126 



FARMERS'REGFSTER. 



[No. 2 



tion that art may produce a chemical change, ia a 

 short time, which nature alone produces by slower 

 action. The great objection to the usual and long 

 continued processes of this natural conversion, is,, that 

 the larger part of the soluble products (especially on 

 bad soils j are wasted, as produced; and this loss is 

 still greater, usually, when man's ignorant labors, or 

 practices of cultivation, are mingled with, and serve to 

 impede the improving processes of nature. Even if 

 this new French process of rapid fermentation is ef- 

 fectual, it will require to be seen whether it wastes 

 more of the products than would natural causes an.d 

 time, if permitted judiciously to operate, before the 

 discovery can be deemed as adding to the farmer's 

 means of obtamingand furnishing manure to his lands. 

 We have already given some account (from Euro- 

 pean journals) of Le Couteur's opinions; but would 

 be still pleased to see his entire work, and to publish 

 further extracts, or even the whole, if its length does 

 not forbid. It is a curious and mteresting subject, and 

 one on which every farmer has much to learn.] 



The law of primogemture and English agricul- 

 ture. Turnips and manure. 



Holmesburg, Pa., March 22, 1838. 



1 saw little change in the agricultural districts, 

 after an absence of seventeen years. How should 

 there be? How can there be? Whilst that most 

 iniquitous and most pernicious of all systems — the 

 law of primogeniture exists? In the manufactur- 

 ing districts, (the source of all the agriculture such 

 as it is,) the change and improvement are won- 

 derful. I will give^you some account of both. I 

 shall now have more leisure than I have had. 

 » » # * » 



1 have kept 9 cows and fattened 47 sheep upon 

 turnips this winter; the latter with part grain. 

 This IS the true system — variety of food is every 

 thing — because so obviously the law of nature; it 

 is by far the best mutton I have eaten in the Uni- 

 ted States; and if you were to see the quantity of 

 manure I have, you would be astonished. My 

 farm is barely 100 acres. I manure from 35 to 40 

 odd acres annually, and sell all my hay and straw!!! 

 It is a fact; 1 eat no straw, cornstalks, chafi", 

 &c.; these things are not natural food — they are 

 forhtter, to keep the slock dry, clean, and warm, 

 as blankets are for our use, and to keep, preserve, 

 and increase the manure. When will farmers 

 and planters learn and understand all this? To 

 eat straw I hold to be the very worst and most 

 costly and destructive of all agricultural improve- 

 ment and economy. 



Draining in Scotland. Law of primogeniture 

 as affecting agricultural improvements. 



[The following extract is from the letter of a sub- 

 scriber, who, as his words convey, was engaged, not 

 very long since, in agricultural labors and impiove- 

 ments in Scotland.] 



j^pril 17///, 1838. 



I have read with much interest and pleasure, 

 the reprint of Johnstone's ' Treatise on Draining, 



&c.' The importance of this valuable addition to 

 the pages of the Register, cannot fail to be appre- 

 ciated by many of your readers. From having 

 seen many of the improvements described in the 

 treati.se, I can fully attest to the practical value of 

 the directions therein given, lor the performance of 

 such improvements; particularly those relating to 

 embankments. JVlost of the extensive improve- 

 ments of this nature, which the author has de- 

 scribed, I have had an opportunity of seeing; and 

 in one instance to which he refers, I believe, from 

 his not very distinct reference, the embankments 

 were constructed under my own immediate direc- 

 tion, from plans furnished by Mr. Stevens, of Edin- 

 burgh. These were on the banks of the Isla and 

 Tay, (in Scotland,) extending to upwards of five 

 miles in length, and of a height of from three to 

 nine feet, on one of the estates of Countess Fla- 

 hault. The modes of embankment, which Mr. 

 Johnstone has so well described, I should suppose 

 would be as available in many sections of this 

 country, as in Scotland. I suspect, however, that 

 the reclaiming of the tide-marshes in this latitude 

 would be a much more difficult operation than in 

 that of Scotland. Tides there rise to agreat height; 

 but at low water there is generally a sufficient itill 

 to admit of the enclosed lands being completely 

 drained of surface-water. The high lands being 

 also immediately on the sea-board, admit of the 

 alluvion brought from them being lodged or depo- 

 sited at the confluence of the rivers to the sea, 

 forming a soil of a fine permanent nature, and not 

 liable, on being dried and cultivated, to sink or be- 

 come lower, as your experience has proved to be 

 the casein at least some instances here. The lands 

 enclosed by some of these sea embankments are, 

 for miles, many feet lower than high-water mark ; 

 and a breach would be attended with disastrous 

 results. This, however, rarely occurs. The con- 

 flicting interests of proprietors of land have much 

 retarded these and other improvements; such as 

 straightening and embanking river-courses, &c. in 

 Scotland; and 1 suspect the same obstacle would 

 be met with in this country, in an increased degree. 

 Landed estates here are smaller, consequently 

 more numerous, and more frequently change own- 

 ers; and the constantly increasing division of lands 

 must increase and perpetuate the evil. This con- 

 stant division of property in this country is, in my 

 humble opinion, not the least obstacle in ilie way of 

 real and extensive agricultural improvement ; and 

 nothwithstanding Mr. Walker's remarks on the 

 laws of primogeniture and entail, (in your last 

 No.) and whatever evils may attend the existence 

 of these laws, that of being inimical to agricultu- 

 ral improvement, I think cannot practically be 

 laid to then* charge. I believe that eight-tenths 

 of the lands in Scotland are under entail; and I 

 presume that no country can present more spirit- 

 ed, extensive, and rapidly increasing agricultural 

 improvements, in the same space of time, than 

 have taken place in Scotland in the last half centu- 

 ry. The proprietor there has the strongtest induce- 

 ments to improve his property, under these very 

 laws, though he may also abuse them. Some 

 may be " compelled to be lords, who ought to be 

 draymen," or '' clergymen, who oueht to be 

 butchers;" but it is now, happily lor Scotland, at 

 least becoming fijshionable in high life to be ac- 

 quainted with rural aflairs; and many of the Scotch 

 nobles would put many of the Virginia farming 



