Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-02-14

lper. - II. C. LANE, Secretary.
Address to Westminster Farmers
l8.. Club, Feb. 3. ar
BYD. L. ALDRICH. d Lss
Mn PRESIDENT: The club have met
designedly to give ears to q discourse de-
livered them by the school master your
object is worthy of commentator since
a society in meeting on stated occasions
can accomplish more in the path of i'm
r provement than the isolated actions of
individuals; and lectures are commonly
considered useful both for individuals and
societies. But the farmer goes to the
miller for grinding, the blacksmith does
Il the shoeing to the horse, the shoemaker
i makesou boots ,themerchant traiiics inthe
mercantile line, you expect the parson to
i preach, and send your children to school
I that they may learn to read and reckon !;
z applying to the skilled in each depart
/ ment respectively for supply to your
( wants therefore, it became a matter of
surprise to the speaker that the Farmers
Club invited for this occasion a lecture
from the school master: the only reason
assigned for your choice is that you sup
pose the school master to know little of
everything although he may not know
much of anything How far your de-
fusion will be dispelled depends upon
your decision in relation to what is about
to be predicated upon the following dec
laration, viz:
OCCUPY TILL 1 COME"
Earth is mans present home 1t has
been fashioned and formed not only to
exhibit the skill of its architect but also
for the field in which man is to labor
| for no home however handsome can be
deemed complete which has not within
its surroundings some spot or place where
its occupant can take up certain sum
of his time with physical exercise and
recreation. Hence, the earth is the prop
er place for mans temporary home and
field of occupancy. In the parabolic histo-
~ a certain rHan-a nobicnlan possessed
Of property and authority-is intending |
to go into a remote region to receive /
kingdom for his estate and then return !;
he assembled his hired men and loans
them funds fortheir fortune, leaving them |
with this simple declaration, Occupy
till | come" The command comes to us
to-day and to the human race generally |
therefore, we, too, as among the servants |
are directodto occupy and to improve till !
the Master comes to take the account. |
The earth is ample and none need be |
destitute of employment; body and brain
is bestowed upon every normal man |
hence, he has but to stretch forth his |
hand guided by will, to sow, to cult
waite and reap in order to fulfill the grand |
command, Occupy till come" and |
be prepared to say, Thy pound hath
gained ten pounds And yet, the earth |
requires considerable cultivation plants
spring up spontaneously it is true, but
they need pruning and direction the
ground needs to be farmed and man must |
be its hllsbandman. All are not needed |
to be farmers, yet many must be for |
since the sustenance is mainly derived |
from the ground directly or Indirectly. !
farmers form numerous class in every |
age and cline. And the prosperity of |
any nation, over which, in its annual |
round shines the sun, is based upon the |
well-being OF the farmers of that eoun-
try. Hence, the necessity of having far
mers and intelligent farmers; for Clear
intelligence radiates with as much use
and lustro from and with farmers as in
any other occupation. Even so. Facts
form the the basis of all correct reason
ing and the facts of EARNINGS being a
principal element of nations success
are patent to observation taken in the
history of our own and other countries
seeing that that nation that has occupied
the ground and farmed it most success
fully, has been most prosperous and
blessed and has longest preserved its ma
tionality and existence. The Chinese
though not perhaps in all things model
nation, by extensive cultivation of their
soil and an engagedness in occupying ,
every square foot of land fit for a plant i
have kept their individuality tens of [
centuries. Spain was formerly one of {
the most fertile fields in Europe, its hills 3
and dales covered with sheep, cattle and
horses which fcdupon theexurberance of s
The soil; and inits palmiestd days Spain was !
one OF the first kingdoms of the world |: /
but by seeking other sources of wealth S
and by an entire neglect of the agricnl- i
iural interests of the country, it became t
what 1t Is to-day-an imbecile govern t
nent over an uninstructed people with /
farms. lf