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FARMKRS' REGISTER 



him for general use, or without express limitation to 

 particular circumstances. Thougli the author was a 

 profound thinker as well as an experienced and judi- 

 cious farmer, and though unusually well read in Eng- 

 lish agricultural works of earlier times, compared to 

 most Virginians of his day, still he was without the 

 benefit which has since been obtained by applying the 

 lights of chemistry to the investigation of the nature 

 of soils, and their improvement by mineral manures. 

 He therefore was not only not informed of their great 

 value, but he even speaks contemptuously in ' Arator' 

 of marl and lime as manures. 



But it is not only as an agriculturist that the avithor's 

 merits deserve consideration, even in regard to the con- 

 tents of this little book. Although not accorded to 

 him during his life, and although even as yet the force 

 and value of his novel and singular views are acknow- 

 ledged by but a few, the just award of posterity will 

 place Taylor high in the ranks of political reformers, 

 though he had neither political power, nor the influence 

 of popularity, to enforce his precepts. His later publish- 

 ed and elaborate political work, the 'Inquiry into the 

 Principles and Policy of the Government of the United 

 States,' has had already more students and more influ- 

 ence than is acknowledged by those who use its mate- 

 rials for propositions which are generally deemed en- 

 tirely novel ; while the book, which is their source, is 

 scarcely known to exist, and but few readers have 

 been found zealous enough to labor through the ob- 

 scure pages of the ponderous volume. 



Though his 'Arator' was published first, it was 

 written after the 'Inquiry,' and his long continued and 

 solitary investigation of political truths. This will 

 serve in part to explain the cause of the great obscu- 

 rity of the early portion of 'Arator,' on the "Pohtical 

 state of agriculture." The author here addresses the 

 public as if in continuation of the expression of his 

 own prior political researches, which then in fact ex- 

 isted only in his own manuscripts, and the subjects had 

 not been studied by any one but himself. And even 

 when his great work appeared, (for although scarcely 

 known to the public at first, and now almost forgotten, 

 it is notwithstanding a great work — ) the author still 

 was as one speaking half a century in advance of his 

 subjects, and without any common ground of under- 

 standing between himself and the public. He spoke of 

 causes and eS'ects as if of vital importance, of which 

 the existence was scarcely known to his readers or the 

 public ; and his deductions were not understood, or, if 

 understood, not believed. Thus his remarks in the fol- 

 lowing pages on the evils of the protecting duty and 

 the banking and paper systems, might be supposed to 

 havs been uttered within the last ten years ; but, in 

 truth, they were first published during Jefferson's ad- 

 ministration, when the public scarcely knew that a 

 protecting duty existed, or that the system was then 

 organized and had begun to operate — and when no- 

 thing but the benefils of banking and bank-paper (as 

 supposed) had as yet been experienced. John Taylor's 

 warnings were uttered long before any ground for them 

 was suspected to exist ; and it was therefore not at all 

 strange that hi* precepts and warnings were disre- 



garded, and even unheard. The remarkable an4 

 unfortunate obscurity of his style also rendered his 

 writings repulsive to all readers who did not correctly 

 appreciate the value of his matter, and helped to induce 

 a degree of neglect approaching to early oblivion. But 

 his precepts will yet be heard, and his wisdom and his 

 merit as a political teacher will yet be acknowledged. 

 ' Arator' js now out of print, and the existing copies 

 are so scarce that distinguished agriculturists, attracted 

 by the report of its former reputation, have sought in 

 vain to procure or even to see a copy. It is true also 

 that the demand of purchaseis does not very much 

 exceed the supply ; and therefore that it is not likely 

 that another edition would be published with the ex- 

 pectation of profit from the sales. Under these cir- 

 cumstances, the editor of the Farmers' Register has 

 undertaken to publish a new edition, in this cheap 

 form, as part of that journal; and deems that, in so 

 doing, he will perform an acceptable service to the 

 agricultural public, and especially to all those indivi- 

 duals who, like the editor, feel gratitude and reverence 

 for the author. 



PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION. 



BY THE AUTHOR. 



The es?ays above the signature of Arator, were 

 not preceded \>y an explanation of the motives by 

 which they were dictated, or of the ends design- 

 ed to be effected, because they were originally 

 published in a newspaper without any anticipation 

 of the form they have assunaed. But being now 

 stamped by the public acceptation with some de- 

 gree of value, an account of these motives and 

 ends may extend iheir efficiency, and promote the 

 examination of subjects, so important and inex- 

 haustible. 



A conviction that the prosperity of our country 

 depended upon a competent share of agricultural 

 and political knowledge, and that an iguorance of 

 either, would defeat the benefils naturally flowing 

 from a proficiency in both, produced these essays 

 and also a larger book, entitled "An Inquiry into 

 the Principles and Policy of the Government of 

 the United States," for the ends of advancing 

 practical improvements in one science, and of pre- 

 serving those we had already made in the other. 



Agriculture and politics are primary causes of 

 our wealth and liberty. Both contain internal 

 good principles, but both are liable to practical de- 

 terioration. II' one is vitiated in practice, poverty, 

 if the other, oppression ensues. If the agricul- 

 ture is good and the government bad, we may 

 have wealth and slavery. If the government is 

 good and the agriculture bad. liberty and poverty. 

 To secure both wealth and liberty, an intimate 

 knowledge of the good principles comprised in 

 both, and a strict accordance in practice with those 

 principles, must be indispensably necessary. 



Hence results the propriety of awakening the 

 people to the good principles of agriculture, and 

 oi' keeping them awake lo those of our form of 

 government. Without commemoration, the latter 

 might be lost, and without inquiry, the former 



