ISSt] 



fARMERS' REGISTJCR. 



itti^ 



better to ^oW, and remove to plncos where nature is 

 in her prime; leaviuir lo their siicce*=sors, the toil, 

 calcitlntinn, iind expense ol' rennvatini; lands ex- 

 haijsleil by bad tillage. The worn farms always 

 find purchasers ; and tfie priee paid lor them, bnys 

 asiitRc'ient quantity of new land, besides ieavinira 

 surplus in rash, f()r improvement. One day this 

 must have an end ; but thai day is |!ir distant. 

 When it arrives, the profirietors of old lamis will 

 adopt better systems of"aoTiculiure, wliichare now 

 fiist advanrin<2[. These will adil to the i)roducts of 

 their lands, and procure them more wealthj but 

 possibly not more happiness, in our more ancient 

 settlements. Our old lands are capable of renova- 

 tion, haviuiT a i^ood staple, as has been proved in 

 numberless mstanccs. 



I condemn not calculation, which is prudent and 

 proper in every business — ^'■Ego sum pktnry — [ 

 arn sometimes seized with thfc (iiculiy of calcula- 

 ting, but not always successful in the practical 

 proof of it. I need not, however, be discourasjed; 

 for I often read, with pleasure, Mr. Y.'s writings: 

 I admire his genius, and respect even his enthusi- 

 nsm, in which he olten strikes out fine thoughts : 

 but [ venerate his candor, while he frequently a(;- 

 knovvledges, that success does not always crown 

 his own calculations, or invariably durable convic- j 

 tion, his opinions. We have here innumerable I 

 instances of farmers who get forward, without ev- I 

 er spendini; a thought on per centage, or other' 

 nice calculation. And however ^'problematical'^ 

 this may seem, it is an observation as old as the 

 first appearance of the redoubtable Hudibras, that 



"No ar^iimetit like matter of fact is." 



I ask your forgiveness for the multifarious, and 

 perhaps tiresome, scope I have taken. The easy 

 sifuaiion of an industrious, t'ull-handed American 

 farmer is the pleasing result of a combination, pro- 

 duced by all tile causes I have mentioned. Instead 

 of calculating, he labors and enjoys. And though 

 I do not proless to have a good opinion of the 

 style of American husbandry, yet even this shows 

 the hapny situation, m oiher respects, of our coun- 

 try. With such farming in Europe, the farmers 

 would starve, and leave their children common la- 

 borers, or begirars. And yet, here, they live well, 

 and leave their descendants the means of obtain- 

 ing the comforts and conveniencies of life.* Tliis 

 is the problem I have endeavored to solve. And 

 I could not, but by this circuitous route, arrive at 

 the answer to Mr. Y's question, "[s it possible 

 that the inhabitants of a <rreat continent not new 

 settlers, vvho, of course^ live to hunt, to eat, and to 

 drink, can carry on fiuntinsj as a business,- and yet 

 never calculate the profit they make by per cen- 

 tage on their capitaW'^The phraseologv, -'who, 

 of course^ live to hfuif, to eat and to drink,^'' I uo 

 not perfectly compreiiend. Our hunters are only 

 a few borderers, and not to be counted upon as 

 farmers; nor are our farmers, though they have 

 not the best systems, idle. I therefore think, that 

 (without meanins a critique) "toAo cat and drink 

 to live,''^ would have been a more just arrange- [ 

 ment of language. ! 



2. ''The demand lor cattle and sheep, products, 

 hides, tallow, barrelling beef, sheep, wool, wolves, 

 dogs, and law respecting their killing sheep." 



* There is much good sf nse in many of triis gen- 

 tleman's observations. — A. Y. 

 Vol. V— 45 



The demand li)r callie products is as irre;n as we 

 can supf)ly ; and tfie caiiff business may be carried 

 on to any extent. 'I'his will be a irrowinir and ex- 

 tensive business, and can be pushed as far, and to 

 as (Treat advantaire, a« in any other country. We 

 have people acquainted with the victuallinir 

 branch, in all iis details; and as this is a country 

 which invites those who "'are weary and heavy 

 laden"' not "'to irive them rest," but profitable em- 

 ployment, we have some; from Cork, andean have 

 more fi'om thence, and any other part of the world. 

 Our exported beef is in good credit, particularly 

 that from Boston, I have ate mess-beef put up 

 in Philadelphia, after having been an East India 

 voyaffe, in excellent condition, With this beefi a 

 sample of" Philadelphia brewed porter was produ- 

 ced; This had been the same voyage, wao per- 

 fectly good, and not inferior to English porter.- 

 Our merchants prfeer our own, though they can 

 purchase Irish beef The tallouj vvill always se I 

 to profit, and is chiefly consumed here. The hides 

 do not supply our home demand, and therefore im- 

 portations of Spanish and other hides are fi-equent. 

 A great proportion of our beef and all our mutton, 

 are consunied at home; as our people will live 

 well, and eat more meat than any equal number 

 in the world. If the sheep business was carried 

 on to much extent, there would be a necessity lor 

 exportation. The establishment of considerable 

 manufactures, which is more practicable and ben- 

 eficial in this country than ntany people (particu- 

 larly those of Europe) suppose, will take off part 

 of the nmtton of our flocks. There is little or no 

 expo.'t of' wool to foreign parts ; though it is brought 

 coastwise as it happens to be more abundant in 

 one state than in another, "^riiere is no prohibition 

 against the exportation of this, or any other pro- 

 duct. But it is consumed at home, where excel- 

 lent coarse cloths are made, in which a great pro- 

 portion of our farmers are clad. A variety of oth- 

 er woollen fabric& are also made* 



I have no copy of what I mentioned respecting 

 sheep destroyiii'j:; pasture. 1 know tliey do not eat 

 so much in proportion as other beasts, and theif 

 dung is remarkably fertilij^ing ; but they bite close, 

 and the droughts and heats of summer, which are 

 here loner and periodical, burn up the roots. It is 

 a generally received opinion here, that they des* 

 troy pasture ; and I am warranted, by iny own ex- 

 perience, to fxive into it, with some qualifications/ 

 We do not find that "the more sheep we keep, 

 the more we may." f believe, m the state of our 

 agriculture, the converse is the most true. In 

 countries where it is an object, and where there 

 are belter systems of faming, with drippiifor sea- 

 sons, it may be otherwise. I once thought, in 

 some degree, as Mr. Young does; but find that 

 English ideas vvill not in this, and many other a<r- 

 ricultural cases, apply here. In the present state 

 of things, I a<lhere to my former opinion — that dis- 

 tributing sheep in small numbers, lo every farmer^ 

 will do better than any other plan. I know that 

 more, instead of less, care can be taken of them in 

 this way, for the farmer can, and does attend to 

 them, without interfering too fnuch with his othef 

 aflairs. Invariably, the sheep of one of our small 

 flocks look the best, and have the most wooL 

 With twenty sheep to each farm capable of sup- 

 porting them', we might have a prodigious num- 

 ber. If Mr. Yountj were here, and in the prime 

 ol' life, and would practice his systems, so as to ini- 



