1S37] 



FARMER S' REGISTER. 



445 



In Eniilaiiil, while the cultivators of (he. soil very 

 treiierallv ii-*e horses, most of those who write on 

 the suhjeet coiKifiiin the prar.tii-o, ami sironjjly 

 roi-oiniiieiul the employiMCut of oxen. In the 

 olil edition ol' the French Encyelo|urdia nncler 

 ihe anicie Fermier, is an essay by the celehrated 

 Qitc>inay, (who hasheen caHed the ^'' Falher of the 

 FcDiiomists,^'' and to whom Adani Smith is saii to 

 owe many of the principles contained in his 

 'Wealth ofNaiions,'ym order to prove that horses 

 are jxreatlv prelerithle in a'Jincuilure to oxen, and 

 Ihattlie general use of the latter in France is 

 a public misl'ortune, occasioned by the poverty 

 of the fanners. The subject is treated at large 

 and as mii:ht be expected, with much ability, and 

 there are ariihmeiical calculations showing clearly, 

 if the data are admilied, the great superiority in 

 netl profit of horses. I do not send you a transla- 

 tion, as well from tlie want ot leisure, as because it 

 might occupy too large a space ih your paper. 

 The work no doubt can be met with in BaltiiTiore. 

 My own opinions on this subject are of no author! 



very little hesiiation in liiving the prelererice to 

 horses on a iiiir conipinison. These loose hints 

 are hastily thrown together, you will mal<e what- 

 ever use of Iheni you may think proper." 



For the FiuimTs' Register. 



rROPOSAT. TO PUBI-ISII, 

 TTTK IIUSBANnUY AND HORTICU I.TIRE OF 

 TEIE ATLANTIC STATKS, DKDUCFO FUOHr 

 T!I10 MOST AUTHENTIC SOUKCES, AND FIIOIH 

 PERSONAL OBSERVATION DUUING AN AGRI- 

 CULTURAL TOUR," 



By James 31. Garnett, of Virg'min. 



Several years ago, it was proposed to publish, 

 by subscription, a work under a title somewhat 

 similar; but the number of subscribers, although 

 very respectable, proved inadequate lo defray the 

 necessary expenses of the undertaking, and it was 

 abandoned for the time. The author's desire, 

 ty,'and are' probably of no value ; but I am strongly i however, to make such a publication has not 

 inclined to think that the practices in Francefand ! been extinguished by former dissippointment ; and 



in England, in the wheat country of the middle 

 states, and in New Eoirland, although opposite to 

 each other, grov/ out o(" the situation of these dif- 

 ferent countries, and their inhabitants. In the 

 greater i)art of France, oxen were used from ne- 

 cessity ; the rndayers, or farmers on shares, by 

 whom the lands were generallj^ cultivated, having 

 too little capital to provide horses. In England 

 where there is no want of capital, the farmers 

 prefer horses, as though they cost more, and are 

 maintained at a greater expense, they do much 

 more work, itnd, on the whole, yield a greater 

 profit. In the New England states, there being 

 much more land occupied in pasturage and 

 meadow, than under the plough, they have large 

 stocks of cattle, and little or nothing is lost by 

 working their steers till they are of a fit age for the 

 slaughter house; and the plough being subject to 

 frequent interruptions, and a slow draught through 

 an uneven soil, encumbered with stones, oxen are 

 peculiarly fitted tor that work, while in the wheat 

 country of the middle states, where a large propor- 

 tion of the lands must be subjected to the plough at 

 particular seasons, and within short periods, horses 

 are generally much more useful (or this purpose 

 than oxen. Indeed the form and action of the horse, 

 compared with that of the ox, would leave little 

 doubt of the superiority of the former, wherever 

 strength and long-continued exertion should be 

 wanted. Most of the calculations which go to 

 show that oxen are preferable to horses, proceed 

 on the admitted fact, that an ox costs less than a 

 horse, and is maintained at a smaller expense ; 

 but I think without a sufficient allowance ibr the 

 greater number of the iormer that must be em- 

 ployed to do the same work, and the additional 

 number of hands that they require. Still there are 

 various uses to which oxen may be employed on 

 a grain farm to advantasre, as in hauling wood, 

 grain, hay, manure, &c. when the draught is slow, 

 and frequent mterruptions to load and unload al- 

 ford lime to rest ; and when not wanted tor other 

 purposes, they may occasionally be employed with 

 the plough or harrow ; but any judicious and ac- 

 tive farmer, preparing in the hot months of August 

 and September for a large crop of wheat, on lands 

 free from roots and stone, I believe would have 



he has been encouraged to renew his proposal by 

 the fact, that the spirit of inquiry, so important to 

 the great cause of American husbandry, is now 

 far more active and widely diffused, (thanks to our 

 excellent aiiricultural journals, both north and 

 south,) than at any former period. 



All who have studied rural economy, must have 

 observed our great want of some book containing- 

 something like a connected system of North 

 American husbandry — to comprise the various 

 improvements ra.ide within the last half century^ 

 in this hiuhly important branch of human know- 

 ledge, and to condense them in a form sufficiently 

 compendious ami intelligible to serve as a con- 

 venient manual tor the agriculturists ofthe United; 

 States, We have numerous and very valuable 

 tiireign works — comprehending all, perhaps, that 

 was known on the subjects of which they treat, at 

 the time of their publication. This knowledge 

 however, (to which much has been added since,) 

 is scattered over many volumes, comparatively ex- 

 pensive to procure, and blended with various other 

 matters havinix little or no interest for the cultiva- 

 tors of the American soil. No work of the kind 

 relative to our own country, can any where be 

 found ; at least none of recent date, and sufficient- 

 ly comprehensive to be well adapted to all the At- 

 lantic states, and devoted exclusively to illustrate 

 the present most approved practice in every branch 

 of American husbandry. To ascertain this, there- 

 fore, no other mode can be adopted by individuals, 

 but to make a tour through them, for this special 

 purpose. Very few, however, can afibrd either 

 the time or the money, to accomplish such an ob- 

 ject, highly desirable as it certainly is ; although 

 all might "attain the end at a very small expense, 

 by contributing to enable some one in whom they 

 could place confidence, to execute for them, that 

 which they could not individually do for them- 

 selves. 



It is true that our numerous agricultural journals 

 furnish much valuable information, but not unfre- 

 quently adulterated, (as their best friends admit,) 

 with irrelevant matter, and prolix, fanciful specu- 

 lations, which their editors cannot well avoid pub- 

 lishinfT, witfiout giving unnecessary offence to their 

 i correspondents, who are tlie authors of these com 



