160 



The Good M^ork Advancing. 



Vol. IV. 



The whole product of the acre at this rate is 

 thirteen hundred and fifty-three bushels. — 

 This will ensure me plenty of good milk and 

 butter during the winter, and may serve to 

 show that the beet is worthy the attention of 

 farmers who have no intention to make sui^ar. 

 I consider a bushel of beets nearly equal in 

 value to a bushel of oats. Thirteen hundred 

 and fifty-three bushels at thirty cents would 

 make the yield of an acre four hundred and 

 five dollars and ninety cents. Yours, (fee. 



THE FARMERS' CAEBi^ET. 



PHIIiADELPHIA, DEC. 15, 1839, 



Tlie Good Worlc Ad-vancing. 



Nothing can have a greater tendency to 

 encourage the fric^^ls of an enlightened and 

 judicious system of agriculture, to* persevere 

 in their prafsewortiiy efforts, than the spirit of 

 improvement, which appears to be widely dif- 

 fusing itself throughout our land. The re- 

 sults of the late Cattle Shows and Agricul- 

 tural Exhibitions, held in various parts of the 

 union during the present season— the increas- 

 ing interest manifested by members and 

 others — the fine condition of the stock e.xhi- 

 bited — the great variety and value of new 

 agricultural implements, and the determina- 

 tion of the tillers of the soil not to rest sb.ort 

 of every attainable improvement to bring 

 their farms to the highest grade in the scale 

 of fertility, and of consequent profit to them- 

 Belves, and great advantage to the community 

 at large — are full of promise. 



During the present year a large number of 

 Agricultural Societies have been organized — 

 possessing within themselves the elements of 

 great good. Besides, several societies formed 

 long since, and which were permitted to lan- 

 guish through the lukewarmness of their 

 members, have been resuscitated — a proper 

 spirit appears to pervade them, and no doubt 

 can be entertained but that the greatest bene- 

 fits will result to the connnunity at large irom 

 the organization of Societies — numbering 

 among their members many of the most en- 

 "lightened and public spirited agriculturists of 

 our country — and having for their basis the 

 improvement of agricultural knowledf;"e. We 

 believe that in every state in the union, soci- 



eties have been formed during the year — a 

 circumstance hitherto unknown to our annals, 

 and far greater attention has been paid to the 

 interests of agriculture in all its various de- 

 partments, than at any previous time. Ex- 

 periments have been made, if not on the great 

 scale, at least very extensively — and in this 

 matter the farmer has a decided advantage. — 

 Knowledge has been greatly increased, and 

 our brother farmers, many of them at least, 

 are prepared to enter in good spirits and in 

 somewhat improved circumstances, on the 

 labors of another year. The raising of roots 

 for the purpose of feeding cattle is no longer 

 a matter of exp3riment. The great import- 

 ance of this crop is now established, and we pre- 

 sume that those persons who have put in their 

 winter grain, where the sugar beet has been 

 last raised, and especially if two successive 

 crops have been taken from the same ground, 

 provided the earth has been properly turned 

 up, and the grain sown of a good quality, 

 will be abundantly satisfied with the re- 

 sults of the ensuing season. The sugar beet 

 especially, and the root crop in general, has a 

 tendency to leave the ground in admirable 

 order for any of the small grain crops to suc- 

 ceed. While we recommend to every farmer 

 to put in a full supply of roots the ensuing 

 season, sufficient for his cattle during the 

 next winter, we would advise him not to enter- 

 tain the opinion, or even to attempt the man- 

 ufacture of sugar from the beet. It is not the 

 province of the farmer — and in the present 

 state of chemical and agricultural science it 

 cannot become a profitable subject of house- 

 hold fiibrication. To be successful, its manu- 

 facture must be conducted on the great scale 

 — then there is neither risk nor difficulty. — 

 The farmer should be content with raising, 

 at the present, a sufficient quantity of roots 

 for his own use, and the keep of his stock, 

 and when sugar manufactories and refine- 

 ries are established, then it will be time 

 to think of raising beets for the purpose of 

 sugar making ; and no doubt, if the business 

 is properly commenced — with a competent 

 head, suflicicnt ca])ifal, and the right kind of 

 machinery — a ready market at fair prices will 



