472 



ty, it will be like the recruiting of a poor jaded animal at the com- 

 mencement of winter, cost more than it is worth. Keep, then, as the 

 wise husbandman would his herds around him, fat and thriving, and 

 He who sends the rain and the sunshine, will richly reward the labor 

 of our hands; but neglect is ruinous. 



I see in the June number of the Genesee Farmer, that an intelligent 

 wheat-grower in Wisconsin, writes to the agricultural department of the 

 Patent OiEce at Washington, that lands which have only been cultiva- 

 ted twelve years in that new State, now yield but half the annual har- 

 vest they did when first tilled. An extensive corn-grower in the State 

 of Indiana, writes that " the rich river bottoms of that State now yield 

 but thirty-fire bushels per acre, which once produced with an equal 

 amount of tillage, seventy bushels." These, agriculturists, are startling 

 facts, and show a gross mismanagement in the cultivation of the soil, 

 and should serve as beacons to warn us against similar results. It is 

 not enough that we make a little spot, the garden, productive — but it 

 must be the fields ; the ten, twenty, thirty and forty acre lots, that will 

 produce an arerage yield of from thirty to forty bushels per aci'e of 

 the very finest of wheat. Then it will be, that we shall be prepared to 

 test the power of steam, not only upon our rivers, but our railroads, in 

 heavy loading, and distributing our products all over the world, as the 

 best of all countries. First premium at the World's Fair, will be 

 stamped with Kent County Agricultural Society's gold stamp upon 

 every barrel, every cask, every box, and every sack, containing the pro- 

 ducts of the county. And best too, with the same stamp, will be 

 written on every implement and article displaying mechanical skill and 

 workmanship. Our abundant water-power — our salubrious climate — 

 our timber — our^ soil — our plaster — our everything that is rich and 

 beautiful in Nature, all unite, to invite talent, enterprise, ingenuity, 

 learning and capital to this county. 



Another thing, for our highest prospe)-ity, is the improvement of our 



stock. 



There never has been a period in the history of the world, when there 

 was such a perfect mania about the improvement of cattle, hoi-ses, sheep, 

 and fowls, in some parts of the couutry, as the jjreseut. We need 

 scarce except Jacob's enterprise and ingenuity in resorting to peeling the 

 limbs of green poplar, hazel and chesnut trees to improve his stock above 

 Laban's. 



