The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-10-26
THURMAN on FARMING.


The Senator's Address 10 the mAryIaHu
Agricultural and Mechanical AssOeia'
ton.
Senator Thurman, Of Ohio, delivered
On address at the State Fair before the
Maryland Agricultural and Mechanical
Association. Mr.. Thurman quoted
numerous authorities on the subject
Of agriculture, tracing from the records
Of Greece, Rome, Egypt, India and
China the gradually increasing interest
in the productions Of the soil down to
the nineteenth century, the era OF scier'
tiac treatment Of steam plows, reaping
machines and fertilizers. We find in
our Libraries, he said, works on agri.
culture, written before the Christian
era, from which instruction may be de-
rived by the most enlightened and skill.
ful farmer OF to-day, What should be
the size OF farm what its proper.
tons OF arabic pasture, meadow and
woodland what crops and mAnures are
best suited 10 different soils, what ad-
yantages are derived from open and un-
derground drainage; when should irri'
cation be practiced and what are its re.
suits what are the benefits derived
from land lying fallow, from deep and
frequent plowings from a rotation OF
crops from turning under green
grasses from burning the stubble-
are questions, among many, discussed
in these works, and which arc subjects
OF yet more elaborate discussion after
lapse OF more than two thousand
years. / do not propose to discuss the
question "How minute should be the
subdivision Of the land 2" or 10 other
words, "What is the best average size
OF farms p but I wish to say that the
evil OF farms OF too great size in our
country is much less than seems to be
generally supposed, and is steadily
diminishing from year toyear,as is con-
clusiyely shown by our census reports.
Thus, OF the whole number OF farms
in 1860 nearly Al per cent. were farms
Of less than fifty acres each; Of the
whole number in 1870 nearly 80 per
cent. contained less than fifty acres
each. In 1860, 70t per cent. were IN.
der 100 acres in 1860, IS per cent.
Between 1860 and 1870 the number Of
farms OF three acres and under ten was
more than doubled /; those OF ten acres
and under twenty increased from 1922.
l7S to 29i, COZ over 81 per cent. Those
OF twenty acres and under fifty from
6i6, 55s to SI7, Ga, equal to 81 per cent.
nearly; those of fifty and under 100
acres from 60s,s7S to 75I, 251, q per
cent. nearly; those OF 100 and under
500 from 49,, 041 10 sos, 05i, equal to 10
per cent; while those Of 900 acres and
under 900 decreased from 20,3lG to
10, 1893, and those OF / 900 acres and up.
ward fell from 1884 10 $3.50. 1t Is
thus apparent that the small farms
multiply much more rapidly than the
large ones, and that the smaller they
are the greater is the ratio Of their
increase, while the number OF the
very large ones, instead Of increasing,
is undergoing rapid diminution. The
economist will find in these facts some
alienation OF his iear that our lands
will be too much engrossed, while the
statesman, observing how large pro.
portion OF farms are owned by their
cultivators, will see in this happy cir.
cumstance one Of tho most powerful
conservRtors OF peace, order, freedom
and good and stable government.
lam neither an optlmist nor an en-.
thusiast, but, despite tho clouds that
lower DER our horizon, think that l
can see a future for our country more
prosperous and happy than has yet be-
fallen any portion Of tho human rice.
I think that l can see more bread for
the hungry, more education for the
Ignorant, more enjoyment forthe weary,
more respect for labor, more widely
difrused intelligence and greater
material and intellectual progress than
the world has yet known. II may be q
dream Of the fancy, but 1t is one that l
cherish and fondly hope that / may
never see dispelled. Should it prove
to DO reality one OF its chief causes will
be the continued growth Of those arts
whose promotion in the object OF your
time.honored assosication. As CRATE
ful posterity will not foil 10 honor the
memories OF the men whose intelligence
and energy furthered the mighty work,
I may smelly predict for your society
already so distinguished and 30 worthy
OF your great State-that title-the
| ,,at,fo.+ ~ all ao.tI,ly diutinntinna- a