No. 7. 



How to make Farming profitable. 



229 



this is a part of farminor, whether considered 

 practically or scientifically, that has been too 

 much neglected. 



How to niaUc Fariiiiiii; profltable* 



The great secret of success in the cultiva- 

 tion of the earth, is thus explained by Judge 

 Buel, in the address wtiicli he prepared for 

 delivery in Connecticut, justbetbre his death. 



The alternating system of husbandry has 

 not obtained among us thiit consideration 

 which its importance demands. It is well 

 known that ordinary lands will not bear a suc- 

 cession of the same crops witliout a success- 

 ive diminution of product; and that if grain, 

 grass and roots are alternated, or succeed 

 each other, the decrease of fertility is much 

 less apparent. This is ascribed to the well 

 authenticated fact, that different plants ex- 

 haust dilFerent fertilizing properties of the 

 soil, or in other words, that each species re- 

 quires a specific food, which other species do 

 not take up. It is now generally conceded 

 that wheat will not do well in a soil which 

 has no lime in its composition — that clover 

 and lucerne require gypsum — that flax can- 

 not be raised on the same ground oftener than 

 once in six or eight years, with advantage. 

 These facts are explained upon the ground 

 that in analyzing wheat, it is found to contain 

 lime ; clover, on analysis, has yielded gypsum 

 at the rate of four bushels to the acre; and 

 the supposition is, that a crop of flax exhausts 

 the soil of some properly essential to its per- 

 fection, by which it takes years to restore. 

 The crops can derive these supplies from no 

 other source than the soil; and if the supplies 

 are not there, the crop will be deficient or 

 defective. 



There is still another reason to oiTer for 

 alternating crops. The soil, if in grass, be- 

 comes annually more hard and compact ; the 

 roots are consequently restricted in their range 

 for food, the heat and atmosphere become par- 

 tially excluded, and the decomposition of 

 vegetable food is arrested. The consequence 

 is, that the finer grass gradually disappears, 

 or runs out, as it is termed, and the grass 

 crop gradually diminishes. If ploughed and 

 cropped occasionally with roots, these incon- 

 veniences are obviated; the soil is broke and 

 pulverized, and rendered pervious to solar and 

 atmospheric influence, and the vegetable food 

 which it contains, is thereby rendered solvable; 

 and if manure is given to the tillage crops, 

 as it should, and can be once during the ! 

 course, the soil will become renovated, and j 

 fitted again to receive the grass seeds, withj 

 the prospect of a greatly increased burthen 

 sfhay. 



The grasses are, however, not the only ' 

 system of crops that are improved by the alter- 1 

 lating system of husbandry. The tillage I 



crops, in turn, are alike benefited, not only 

 from the advantages of change, which I have 

 endeavoured to point out, but from tiie vege- 

 table matters of the sward, wliicli, instead'of 

 remaining in a measure dormant and useless, 

 are decomposed, and become the active food 

 of the crop; while the root crops by their pul- 

 verizing influence upon the soil, improve it 

 meclianically for both grain and orass. 



As a general remark, it may be said, that 

 labiMir and capital can be expended in no way 

 niore profitably by the farmer, than by en- 

 riching his lands. God has given to us all 

 the elements of fertility, of plenty, and happi- 

 ness. He has given to man the capacity of 

 appropriating them to his own use. He has 

 conmandcd him to exercise these capacities 

 v/ith diligence — and although He has not 

 pro nioed, he seldom ever fails to bestow upon 

 those who honestly keep the command, the 

 highest rewards in temporal happiness. 



The great secret of success in agriculture, 

 consists in adapting our crops to our soils, in 

 fitting the soil for the reception, in feeding 

 them well, and in giving them proper culture ; 

 and the great obstacles to improvement are, 

 ignorance of the principles or science of agri- 

 culture, a blind adherence to old practices, 

 and a parsimony of expenditure. We better 

 understand the economical management of 

 animals than we do of plants. We know 

 that we cannot make fat beef, or pork, or 

 mutton, profitably, without we feed high. It 

 requires a certain amount of food to keep an 

 animal in good condition — all beyond this 

 which the beast can consume, digest, and 

 assimilate, is virtually converted into flesh. 

 Now, it makes a vast difference whether this 

 extra food is converted into flesh in three 

 months, or twelve ; because, in the former 

 case, throe-fourths of the ordinary food re- 

 quired to sustain life and condition, tor a year, 

 is saved to the feeder, besides an equal ex- 

 pense in attendance. It is preci.sely so with 

 crops. On? well fed acre is more profitable 

 than three poor fed acres ; because it requires 

 only one-third of the labour, and will often- 

 times give an equal or greater profit. Take 

 Indian corn, flir example, the average product 

 of which I will assume to be thirty bushels 

 an acre. Now if we make an acre of suit- 

 able rich soil, with twenty-five loads of un- 

 fermented mmtire, and tend the crop well, 

 we may get ninety bushels of corn from the 

 acre— and the amount has oftener been 

 swelled to one hundred, and one huiidretl and 

 twenty. Here, then, is a nett gain of si.xty 

 bushels by feeding an acre well, over the nett 

 gain of an acre not fed well. In regard to 

 the cost of the manure, call it if you please 

 $25, and consider it capital expended. If 

 you deduct this fi-om the profits of the well 

 fed acre, there would still remain a difference 



