Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-01-07

i
r dren, agriculture will never again know
! the dark ages in which for SO many cen
r turtles it slept, with liberty and learning
3 If we do our duty to each other, in tn
/ responsible stations and happy era il
which Providence has cast our destiny
) the day will be far, far distant, when w
, shall cease to be nation of farmers ant
a nation Of freemen!
Gentlemen Our society is compose,
chiefly of practical agriculturists. Gu
object has been and is to encourage i'm
provements in tho science of farming
This is the noblest of all arts, and should
be pursued with a laudable ambition Il
elevate the masses, and introduce new
modes of farm work and farm implements
that will continue to advance us in every.
thing pertaining to our sublime profess
sion.
We should labor to impress upon the
rising generation the exalted and heaven
/ born dignity of labor, and make them re-
most honorable, the most peaceable and
profitable of all laudable undertakings /
have often thought of the old picture rep
fescnting king, clergyman, a lawyer,
ii physician and farmer The king was
( Represented w JIIS HlOtLp, SONtilI
the clergyman, II pray for all = the law
yer, Il plead. for all = the physician, Il
prescribe for all" The farmer is repre-
sented as drawing out, rather reluctantly
his purse with this inscription, 81 pay
for all" And so it is. The farmer draws
from mother earth those substantial treas
ures which enables HIM to pay the bills of
all other occupations, and hence he should
10, 6 l. 4
never be ashamed of his calling. And
then the pleasure of knowing that, if lac
is not Lord of all he can survey" lie is
the owner of a part of Gods beautiful
creation, which should assimilatc him to
his Great Benefactor. As Edward Ever
EFT has beautifully expressed it, "The man
who stands upon his soil, who feels that
by the laws of the land in which he lives,
by the laws of civilized nations, he is the
rightful and exclusive owner of the land
which he tillS, is by the constitution of
his nature under a wholesome influence,
not easily imbibed from any other sources.
He should feel, other things being equal,
more strongly than another, the character
of man as Lord of an inanimate worlG.
OF this great and wonderful sphere,
which, fashioned by the hand of God and
upheld by his power, is rolling through
the heavens a part of his-his from the
center sky. 1t is the space on which the
generation before moved IN its round of
Duties and. he feels himself connected by
an invisible link with those who follow
him, and to whom he Is to transmit
home, Perhaps his farm has come down
to him from his fathers. They have gone
to their last home but he can trace their
footsteps over the scenes Of his daily Ia
bors. The roof which shelters him was
reared by those to whom he owes his be
ing. Some interesting domestic tradition
is connected with every enclosure. The
favoute fruit tree was planted by hl~
fathers hand He sportod in boyhoJd
beside the brook which still winds through
the meadow, Through the field lies the
path to the village school of earlier years,
He still hears from the windows the voice
of the Sabbath bell which called his
father to the house of God; and near at
hand is the spot where his parents were
laid down to rest. and where. when his !
time has come, he shall be laid by hi.
These, these are tho feelings
Of the owners of the soil Words cannot
paint them-gold cannot buy them-they
flow out of the deepest fountains Of the
heart; they are the life-springs Of fresh
healthy and generous national character .
As far back as the days Of Washington.
we find this illustrious father OF our
using his influence in favor Of
agricultural pursuits. lie was unqucs-
ti0nably one of the most enlightened and .
successful farmers of his day, and recon-
ncnded an establishment Of some kind OF
an agricultural institution, that would /
improve and benefit the farmers He says
clearly and forcibly 1t will not he
doubted that with reference either TO in
lividual or national welfare, agriculture
is of primary Importance Ia proportion
Is nations advance in population, and
other circumstances of maturity, this truth
becomes more apparent, and renders the
cultivation of the soil more and more an
object of public patronage. Institutions
for promoting it grow up supported by the
public purse, and to what objects can II
be dedicated with greater propriety
Among the means that have been enpl w.
I'd to this end, none have been after ,dcd
with greater success than the ests pli,h-
ment of agricultural boards, comp ,sed If
proper characters, charged with c. llectinp
and diffusing information, and 9, labled by
premiums and small pecuniar ' aid, TO
encourage and assist spirit of improve
nent by drawing to "A comm On center the
result everywhere, Of iudiv; dual skill and
and by s. reading them
thence over the whole lation. Expari-
snce has accordingly sho wn that they are
sery cheap instrument of tntueasS nut
lanai dencft>,'
These are noble W ords, and never can
Ne forget how eae:erly this illuatriou-
Aneric" ii laid aside his robes Of office and
ougfu the repo>e of his quiet retreat AT
Mount Vernon; OF how gladly Clay re-
eurned to the shades Of Ashland after the
excitement and honors Of Congressional
life i: or how Webster fastened from the
,aal,~. Of Gts.t, ~ Lis hvIus ana meas, and /
the sight and sound of the ocean, all en-
dearod TO him by the sweet memories 0t
rural life Men who have chosen to fol-
low other vocations Of life and who pur-
sue them with success, still long Tor the
pleasures and the employments of the farm
An their plans of life have kind. Of uatu-
raj elimination in the determination Ia
retire into the country, and share with
the farmer the healthful occupation OF
husbandry.
Ii we 20 back over period Of 90 year,
we snail Ilu iildt SItttbs I'M BibN tlllfIllN
have been made within that time in farm
ing utensils Take for instance, the cast
iron plow invented in New Jersey up
wards of half century ago, and examine
the same numerous articles now in use for
turning over the turf, and see if progress
sion in the making of farming implements
is not a blessing, as well as in religion and
politics. And then look at the great num-
Der of useful articles that have been ex-
hibited at our fairs; articles too numcr-
Gus to mention, designed to make i" farm
ing easv,' and then Judge .whether we
as a society are doing a good work in
encouraging inventors and farmers to ex-
hibit and purchase these implements
Every facility is furnished our industrious
tillers of the soil, that we are capable of,
toward bringing to their notice such
articles as they need in developing the