FARMERS' REGISTER 



741 



£»o (lifTerent, and (heir occupations so distinci, 

 that had these essays related lo a system of jrraz- 

 iiiji;, '• PecuKrius'^ outrht to have been their signa- 

 lure. What stronger proof can exist of our agri- 

 cuhurai ignorance, than a notion of succeeding in 

 toili fines at the same time, by rcppectiveiy vio- 

 lating (lie first principles of both. To succeed in 

 grazing, it is neceswiry lo cover the land vvlih a 

 eirong and ricli turf; to succeed in agriculture, this 

 turf must be destroyed. Having destroyed the 

 turf t)y the plough, we endeavor to prevent its 

 renovation by assailing it with the tooth and the 

 hoof; the instant it germinates; and propose to 

 raise large stocks without grass, and large crops 

 on land (oo poor to produce it. In England, the 

 ideas of promoting crops by treading and grazing, 

 and grazing by ploughing up postures and mea- 

 dows, would excite great admiration ; and the ge- 

 neral prohihition in leases agninst the latter, liis- 

 closos the disapprobation of the system of reaping 

 corn and slocks annually from the same land. 

 The question, whether the business of grazing or 

 of tillage is the most profitable, frequently occurs; 

 but whether the same land ought or ouglu not to 

 be exposed boiii to tillage and grazing, is one ne- 

 ver made by good husbandmen. In many parts 

 of the United States, the distinction between till- 

 age and grazmg is v/ell understood, and their se- 

 paration beneficially practised ; but, in most, sun- 

 dry circumstances not necessary to be adduced 

 have united these occupations; a union indis- 

 pensably necessarj' lo a certain extent for tillage, 

 and incapable of being dis^petised with. It is 

 Ulierelore necessary for me to prove, that the sys- 

 teu) of inclosing arable lands, fur the purpose of 

 excluding gruzmir, is not inconsistent with the 

 stocks necessary lur meat, labor and manure, be- 

 j'ond which, the occupation of tillage IbrbiJs their 

 extension. 



If meadov/s and well turfed pastures, are best 

 for grazing, and if by excluding grazing from ara- 

 ble land, ils product is vastly increased, it Ibllows, 

 that we can ctleci this union not only without in- 

 jury lo either of the objects, but so as lo advance 

 the interest of both, by allotting proper portions of 

 the liirm to each, and managing such portions ac- 

 cording to the principles indispensably dictated by 

 the ends intended to be produced. Whereas, the 

 principle necessary to produce stocks or grain, be- 

 ing not only dilierent, but exactly opposed, since 

 we must produce grass for one end, and deslroy it 

 for the oiher, by applying both to the same land, 

 a warfare ensues which cripples, and finally kills 

 both the combatants. 



By thus appropriating particular portions of a 

 farm, we may manage each portion according to 

 the principles necessary to make it more produc- 

 tive ; and the productiveness of each will ad- 

 vance that of the other. The better crops of grain 

 we raise, the more offal is produced, and this offal, 

 by furnishing littfT and food for slocks, raises 

 stocks sutRcient to reduce it to manure ; the chief 

 means for improving our pasture, meadow and 

 aralile land. An increase of stocks must Ibllovv 

 an increase of manure, because it begets an in- 

 crease of their Ibod and litter, just as their de- 

 crease is an inevitable consequence of the diirii- 

 nuiion of manure. 



We see that some of the states, Virginia for in- 

 etance, can no longer raise meal, cheese or teams 

 sufficient lor home consumption, and the cause of 



VoL.VIll.-94 



Ihis phenomenon will illustrate my reasoning. No 

 Slate, and probably no agricultural country, ever 

 went more thoroughly into the plan of grazing 

 arable land, of neglecting meadows and perma- 

 nent pnsiures, and of endowing their stocks with 

 ihe [)rivilege of unlimited grazing; and the end 

 is ruin 10 ilie stocks themselves, as a consolation 

 lor ruin to the lands. The indiscriminate grazing 

 is the very cause, which is impoverishing both the 

 husbandman and grazier, and the greedy project 

 of succeeding in both characters, by extorting 

 from Ihe earth a double coniribution, has defeated 

 our success in either. 



Such a project is as f-ilal to a counfry, whose 

 climate and soil are not naturally adapted to the 

 production of grass, as an obstinate culture of rice 

 and cotton would be to the state of Massachu- 

 setts. If, therellire, wo are to be brought to the 

 proposed computation, the election between tillage 

 and stocks is settled by the consideration of soil 

 and climate, as they may be favorable to grass, 

 bread stufi' or other products, because, however 

 we may sometimes be able to li)ice nature, her 

 spontaneous efforts on our side are the best sureties 

 l(>r success. 



Let any gentleman, for instance, of the bread 

 stuff country of the United Slates, compare the 

 profit he would derive from doubling his crops of 

 grain, with that he gains by keeping the largest 

 slocks witliin his power. He will discern, that 

 such an accession of annual income, will gene- 

 rally even exceed the whole t-alue of his stocks, 

 instead of their profit; and if the enclosing sys- 

 tem, aided by the means heretofore explained, 

 will rapidly double his crops of grain, the prefer- 

 ence between that and its rival is determined; 

 and the object of grazing at the expense of tillage 

 ill an impoverished country, ought to be abaa- 

 doned. 



If we impoverish our land by grazing or tillage, 

 boih Slocks and crops, whatever they be, will gra- 

 dually diminish; gradually, become less profita- 

 ble; and. finally, insufficient to afford a mainte- 

 nance. It is true that some bottom lands exist, 

 so rich, as to bear, and even improve under tillage 

 and grazing, if red clover is the grass used, and 

 if it is suH'ered to get well in flower belbre the 

 slocks are turned on it. But this is owing to the 

 extreme latness of the soil, its ability to cover it- 

 sell' witli a luxuriant coat of clover, the accession 

 of vegetable matter by a great portion being trod- 

 den on and rejected bj' the calile, and the entire 

 acquisiiion of ils tap root, containing from the size 

 it acquires in such land, no inconsiderable quantity 

 of the same matter. — Besides, land of this quality 

 is so rare, as to constitute an anomaly entirely 

 Ibreign to any system of agriculture proper Ibrthe 

 United Slates. Very few of us have ever seen 

 it, and siill fewer would profit I'rom any system 

 built upon its qualities. Nay, it is a kind of land 

 which hardly requires a system, and would be as 

 prosperous under a bad one, as the general agri- 

 cultural state of the couniry would be under the 

 best. It is necessary however to suggest this 

 anomalous case, lest we should be led to reafon 

 li-om it, for the purpose of deciding a different case. 

 The most zealous amor pairioi will confess that 

 ihe United Slates have infinitely less need for a 

 system to improve rich than for one to improve 

 poor land ; and instead of being blinded by ils 

 wishes should be enlightened by truth, as the only 



