THE FARMER'S MONTHLY VISITOR. 



67 



for an intelligent, skillful, and consequently pro- 

 ductive agriculture. 



In repeated instances lier crops liad licen remark- 

 able. There had been raised seven hundred bush- 

 els of potatoes upon an acre, more than nine I nn- 

 dred busliels of ruta baga, more than seventeen 

 hundred bushels uf carrots, more than si.x hundred 

 bushels of onions, more than four tons of hay, for- 

 ty bushels of rye, fifty bushels of barley, fifty bush- 

 els of wheat, one hundred bushels of oats, and more 

 than one hundred bushels of Indian corn. What 

 had been done could be done again ; and instead 

 of stopping short at what had already been reach- 

 ed, we should never be satisfied without at least at- 

 teuiptino- to go further. In some respects Massa- 

 chusetts was singularly blessed ; and this is, in her 

 capacity of growing Indian Corn. In respect to 

 this magnifieent crop, magnificent from its hounti- 

 fulness and its important uses, it was said by Ar- 

 thur Young, that a country which could produce 

 it, should he regarded, in an agricultural view, as 

 eminently dislinj.ruished. Yet even with a capaci- 

 ty for its abundant production, the produce of this 

 crop was not a tithe of wliat it should be. It had 

 been calculated by a gentleman well qualified to 

 judge in the case, that the product of Indian corn 

 in Massachusetts, did not average half a peck to 

 every acre of her whole territory. It was easy to 

 see, if the State produced a bushel of Indian corn 

 for every acre, and this was by no means an ex- 

 travagant calculation of what she ought to do, what 

 a vast amount would be added to her resources, her 

 comfort, and her wealth. The same remarks would 

 apply with equal force to other crops, which might 

 be cultivated with corresponding advantage. But 

 little was to be expected until agriculture should 

 rise to its proper place in the public estimation ; 

 until it should be felt and acknowledged to be, as 

 in truth it is, ne.\t to its morals, the highest interest 

 of the community. To raise it to this point, we 

 must have not only practical skill and experience, 

 but the joint aid of science and intelligence, of la- 

 bor and capital, to assist its progress ; and the force 

 of public opinion and public respect in its favor. 



In agriculture e.vprrience is of great value. Ag- 

 riculture is particularly an art resting upon facts. 

 Tiieories are of little value excepting as they are 

 directly deducible from actual experiments and 

 well attested and acimowledgcd facts. It is a mat- 

 ter likewise in which v/e might avail ourselves with 

 essential benefit of the experience of others, who 

 have pu'sued the art witli success and carried it to 

 a. high degree of perfection, especially as far as our 

 circumstances resemble theirs, and their rules and 

 practices are applicable to our condition. 



The highly improved agriculture of England and 

 Scotland would in various respects aftord most val- 

 uable and instructive lessons ; an.d the Cornmis- 

 Bioner added, that he had the highest pleasure in 

 saying, that their distinguished tellow citizen, who 

 had recently returned from his tour in Great Brit- 

 ain, hiid at his request come to the meeting of the 

 farmers of Massachusetts this evening, and would 

 favor ui with his observations on foreign agricul- 

 ture in its highly improved condition, and on its 

 improved practices in their applicablencss to hus- 

 bandry among ourselves. In mtelligent and prac- 

 tical observation, in familiar acquaintance witii the 

 agriculture of iNcw England, and in a just sense 

 and comprehensive view of the importance of this 

 great art, no one could be better qualified to make 

 observations abroad, or to determine witli sounder 

 judgment what would be applicable and useful to 

 his countrymen at home. While, therefore, in 

 comtion with others of his fellow citizens, the far- 

 mers of Massachusetts tendered to him their hear- 

 ty welcome on Ins return to his native shores, he 

 would in behalf of the meeting, pledge to him, on 

 this occasion, their respectful and undivided atten- 

 tion. 



Mr.. Webster began with stating that he re- 

 garded agriculture as tl\° leading interest of socie- 

 ty ; and as having, in all its relations, a direct and 

 intimate bearing upon human comfort and the na- 

 tional prosperity. He had been familiar with its 

 operations in lue youth ; and he had always looked 

 upon the subject with a lively and deep interest. — 

 He did not esteem himself to be particularly qual- 

 ified to judge of the subject in all its various aspects 

 and departments; and lie neither himself regarded 

 nor would he have others regard his opinions as 

 authoritative ; but the subjectiiad been one of care- 

 ful observation to him, both in public and private 

 life ; and his visit to Europe, at a scaion of the 

 year particularly favorable for this purpose, had 

 given him the opportunity of seeing its improved 

 husbandry, and as far as might he interesting, or 

 would have a bearing upon the subject of the even- 

 ng's discussion, the agriculture of MassachuBetts, 



he would, as the meeting appeared to expect, say a 

 few words upon what had attracted his notice. 



How far, in a question of this kind, the example 

 of other countries was to be followed, was an in- 

 qnirv worthy of much consideration. The exam- 

 pin of a foreign country might be too closely fol- 

 lowed. It would furnish a safe rule of imitation 

 only as far as the circumstances of the one country 

 corresponded with those of the other. 



The great objects of agricnUure, and the great 

 agricultural products of England, and of Massa- 

 chusetts, are much the same. Neither country pro- 

 duces olives, nor rice, nor cotton, nor the sugar 

 ca le. Bread, meat, and clothing are the main pro- 

 ductions of both. But although the great produc- 

 tions are mainly the same, yet there are many di- 

 versities of condition and circumstances and vari- 

 ous modes of culture. ' 



The primary elements which enter into the con- 

 sideration of the agriculUire of a country are four; 

 climate, soil, price of fand, and price of labor. In 

 any comparison, therefore, of the agriculture of 

 Enrrland with that of Massachusetts, these ele- 

 ments are to be taken particularly into view. 



The climate of England differs essentially from 

 that of this country. England is on the western 

 side of the eastern, and we on the eastern side of 

 the western continent. The glimate of each coun- 

 try is materially affected by its respective situation 

 in relation to the ocean. The winds, which prevail 

 most, both in this country and in England, are from 

 the west; it is known that the wind blows, in our 

 latitudes, from some point west to some point east, 

 on an average of years nearly or quite three days 

 out of four. These facts are familiar. The con- 

 sequences resulting from them are, that our win- 

 ters are colder and our summers much hotter than 

 in Enorland. Our latitude is about that of Oporto, 

 yet the temperature is very different. On these 

 accounts, therefore, the maturing of the crops in 

 England and the powei of using these crops, cre- 

 ates a material difference between its agriculture 

 and ours. It may be supposed that our climate 

 must resemble that of China in the same latitudes ; 

 and this fact may have an essential bearing upon 

 that branch of agriculture which it is proposed to 

 introduce among us, the production of silk. 



The second point of difference between the two 

 countries lies in the Boil. The soil of England is 

 mainly argillaceous; a soft and unctuous loam up- 

 on a substratum of clay. This may be considered 

 as the predominant characteristic in the parts which 

 he visited. The soil in some of the southern coun- 

 ties of England is thinner; some of it is what we 

 should call stony ; much ofil is a free gravelly soil, 

 with some small part which with us would be cal- 

 led sandy. Through a. great extent of country 

 tills soil rests on a deep bed of chalk. Ours is a 

 granite soil. There is granite in Great Britain ; 

 but this species ot soil prevails in Scotland, a part 

 of the country which more resembles our own. — 

 We may have lands as good as any in England. 

 Our alluvial soils on Connecticut river and in some 

 other parts ot the country, are equal to any lands ; 

 but these have not, ordinarily, a wide extentofclay 

 subsoil. The soil of Massacliusetts is harder, more 

 granitic, less abounding in clay, and altogether 

 more stony, than the soil of England. The sur- 

 face of Massachusetts is more uneven, more brok- 

 en with mcuntain ridges, more diversified with hill 

 and dale, and more abundant in streams of water, 

 than that of England. 



The price of land in that country, another impor- 

 tant clement in agricultural calculations, differs 

 creatly from the price of land with us. It is three 

 times as high as In Massachusetts, at least. 



On the other hand, the price of agricultural la- 

 bor is much higher in Massachusetts, than in Eng- 

 land. In different parts of England the price of 

 labor is considerably various ; but it may be set 

 down as twice as dear with us here. 



These are the general remarks which have sug- 

 gested themselves in regard to the state of things 

 abroad. Now have we any thing to learn from 

 them,' Is there any thing in the condition ofEng 

 land, applicable to ours ; or, in regard to which, 

 the acriculture of England may be of use to Mas- 

 sachusetts and other countries .' 



The subject of agriculture in England has strong- 

 ly attracted the attention and inquiries of men of 

 science. They have studied particularly the na- 

 ture of the soil. More than twenty years a- 

 o-o. Sir Humpluey Davy undertook to treat the 

 suljject of the application of chemical knowledge 

 to airriculture in the analysis of soils and manures. 

 The same attentiOh has been continued to the sub- 

 ject; and the extraordinary discoveries and advan- 

 ces in chemical science, since his time, are likely 

 to operate greatly to the advantage of agriculture. 

 The best results may be expected from thero- — 



These inquires are now prosecuted in France with 

 great enthusiasm and success. We may hope for 

 like beneficial results from the application of sci- 

 ence to the same objects. 



But all hough the circumstances of climate and 

 situation and nature of the soil form permanent dis- 

 tinctions, which cannot be chantfed, yet there are 

 other differences, resulting from different modes of 

 culture, and different fornis of ajiplyin.;- labor; and 

 it is to these d.fferences that our attention should 

 be particularly directed. Here, there is much to 

 learn. English cultivation is more scientific, more 

 systematic, and more exact, a great deal, than ours. 

 This is partly the result of necessity. A vast pop- 

 ulation is to be supported on comparatively a small 

 surface. Lands are dear, rents are high, and hands, 

 as well as mouths, are numerous. Careful and 

 skillful cultivation is the natural result of this state 

 of things. An English farmer looks not merely to 

 the present year's crop. He considers what will 

 be the condition of the land, when that crop is off; 

 and what it will be fit for, the next year. He stud- 

 ies to use his land, so as not to abuse it. On the 

 contrary, his aim is to getcrop alter crop, and still 

 the land shall be growing better and better. If he 

 would content himself with raising from the soil a 

 large crop this year, and then leaving it neglected 

 and exhausted, he would starve. It is upon this 

 fundamental idea of constant production without 

 exhaustion, that the system of English cultivation, 

 and indeed of all good cultivation, is founded. — 

 England is not original in this. Flanders, and per- 

 haps l.taly, have been her teachers. This system 

 is carried out in practice, by a well considered ro- 

 tation of crops. The form, or manner of this rota- 

 tion, in a given case, is determined very much by 

 the value of the soil, and partly by the local de- 

 mand for particular products. But some rotation^ 

 some succession, some variation in the annual pro- 

 duc'.ions of the same land, is essential. No tenant 

 could obtain a lease, or if he should, could pay his 

 rent and maintain his family, who should wholly 

 disregard this. White crops are not to follow one 

 another. White crops are wheat, barley, rye, oats, 

 &c. Our maize, or Indian corn, must be consider- 

 ed a white crop; although from the quantity of 

 stock and leaf which it produces, and which are 

 such excellent food for cattle, it is less exhausting 

 than some other white crops ; or to speak more 

 properly, it makes greater returns to the land. — 

 Green crops are turnips, potatoes, beets, vetches or 

 tares, (which are usually eaten while growing, by 

 cattle and sheep or cut for green food) and clover. 

 Buck or beech wheat, and winter oats, thought to 

 be a very useful product, are regarded also as green 

 crops, when eaten on the land ; and so indeed may 

 any crop be considered, which is used in this way. 

 But the turnip is the great green crop of England. 

 Its cultivation has wrought such changes, in fifty 

 years, that it may be said to have revolutionized 

 English agriculture. 



Before that time, when lands became exhausted 

 by the repetition of grain crops, they were left, as 

 it was termed, fallow ; that is, were not cultivated 

 at all, but abandoned to recruit themselves as they 

 might. This occurred as often as every fourth 

 year, so that one quarter of the arable land was al- 

 ways out of cultivation and yield. 'd nothing. Tur- 

 nips are now substituted in the place of these nak- 

 ed fallr.ws; and now land in turnips is considered 

 as fallow. What is the philosopliy of this ? The 

 raising of crops, even of any, the most favorable 

 crop, does not in itself enrich, but in some degree, 

 exhausts the land. The exhaustion of the land, 

 however, as experience and observation have fully 

 demonstrated, takes place mainly when the seeds 

 of a plant are allowed to perfect themselves. The 

 turnip is a biennial plant. It does not perfect its 

 seed before it is consumed. There is another cir- 

 cumstance in respect to the turnip plant, which de- 

 serves consideration. 



Plants, it is well understood, derive a large por- 

 tion of their nutriment from the air. The leaves 

 of plants are their lungs. The leaves of tur- 

 nips expose a wide surface to the atmosphere, 

 and derive, therefore, much of their subsistence 

 and nutriment from these sources. The broad 

 leaves of the turnips likewise sliade the ground, 

 preserve its moisture, and prevent, in some meas- 

 ure, its exhaustion by the sun and air. 



The turnips have a farther and ultimate use. — 

 Meat and clothing come from animals. Tiie more 

 animals are sustained upon a farm, the nioic meat 

 and the more clothing. These things bear, of 

 course, a proportion to the number of bullocks, 

 sheep, swine, and poultry which are maintained. 

 The great inquiry then is, what kind of crops will 

 least exhaust the land in their cultivation, and fur- 

 nish at the same time, support to the largest num- 

 ber of animals i* 



A very large amount of land in England i» culj 



