Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-12-14
House, Farm and Garden.
/. ID. II. COLLINS, Editor.
The Nobility of the Husbandmsn.

an NOdTcSS utLtCtFtu OtJOFc tHt hyItcuStHIut
Society Of Ciatenden County, oct. 8th,
1869, By Col. CHos. Il. Joyce. Of Rutland.
lL-. President, Ladies and Gentlemen.
The subject to which l desire to direct
your attention for a few moments is "The
Nobility of the Husbandman, and his Du-
ties at the Present Time In accordance
with a long time-honored custom, we have
met together to-day TO celebrate the boun-
ties Of a merciful Creator, and to hold the
farmers autumnal holiday. Again, kind
and watchful Providence has blessed the
husbandman with plentiful harvest
Again has been fulfilled that glorious
promise made to Noah more than six thou
sand wears ago. that the bow should be
placed in the sky, and that it should be to
him and his seed forever, token of a COW
enant that the earth should no more be de-
stroyed by flood, but that seed time and
harvest should continue forever. History
teaches US that in all ages of the world,
our race have been accustomed TO set apart
days and times for the remembrance and
celebration of great and interesting events.
The creation of the world, the birth and
resurrection of our Savior, are duly held
in remembrance, and religiously celebrat-
ed. by all the civilized nations of the earth.
When God sent Moses to deliver the chill
dren of Israel from the tyranny of Egypt's
iron hearted king, he led them into the
land of Canaan, and gave them a code of
laws by which they were to be governed ;
among which was the command that they
should celebrate annually the incoming of
the harvest:
"And thou shalt keep the feast of the
harvest, the first fruits of thy labors, which
thou hast sown in the field: And the
feast of ingathering, which is in the end
of the year, when thou hast gathered in
labors out of the field"
In obedience to this divine command,
you have come together at the end Of the
harvest, from the different parts and sec
tons ofyour county. to gr each other as
husbandmen, and to acquire additional
strength and courage by careful COMPARE
son of the labors, the observations, the ex-
periences, and the skill Of the past year
Through the agencies of these Agricultur-
al Societies, the cultivators of the soil are
brought together, your agricultural i'm
provements, your superior animals, your
new and improved implements of husband
ry, the products of your farms and the diff
ferent methods of cultivation of your di-
versified soils, are all subjects of anxious
inquiry and comparison, which cannot fail
to result in mutual advantage and profit
Everything seems to conspire to make the
occasion Of unalloyed profit to US all. Ma.
ture appears to-day in her richest mood;
the trees have put on their gorgeous robe;
of many colors to receive and welcome you
the free pure air as it floats down from the
cloud capped SUBMITS of old Camel ant
Mansfield, gives strength to the body anC
vigor to the mind the sparkling waters o
old Winooski, as they glide along in theil
ceaseless course towards yonder beautiful
lake, bid you "hail and farewell" Will,
autumn spreads out before you the rusti,
hospitality of her harvest home. Fortu
nately for our race the human mind car
never be content with the present of tn,
future little is or can be known, and so W,
turn for relief to the past, that mighty res
ervoir of men and things and customs.
is with curious wonder we gaze down tn,
long dim aisles of the past upon the gener
atiOns which are gone. We delight t.
trace their history in their simple lives anC
manners, and in doing so we gain wisdom
instructions and pleasure. Among tn,
many rural customs of the old world, the,
have simple, yet beautiful one in merry
England, which is called the harvest sup
per- When the harvest is ended and tn
grain all gathered the last sheaf is bro
in and raised upon the end of a pole, plac
ed upon the top of the last load, and car
ried to the well filled barn, amid heshout
and songs of the harvesters, whose bus,
hands have filled the barns, and gathered
the golden wheat into gamers; then tn
farmer spreads for them beautiful an,
sumptuous supper, while the rustic laborer
with well filled stomachs and merry hearts
with rich brown ale, drink to each other
health, and with song and dance, salut
the happy harvest moon. How beautiful
ly has one of her own poets described thi
happy festival when he said:
''The harvest treasures all are gathere,
in beyond the rage of storms; it is a seen
sublime when the rich earth presents he
golden treasures and the balmy air is ricl
with fragrance. Hail harvest home! t.
| thee the music of nature pours the song b,
instinct taught to MARBLE, while seas, ant
skies, and hills, and valleys diversity tn
works of natures God"
We could almost wish that we could q
back to these joyous customs and glad oil,
days, and see the sunny smiles and hea
the happy voices of those who cheered u
in our childhood days; but they are gon
never to return, and we find ourselves to
day, in this land of our adoption, strug
Cling and wrestling with all the stern an,