family employed in agricu-
ture and consisting OF SIX persons, has
only 56 acres, including the space occu-
pied by cities, waste land, water, roads
and pleasure grounds, to raise their own
food and that of ten other persons. This
would be impossible, but for the exquisite
skill of their farming operations, and is
almost increlitble when we reflect upon
the prejulices that were to be encounter
ed, and the ignorance that was to be en-
iishtened. 1t is only between sixty and
seventy years, since Arthur Young, was
endcavorn, to introduce the general use
of potatoes into England. In the course
Of his exertions he was told by good
farmer Of that time, that neither his la
borers nor his hogs would eat them, and
moreover, that by way of experiment, as
there were many small potatoes in his
crop the preceding year, he had left them
in the ground to seed it for a future har-
vest. It is needless to declare that this
manner of planting potatoes did not sue
ceed, or that EagIIsh farmers and English
hogs have since that time grown less
dainty; but with all my partiality for
agricultural institutions, | do not mean
positively to affirm that the exhortatlons
Of the board OF agriculture have wrought
this change OF taste in thc SVintSh multi
tudc. No advantage resulting from agrl-
cultural societies deserves to be more ap.
preciatel than the tendency they have
had among US to INTRODUCES sgbject
which has allured many from the irritat-
ing, and previously all absorbing. all en-
crossing topic of politics, Here is a
neutral ground upon which men of all
nations and all parties, can meet and ex-
change friendly greetings 1t is delight
full to behold our political combatants
turning their polcmicaI spears into prun'
ing hooks, pursuing with ardor their az
ricultural career, instructins instead oi
misleading the people, and gaining them
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