New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-09-14
NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL CONGRESS.

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL CONGRESS-.
The annual session of the National Agricul-
tural Congress began last Tuesday On the TX
position grounds. We hope that this meeting
may force itself upon ,ihc attention of such
foreigners as are cndeGyorinG to comprehend
the condition of this country through its rep
rcscntaiion in the great Fair. Agriculturally
il is not adequately REPRESENTED, 10 every OBJ
servant visitor may zee on even cmsory
glance. That we arc q successful manufacturing
people and carry on that part OF tho worlds
work With an energy and vastneas Of scope
unknown tn any other people thrusts itself
upon the strangers notice at every turn but
that the country comprises the whole sweep
Of tho continent from sea to se1, with the
growihs Of three zones, would never he
Inferred from the scattered and incomplete
exhibits OF her agriculture! The fact that We
aro the aIgi st cotton and Grain producer OF
the world could only DO discovered by dill
cent search through two or tmcc scattered
buildings, while the agricultural and mineral
Tasources of Queensland aud Tasmania and
the inducements which those countries on the
otl ~ aide OF the globe can offer tn cmigrnts,
are presented with a startling completeness
and force which arrest every passer-by. We
hope the delibeTatOns Of this congress OF
agIicultuIists may in some way set foJth our
rcal status moro eifGCtuIlly. The mere fact OF
the congress is In itself the most suggestive
sign of oar progress.
I'm S.pt,InbcG IT7G, we wcrc in no sense
mIalrs or manufacturers the nation was com
posed of fmmer3 with the few shipperF,
traders, and professional men necessary TO
r ;,,t, Nni a.. trh, H..
Iagn CONF ,ted Of narrow strip along the At
lantic coast worked 10y slaves, white and
bIacl, used according TO WhitCfeld, "witn
inhuman cruelty, worse than the brltes
"whon their masters feed and at times
care-s.n A few miles outside of NewYork
and Philadelphia the felds were yet full Of
stumps often the trees were girded and left
standing and the crop of grain grown under
meath. The Dutch OF English farmer raised
his wheat, tobacco, or oats with no OthOr agri-
cultural instrument than thc old pOw and
harrow harne5sed by dcer-skin straps. He ate
at daybTesk, eleven, and four o'clock meals of
coarse brown bread, salt meat aud pie, I" OF
(Which the crust" as old AcrelGs declares,
I" will not break ii Il WagOn-wheel 90 over It,"
He cent his crops 70 town whence small exports
were made of wheat, beef, bacon, and shingles
to the West Indies, and of raw hides, pCltIies,
rum, sugar, rice, and lumber to England.
The ships returning brought certain Injuries
for townspeople but for him very httlc of the
worlds goods. His wife spun and wOye bis
clothes; sometimes he bought IN Irish or Pala-
tine servant, who probably turned out to be Il
better educated fellow than himself. Many
respectable emigrant was not able to pay The
1850 passage money and went On the block
to be sold under the hammer. Our farmer
read little; generally nothing. As for new
ways of planting or manuriDg, they were left
to such experimenters as the printer Franklin,
who had forgotten how to hold pillow.
Our readers may remind us of farmers such
as Washington and Jefferson. But they did
not represent the average agriculturist Of that
day. The Virginian planter was literally q
landlord, controlled his crops and gangs Of
slaves at arms length, and was much more
familiar with the betting-book or dice-boI
than the details Of barnyard or tobacco pack.
II our readers contrast the farmer of 1910,
bis work, opportunities and culture, with the