Year: 1874

After prayer by Rev. j. p, Humphrey,
the president,


Hon. Calvin Morrill,,


made the opening address, as follows
am very much rejoiced to see the farmers
movement spreading through the country.
take this view of it All other occupations
have their unions and combinations for tn e
purpose of mutual advantage and benefit,
even down to the lowest classes OF industry,
but there has never been anything of the
kind among farmers and it has seemed sur
prising to me how they could remain inac-
tive so long.


When we come right down to the point,
farmers are the very foundation aud life of
the whole human race; and all other busi-
ness sinks into insignlfcance when compared
with farming.


Although this is not grange, permit me
to say that the constitution the Patrons of
Husbandry have recently adopted at St.
Louis as the foundation Of their organization
is one of the most fundamental principles
ever laid down by any society in the world,
and no one can 6ud any fault with them if
that is the true representation Of their be-
lief.


People should be made to understand more
generally the Importance of the farmer as a
member of the producing world. In our
cities three-fourths of the people are utterly
ignorant of the means by which provisions
are produced and furnished. Actual stats.
tics show that there is only food enough ex.
isting at any one time in condition ready
for the consumer, to last the inhabitants of
this earth fifteen months, so that if all pro-
duction should cease we must die of famine
in obout one year and quarter. Yet, for
all this, there are some who think farming is
of small Importance. About sixty years
ago Great Britain in the whole production
Of wheat, rye and corn, had run down to
thirteen bushels per acre, and at that time
the means of getting produce from abroad
were very small, and they also had prohibi-
tory tariff at that time. Under these cir
cumstances they thought they were obliged
to turn to their own resources, and they gave
their attention to increasing their crops. As
a result of this, in ten years they raised their
standard Of production from thirteen bushels
per acre to twenty-three. This is an illus
tration of what people can do under a pres
sure of circums stances, this is what we can do
if driven to it.


We have had farmers club 10 this viii
lage two years-although | am not mem
Der of it-and | have noticed they have been
very successful, very regular, and great
Improvement has resulted. In their behalf
l now welcome you. We thank you for
coming here to-day to cheer us by your pres.
ence and to instruct and interest us by your
wisdom.


We have met here for conference and
entertainment, to learn of one another and
for social qualification. Let us make it in-
teresting and pleasing to ourselves and our
friends, and, though our numbers are not,
this morning, as large as we could wish, we
can make it up by the greater activity of
those present.


A very interesting paPer was then read
by


Mr, simeon Huse,
on I" Farming in Vermont, after which was
discussion upon the following question
" Does it pay to hire farm labor asApresent
prices "


j, 9. Potter said suppose that in max
ing our estimates upon this important ques-
tiOu We must take into account the prices Of
farm produce Ms we'll as the cost of labor.
Really this question would not have been
few years ago when butter brought
fifty cents and beef fourteen cents with other