92 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



EXPERIMENTS. There is no way of making improve- 

 menis in farming, but by experiments. It the Farmer is 

 informed of, or has conceived, a different and better method 

 of culture, or managment, in any branch of his farming, he 

 Is to test the goodness of that method by experiments ; and| 

 if these prove successful, he may congratulate himself, on 

 having performed an act which is serviceable to his Country 

 and honorable to himself. 



Perhaps it would be well, if some institution were devis- 

 ed, and supported at the expense of the State, which should 

 be so organized as would tend most effectually to produce 

 a due degree of emulation among Farmers, by rewards and 

 honorary distinctions confered on those who, by their sue- , 

 cessful experimental efforts and improvements, should ren- 

 der themselves duly entitled to them. It might also be 

 advisable to have two or three experimental farms, in dif- 

 ferent parts of the State, under the direction of suitable 

 Superintendents, who should have the profits of the farms 

 to themselves, and who should be excited to a degree of 

 emulation, by a reward given yearly to that Superintendent 

 which should be found the best entitled by his superior 

 culture, and by the success of his experiments, when duly 

 authenticated, and published yearly for the benefit of the 

 Community. Something like these might cost considerable 

 at first; but might eventually be made the means of greatly 

 enriching the State, by improving its agriculture. 



F. 



FALLOWING OF LAND. Summer-fallowing has a 

 twofold use; to meliorate all the harder and stiifer kinds 

 of soils; cleanse those of every kind, of the seeds, and 

 roots, of weeds. 



Mr TulL and some other British agricultural Writers, 

 have contended, t that Summer-fallowing should never con- 

 stitute a part of a good system of husbandry ; that the 

 necessity of fallowing may be obviated, either by the 

 adoption of the system of new husbandry advocated by Mr. 

 Tit II (See NEW HUSBANDRY^) or by a judicious rotation of 

 crops : And the rotation contended for, as the most properj 

 is the tillage of leguminous, and of culmiferous, crops 

 alternately ; or, in other words, that a crop, which requires 

 only the use of the plough, should be followed, or preced- 



