AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 355 



land the largest possible return at the lowest possible cost. I 

 would call planting the mere procedure of replacing by useful 

 vegetables the natural growth of wild plants, the word planter 

 expressing, in the case, pretty exactly the state of agriculture in 

 these colonies. The sugar planter commonly possesses a certain 

 amount of information : the provision grower is, in the majority 

 of cases, an ignorant labourer ; he cuts down the high wood or 

 copse at a certain period, cleans the land by burning, and then 

 plants the seed of his corn in holes made with the point of 

 his cutlass or lays his manioc cuttings or plantain shoots in 

 openings made by one or more strokes of the hoe. The provision 

 ground is weeded once or twice, and in time, under God's 

 providence, the crop arrives at maturity; if a good crop be 

 obtained, he is considered skilful, if not, the fault is that of the 

 weather or the land. And yet it is well known that an acre of 

 indifferent land, properly and carefully cultivated will yield as 

 much as 15,000 lbs. of yams, whilst the same extent of good soil 

 slovenly planted and ill-managed, will yield perhaps but one-half 

 of that quantity. Of this, however, the great majority of 

 cultivators are not convinced, because, in their opinion, Nature is 

 the sole agent of production ; and unless they have tangible 

 proofs that care, skill and industry can effectually aid and 

 second Nature in her operations, they will never give to the 

 cultivation of their properties that attention and perseverance 

 which are the instruments of success. Now, in case his land has 

 been under cultivation for years, and has become exhausted, the 

 provision grower gets but a miserable return : but he knows of 

 only one method for restoring to his fields some of its former 

 fertility, and even this for a short period only — to leave it 

 fallow. Did he possess experience and theoretical knowledge, he 

 could obtain from his land, by proper management, all sorts and 

 successions of crops in greater or less abundance. 



In agriculture, as in commerce, skill and industry are capital 

 vested at a high rate of interest ; but in agriculture as in com- 

 merce, none become skilful except by proper training. In both 

 teaching is necessary ; and in both the result of teaching is too 

 apparent to be denied. Exhausted land, judiciously treated, may 

 give as good — nay, better — returns and larger profits than virgin 

 soil thriftlessly laboured ; whilst under injudicious management 

 the richest soil may soon become impoverished. Any measure, 



