304 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 5 



considerable crops, but had to remove more or less 

 corn from the ?ribs, and to throw out much that was 

 mouldy or rotten, which had been cribbed sound, and 

 then thought to be sufficiently dry. 



In newly settled districts, as a matter of course, land 

 just cleared must form a large portion of the corn 

 ground of every plantation; and the desire to "get in" 

 as much new-ground as possible, must likewise make 

 the planting, and consequently the maturing of the ciop, 

 unusually late. There can be but little doubt, then, 

 that our correspondent is corjrect in his views of 

 the cause of the dangerous quality of such grain. — 

 And though the rationale of the change of nutritious 

 to poisonous principles maybe beyond our reach, at 

 present, it is not difficult to prevent the worst effects. 

 These preventive measures, would be to plant new- 

 ground earlier, when practicable — and when late plant-^ 

 ing is unavoidable, to use seed of some early kind 

 of corn; any of the flinty varieties would serve this pur- 

 pose. But wh«;n neither of these safeguards have been 

 used, and the grain is not fully matured, or dry enough, 

 when cold weather arrives, danger may, probably, still 

 be avoided, by leaving the corn standing sometime af- 

 ter, (or in small shocks if necessary to be removed,) 

 and having it shucked, before being cribbed. It must 

 be the partial fermentation excited (by dampness) in 

 the bulk, and not the mere want of perfect maturity 

 and dryness, before gathering, tl;at causes the injuri- 

 ous effects of the corn as feed. Por in the northern 

 states, where corn is cut otf in a still greener state, 

 and cured by standing in small shocks, no such evil as 

 this has been complained of. A similar practice prevails 

 on the head waters of the Potomac in western Virginia, 

 and elsewhere farther west, where the corn is used 

 almost exclusively for stock, horses included; and 

 there also, there have no such evil effects been found, or 

 at least not made public. We beg, that any of our 

 readers who can give information on this subject, will 

 do so through the Farmers' Register. 



From the American Farniei. 

 THE MORALS OF AGllICULTURE. 



September Uth, 1822. 

 Mr. Editor, 



I wish that some of your correspondents, who 

 have more leisure and more ability than myselij 

 would take into consideration the subject on which 

 I shall submit a Itnv desultory remarks. It' the 

 morals of agriculture deserve not such attention 

 on account of their importance, the subject is at 

 least worth the notice, and is properly within the 

 province, of all authors of aJJrcsses to agricultu- 

 ral societies. Most of these gentlemen appear 

 to be so much at a loss lor sulijects, that their ad- 

 dresses would not be badly designated by the title 

 of "^ssai/s on things in general." I, therefore, re- 

 commend this subject to any person int.endmg to 

 prepare an annual address, unless he really should 

 have something else to lay before liis society and 

 the public. 



The Hindoos believe that whoever plants a tree, 

 digs a well, and begets a child, is sure of admis- 



sion into heaven. As ridiculous as this part o 

 their religious creed may appear, it shows tlie 

 wisdom of their priests and rulers by whom it was 

 instilled — who tlius brought tiie stroni^est motives 

 to 'induce every individual to increase the pro- 

 ductiveness, population, and wealth of his country. 

 When our ancestors emigrated ti'otri Europe, they 

 wisely left behind ihem all their elts, fairies, gob- 

 lins, &c., and as it is impossible that we can long 

 remain as we now are, free from popular supersti- 

 tions, jt would be a bfessing to our posterity if we 

 weretoadopt, as one, thellindootenet. so modified 

 as to suit our different situation. We have no want 

 of growing trees, nor of fresh water; and all expe- 

 rience |/rovesthat children will always be furnish- 

 ed fully as fast as the fi)od necessary lor their sup- 

 port. Population is always precisely proportioned 

 to, or limited by, the means of subsistence, and in 

 an agricultural country, must increase with the 

 improvement of the soil, and decrease with its 

 exhaustion. Thefiirmer who makes his land ca- 

 pable of producing ant)ually 500 bushels of grain 

 more than before his improvements commenced, 

 increases permanently the po()ulatioii of his coun- 

 try, by as many persons as his increased product will 

 support. Another, who spends his lifo in redu- 

 cing the fertility' of his soil by the same amount, 

 diminishes population as much; and that diminu- 

 tion is more effectual and permanent, than if lie 

 had confined his exertions to cutting Iw-enty throats 

 of every successive generation. 



"To increase and multiply" is a divine command 

 — and perhaps is the only command wliich all per- 

 sons strive to their utmost ability to obey. Rut 

 though, the usual means may be the most agreeable, 

 I beseech your readers to believe that they are fiu* 

 from the most effectual. It is true, that no harvest 

 can be reaped unless seeds are first sown; but 

 every child knows that it is not the greatest num- 

 ber of grains planted which ensures the heaviest 

 crop of corn, but the means afibrded fiir the sup- 

 port of the plants, by the degree of fertility in the 

 soil. Just so with population. Only let bread, 

 or the means of obtaining bread, be increased in any 

 country, and its population will soon be equal to the 

 increased supply of food. On the contrary, if 

 bad farming, or bad policy in the government, les- 

 sen the production of food, the inevitable conse- 

 quence must be a diminished population. These 

 positions (which every sound political economist 

 will sustain) show what vast effects the labors of 

 a single individual may have on the welfare of his 

 country; and what beneficial effects might be pro- 

 duced, if it was believed (more especially by all 

 law-makers,) that he who directly or indirectly 

 lessens the productiveness of the earth, is guilty of 

 s sin, which, if more pardonable than murder, is 

 far more injurious to the country, and more des- 

 tructive of its population, than would be many 

 murders. 



But seriously — this subject deserves to be re- 

 flected on by all; it will give additional gratification 

 and encouragement to the improving farmer, and 

 furnish an impressive lessen to him who is pursu- 

 ing a contrary course. It would be visionary to 

 expect that the public good, alone, vvould induce 

 improvement of the land at the sacrifice of private 

 interest. Nor would it be desiabie. A farmer 

 can in no way do as much good for Irrs country, 

 as by pursuing precisely that course which is 

 most profitable to himself But though many at- 



