46 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



A most signal instance once occurred in our own 

 state, of the mischiets that may be done by agri- 

 cultural works wliicii afipear to recommend as 

 universally good, certain tilings tiiat are only />ar- 

 tially so, and under particular circumstances. We 

 .all remember that excellent litlle book called ' Ara- 

 tor,' published many years ago, by Col. John 

 Tfiylor of Caroline, a man who may truly be 

 .said not only to have given the first eti'ectual 

 impulse to Virginia agriculiure, but to have ren- 

 dered it more essential service than any one man 

 of whom we have any knowledge. In this work 

 was Ibund an unqualified, indiscriminate recom- 

 mendation of very deep ploughiuir, liigh beds lor 

 corn, and the inclosing system without grazing. 

 Every body considered him, (and deservedly too,) 

 as one of the best, if not the very best farmer in 

 Virginia, particularly for his skill in restoring worn 

 out lands to their original fertility ; and such mar- 

 vels were related of his corn crops by those who 

 saw them, wiihout any accurate knowledge of the 

 various causes which contributed to produce them, 

 that all of us, without exception, especially the 

 lyros aitiongst us who aspired to agricultural 

 fame, began to tear up our lands as deep as 3 

 or 4 horses in a plough could turn them ; to throw 

 them into the highest ridixes which this operation 

 could effect, no matter what might be the nature 

 of the soil ; and to inclose their fields without 

 grazing, even to the starvation of the slock. The 

 consequences might have been easily foreseen by 

 all our brethren who had Iheii' due share of brains ; 

 but unfortunately some of us are vvofully deficient 

 in this article. Hence all the owners oi' very shal- 

 low, sandy soils, turned up a perfect caput morinum, 

 an utterly steril earth, wiih which they liave been 

 carrying on a deadly warlare ever since, or have 

 fled from it in despair, to a new country; whilst 

 each animal of the 60s genus, on their farms, has 

 served as a kind of '■^memenio mnrV^ to every 

 passing stranger. For ail this Col. Taylor's ' Ara- 

 tor' bore the blame, ah hough a very moderate de- 

 cree of discrimination would have enabled them, 

 at once, to decide that, as no one system or prac- 

 tice could possibly suit all soils and situations. 

 Col. Taylor's omitting to particularize the excep- 

 tions, proceeded entirely liom the circumstance of 

 his giving to his brother agriculturisis more credit 

 for con)mon sense than they deserved. J3y the 

 way, my old and good friend, I wish you or any 

 of your correspondents would tell n)e, why the 

 term "co?umon" should be applied to an article 

 which all asree is one of the most uncommon 

 things in the world. I have been in a great quan- 

 dary about it, Rir nearly or quite half a century, 

 and should like to be relieved from it before I die. 

 But to return to 'Arator' and its recommendations. 

 That one whicli I have yet panicularly to notice, 

 js " the inclosing system" wiihout grazing. He 

 gave, unfortunately, (as I think,) all the advan- 

 tages, without slating the disadv;mlages of the 

 practice. Hence most of those who tried it, with- 

 out any specifications whatever of the extent to 

 ..which it might beneficially he cxiended, became 

 pcepiics, if not entire i^fid^Ii- in regard to its ulilily. 

 For ihey found, n[)on trial, thnt it not only infesled 

 our lands, almost irreclaiin.ib'y, with many peren- 

 nial and other most noxious weeds, but made them 

 tlie prolific hot hcils of a variety of insects highly 

 injarious to our crops, which uniler no oiher sys- 

 Lcui, |:ri>ba!ily, could cvrr cu.'ii. r so much daninge 



from the same cause. In the Flemish husban- 

 dr}'^, whicli is said to be the most perfect in Chris- 

 tendom, no labor nor expense is spared to extirpate 

 everything that beais even the name of weed; 

 but tlie inclosing practice fosters the whole of 

 them — nay, it greatly multiplies all of them, un- 

 less they are mowed tlown, (which is never done,) 

 belbre they blossom. This operaiion, if regularly 

 repeated, only a few times, would soon destroy all 

 annual and biemn'al weeds, which are much the 

 most numerous ; it would also prevent, in a great 

 measure, the increase of the perennials ; and by 

 leaving the cover on the land, would still give U3 

 the chief benefit ascribed to the inclosing system. 



liut permit me, before I conclude, to offer a lew 

 more remarks on the subject of experiments. To 

 carelessness or prejudice, or to both uniled, we 

 must asnribe all the numerous disputes and contro- 

 versies that have occurred, and are still occurring 

 among our brethren, in regard to particular prac- 

 tices in every branch of husbandry. Even men 

 who are equal!}'' well disposed to ascertain what is 

 best, must forever differ, unless all will bestow the 

 same degree of atieniion on every circumstance 

 and particular, which are essential to enable them 

 to form a perfticlly impartial and correct judgment. 

 If a single one of these essential circumstances 

 and particulars are unnoticed by any experimenter, 

 that man will certainly form a very difi'crent opi- 

 nion from the one who has carellilly regarded all 

 which are connected with the subject of their mu- 

 tual examination. And the great misfortune to 

 our cause is, that hardly any two men can be 

 found equally qualifi'^d, equally desirous to make 

 fiir experiments. But lor this inequality, together 

 with our presumplion and self-conceit, which are 

 generally in a duplicate ratio to our ignorance, 

 many a ponderous agricultural tome would be rcr 

 duced to the pamphlet-size; and what would be 

 far better, ^'book-farming,^'' which has long been, 

 with many, a term of derision and contempt, 

 would soon overcome all the foolish prejudices 

 which have heretofore existed against it. For our 

 agricultural papers and books would contain little 

 else, besides minute details of experiments in the 

 different branches of husbandry, made with the 

 utmost care and accuracy; instead of being crowd- 

 ed, as they too frequently are, with the crude con- 

 ceits and visionary opinions of merely speculative 

 agriculturists, who find it much easier work to 

 theorize than to practise ; and far less laborious to 

 give us mere opinions, insiead of such facts as 

 would prove of real use in promoting our cause. 



It may perhaps be concluded from the foregoing 

 remarks, that I am in liuor of entirely excluding 

 speculative opinions from our agricultural papers. 

 Far from it; but I would ask as a small favor, in 

 behalf of those who prefer facts, that the authors 

 would merely lake the trouble to give these opi- 

 nions and speculaiions some caption by which we 

 could judge whether we would read their commu- 

 nications or jniss on to others that would give 

 some of the inlbrmation we want. Let them lake, 

 ibr example, the single word ''excogitations,^^ 

 which might be written in a few seconds, and we 

 might then use it, as sailors do a light house — 

 steer by it, without ever going into it. For my 

 own part, Mr. Ediior, I have no objection to see- 

 inir and reading such things occasionally, in an 

 aiTiiculiura! paper, as I myself, (to confess the 

 truth,) am somewhat addicted to them ; and there- 



