The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-12-10
address of DIR. G. NJ. Walden.
From tho Tinona Advance ]

From the Winona Advance.
Mr. President and gentlemen Of the AgTtestltt:-
raj and Mechanical dissertation Of the couTa-
ties Of Carroll, Choctalg and Montgomery,
ladies aud gentlemen
Permit me to return you my sincere
thanks for the high compliment bestowed
on me by your invitation to address you
on Agriculture and its kindred subjects.
The compliment receives additional eclat
from the position having once been filled
By such d man as Lamar, Rayner, and
other prominent gentleman Of our State
The gentlemen named are widely known
to fame; having filed places in the bright
galaxy of statesmen, which the Republic
boasts of as the most halcyon days. Col.
Lamar, member Of the present Congress
of the United States, for his eloquence
and oratory has not an equal in that body,
and in the future history of the statesmen
of our country, will occupy a niche side
by side with Calhoun, Hayne, Clay and
Webster, and their illustrious compeers.
Modesty without affection on my part,
forbids any interesting and instructive
addresses, and | shall content myself with
a plain common sense talk on the subjects
you have designated.
AGRICULTURE
being the great interest from which all
other interests derive their support and
vitality, we should bend our minds and
our energy with concentrated and com
bined effort to do all that can be done
promotiye of It's success. The heathens
in olden times deemed it important to
assemble once year to propitiate their
gods, by bringing forward and offering up
the choicest fruit, flowers and cereal pro-
auctions. Every interest was supposed
to be protected by god, and so accepta-
BILE were those offerings that Pan, the god
Of music on those days of grand festIvlty
and mIrth, condescended to discourse
music for their pleasure and enjoyment,
and Bacchus, tie god of wine on these
occasions, allowed nectar, the drink Of
the gods, to be INDUCED in by the masses.
This was chroDicled anterior to the birth
of Christ, and amounts to nothing more
or less than what we denOminate rs Fair;
and if the heather, actuated by feeling of
gratitude, came forward with his first
fruits and productions, to offer them up
to whom he supposed their author and
giver, or if his object was to excite COM
petition to enlargen and increased pro-
duction, the motive in either case was
commendable and praiseworthy. | go
back to these days of heathenism to show
YOU that agriculture, then in rude and
primitive state, received then as now,
great attention; and that Fairs from time
immemorial, have been regarded in ali
rural districts as vastly beneficial in the
development of agricultural and kindred
pursuits.
China, the most populous country, con-
tanning several hundred millions OF in
habitants, has her periodical fairs; and
the Emperor feels their importance so
greatly that at those exhibitions he claims
the honor of blowing the first furrow with
his own hands in the presence of the
assembled multitude, that he may
give dignity and characterter to that
employment Fairs in China go back
to the most remote period of antiquity
Fairs representing three great interests,
agriculture, mechanic arts and manufact- |
urers, have become so interesting and
useful, they should draw forth every |
inhabitant in whose midst such an insti- |
tuition exists no less from the attractions
to be seen than from the great benefits |
derived all who feel for the ganeral good |
Of this country, should do what they can
10 build them up and maintain them. /
Every farmer should bring forward of I
what constitutes fair sample of his labor. I
How much cost is attached to each article /
produced, and what net profit he realized
it will be the best evidence Of his thrift,
t. exhibit also u specimen of his stock
raised 1T home, such as cattle, hogs,
sheep. mules and horses. So likewise
should every lady come forward with
specimens from her garden, her poultry
yard dairy and kitchen, and even exhibit
Of her skin with her sewing machine-all
important.
In the general welfare of the family,
with contributions from her girls and
BOYS, aggregating something for their
general support Such feeling prevail
ng, backed and followed up by general
exhibition of everything produced at
nome, dictated by the wants and consump-
ion Of the masses, Fairs would not only
become useful, interesting and instructive,
nut would be regarded as indispensably T,
necessary and each succeeding one
would be an improvement on the past.
They would remain always new, and you
will, in recurring to them, rejoice over the
.ood you have accomplished. Aside from
hese valuable considerations, they will .
,eeome a gala dav with the young, and
0 the old day Of social and convivial
ceiling.