416 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



[No. 7 



It is remarkable that the vegetable productionts 

 most extensively used as human food, are but lit- 

 tle, if at all found in their indigenous state; whe- 

 ther thai state b« the same as their present one, or 

 a state floin which they were improvable into 

 their present state. They seem indeed not likely 

 to flourish extensively in situations not prepared 

 by the hand of man. The potato so recently 

 brought into use, and now spreadini^ itself over so 

 great a surface, can barely be traced to a native 

 state in the mountains of Chili, nor can it be be- 

 lieved, that previous to its adoption by man, it 

 ever existed in the extent to which cultivation is 

 now carrying it. 



These views of the subji^ct seem to authorize 

 the conclusion, that although there is a propor- 

 tion between the animal and vegetable classes of 

 beings on our globe, and between the species in 

 each class, with respect to which, nature does not 

 permit such achangeas woidd result Iromadestrnc- 

 tion of the animals and vegetables not used by 

 man; and a multiplication of the iiuman race, 

 and of tlie several species of animals and vegeta- 

 bles used by it, sufficient to fill up the void; jet 

 that there is a degree of change which the pecu- 

 liar faculties of man enable him to make, and by 

 making which, his fund of subsistence and his 

 numbers may be augmented; there beinijatthe 

 same time, whenever his numbers, and the change 

 exceed the admitted degree, a tendency in that 

 excess to correct iiself. 



Could it, however, be supposed that the estab- 

 lished system, and symmetry of nature, required 

 the number of human beings on the globe to be 

 always the same; that the only change permitted 

 in relation to them, was in their distribution over 

 it; siill, as the bles'^ing of existence to (hat num- 

 ber would materially defiend on the parts of the 

 globe on which they may be thrown; on the de- 

 gree in which their situation may i^e convenient 

 or crowded; and on the nature of their political 

 and social institutions; motives would not be want- 

 ing to obtain for our portion of the earth, its fullest 

 share, byimprovingtheresourcesof humansubsist- 

 ence, according to the fiiir measure of its capacity. 

 For, in what other portion of equal extent will be 

 found, climates more friendly to the health or con- 

 genial to the feelings of its inhabitaiiis? In what 

 other, a soil yielding more food with not more la- 

 bor? And above all, where will be found institu- 

 tions equally securing the blessings of persona! 

 independence, and of social enfoyments? The 

 enviable condition of the people 'of the United 

 States, is ofien too much ascribed to the physical 

 advantages of iheir soil and climate, and to their 

 uncrovvded situations. Much is certainly due to 

 these causes— but a just estimate of the happi- 

 ness of our country, will never overlook what be- 

 longs to the fertile activity of a fi-ee people, and 

 the benign influence of a responsible government. 



In proportion as we relax the hypolhesi-; which 

 makes the aggregate number of mankind unsus- 

 ceptible of change, and believe that the resources 

 of our country may not only contribute to the 

 greater happiness of a given number, but to the 

 augmentation of the number enjoying a great- 

 er happiness, the motives become stronger for the 

 improvement and extension of tiiera. 



But whilst all are sensible that agriculture is 

 the basis of population and prosperity, it cannot 

 be denied that the study and practice of its true 



principles have hitherto been too generally neg- 

 lected in the United States; and that this state 

 has at least its full share of the birime. Now only 

 for the first time, notwilhslanding several merito- 

 rious examples of earlier dale, a general atten- 

 tion seems to f)e awakened to the necessity of a 

 reform. Patriotic socieiies, the best agents lor af- 

 fecting it are pursuing the object with the anima- 

 tion and intelligenc^e which characterize the efforts 

 of a self-governed people, whatever be the ob- 

 jects to which they may be directed. 



Among these promising institutions. I cannot 

 glance at the names of those composing that of 

 Albemarle, wiihout being assured, that its full 

 (|uoiaof iiiibriuation will be furnished to the gene- 

 ral stock, f regret only, that my own competen- 

 cy bears so little proportion to my wishes to co- 

 operate with them. That 1 may not be thought, 

 however, deficient in good will; as well as in other 

 requisites, I shall venture on the task, a task 

 the least difficult, of pointing out some of the 

 most prevalent errors in our husbandry, and which 

 appear to be among those which may merit the 

 attention of the society, and tlie instructive exam- 

 ples of its members. 



1. The error first to be noticed is that of culti- 

 vating land, either naturally poor or impoverished 

 by cultivation. This error, like many others, is 

 the effect of habit, continued after the reason lor it 

 has failed. Whilst there was an abundance of 

 fresh and fertile soil, it was the interest of the cul- 

 tivator to spread his labor over as great a surfiice 

 as he could. Land being cheap and labor dear 

 and the lantl co-operaliny; powerfully with the la- 

 bor, it was profitable to draw as much as possible 

 from the land. Labor is now eomfiara.ively cheap- 

 er and land dearer. Where labor has risen in 

 price fbur-lbld, land has risen ten-lbld. It might 

 be profitable, therefore, now to contract the sur- 

 face over which labor is spread even if the soil 

 retained its freshness and feriility. But this is not 

 the case. Much of the fi^.rlile soil is exhausted, 

 and unfertile soils are brought into cultivation; 

 and both co-perating less with labor in producing 

 the crop, it is necessary lo consider how fiir labor 

 can be profitably exerted on them; whether it 

 ought not to be applied towards makinirthem fer- 

 tile rather than in further impoverishing them; 

 or whether it miixht not be more profitably applied 

 to mechanical occupations or to domestic manufac- 

 tures. 



In the old countries of Europe, where labor is 

 cheap and land dear, the object is to augment la- 

 bor and contract the space on which it is employ- 

 ed. In the new settlements takifiir place in this 

 country, the original praciiee here may be ration- 

 ally pursued. In the old settlements, the reason 

 for the practice in Europe is becoming daily less 

 inapplicable, and we ought to yield to the change 

 of circumstances by forbearing to waste our labor 

 on land^ which besides not paying for it, is still 

 more impoverished and rendered more difficult to 

 be made rich. The crop which is of least amount 

 gives the blow most mortal to the soil. It has not 

 been a very rare thing to see land under the 

 plough not producing enousrh to feed the plough- 

 man and his horse; and it is in such cases that the 

 death blow is given. The goose is killed without 

 even obtaining the coveted egg. 



There cannot be a more rational principle in the 

 code of agriculture, than that every i'arm which is 



