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b' A R M E R S ' R !'] G I S T K R . 



[No. 7 



and skill could create or introduce, from the prac- 

 tice of any other age or country. Interest, know- 

 ledge, and industry were, therefore, actively and 

 zealously united in a common cause, and the 

 beneficial results have been truly wonderful. With 

 a territory whose area is not a third, and whose 

 population is only half that of I'^rance, and with a 

 soil and climate not so propitious, the agricultural 

 products of England are quadruple those of that 

 empire. This tistonishing did'erence is owing en- 

 tirely to the superior methods of tillage which 

 have been so successfully extended over the whole 

 island, and have rendered it the most perfectly cul- 

 tivated, [jrolific, and beautifully embellished do- 

 main, in all the appropriate appendages which a 

 refined taste in ornamental i>lanting can devise 

 and execute, that has existed at any period in the 

 history of the human race ; while, in large por- 

 tions of France, as well as Spain, Portugal, and 

 many of the Italian slates, no favorable change 

 lias been introduced since the time of Virgil, and 

 the implements, as well as the whole process of 

 management in rural aflairs, is lliat described by 

 the Roman bard. Rut, within fifteen or Iv.renly 

 years, the government of France has made highly 

 commendable exertions to elevate the character 

 and condition of its rustic population, by the estab- 

 lishment of agricultural and horticultural societies, 

 experimental larms and gardens, the introduction 

 of new plants, and awarding premiums lor valuable 

 experiments in all those departments of national 

 industry. 



The same enliffhtencd and patriotic spirit which 

 induced many of the most intelligent and eminent 

 men in Great Rritain to combine in an application 

 to ParliainenI, to aid them in measures lor lacili- 

 tating their honorable ettbrts to render the labors of 

 the farmer more profitable to himself and more use- 

 ful to the country, was simultaneously evinced in 

 this commonwealth, and with like happy conse- 

 quences. The "Massachusetts Society for Pro- 

 moting Agriculture" was incorporated soon alter 

 that which was established in Euu-land ; and the 

 example has been emulously followed in most of the 

 counties throughout the state, while all have been 

 encouraged and fostered by the seasonable and 

 liberal endowments ol" the government. Much 

 has been thus accomplished within the present 

 century ; but, acting from a yet more enlarged and 

 generous policy, the executive and legislature of 

 the conmionwealih, with a munificence which 

 reflects upon them the greatest honor, directed, 

 two years since, an agriculture survey of each 

 county to be made ; and a gentleman was ap- 

 pointed as the commissioner lor performing that 

 difficult and laborious duty, who, from his attain- 

 ments, industry, ardor, and practical experience, 

 was eminently qualified for the station. 



This may undoubtedly with propriety and jus- 

 tice be considered one of the most important mea- 

 sures that have been adopted since the orixaniza- 

 tion of tiie government ; for it is immediately 

 interesting, and must be directly beneficial, not 

 only to every citizen who depends upon the culti- 

 vation of the earth for his support, hut to the whole 

 population, of which the farming class constitutes 

 at least seven-tenths, beinjr, at the same time, the 

 grand nursery and constant source of sup|)ly fi^r 

 filling all the other diversified occupations in soci- 

 ety. 



With a soil naturally as capable of tillage, and 



to as high a degree of perfection as that of any 

 other region, Massachusetts has been dependent 

 on oilier states lor a large portion of tiie most 

 indisp(Misal>le |)roducts of' agriculture, which are 

 annually consumed ; not Irom a deficiency of ter- 

 ritory, lor, compared with the population ours is 

 doulile that of iOngland, — nor because it is not 

 capable of yielding a sufticient quantity to meet 

 the demand ; but mainly from an imperfect system 

 of husbandry, and the general disinclination of 

 the people to submit to the quiet, noiseless, appa- 

 rently slow and doubtful process of acquiring an 

 ample, independent support, by a |)erpetual culti- 

 vation ol'tlie earth. Resides these adverse causes, 

 commerce, navigalion, the fisheries, manufactories, 

 the mechanical arts, and the mighty tide of emi- 

 gration l)ave made rapidly increasing drafts Irom 

 the agricultural popiiiaiion, and thus produced a 

 continually augmenting ditierence, between those 

 who consume and those wlio produce, v.'hich has 

 long since made it indispensible to expend the 

 wealth acquired from other sources of income in 

 procuring supplies from other parts of the union ; 

 and ultimately, so great became the disparity be- 

 tween the supply and the demand, that, as a 

 nation, we have been compelled to resort to for- 

 eign countries lor the first necessaries of life. 



It is our duty, then, to make every pussible ex- 

 ertion to avert such alarming conjunctures in fu- 

 ture ; Ibr no natioti can be said to be truly indepen- 

 dent, and secure in its position and institutions 

 which is not at all times, and under all circumstan- 

 ces, liilly caf^able of llirnishing l()od and raiment, 

 and whatever else is lequisile, ibr the support and 

 comfort of the whole people. 



From the first report made by Mr. Colman, 

 there is ample testimony to warrant the assertion 

 that Miissacliuseiis is capable of yieldinij more 

 than triple tlie amount of agricultural products 

 which have hitherto been obtained. There is itot 

 a county which ihe commissioner has visittd, that 

 has not presented examples of tillage, and experi- 

 ments in all the branches of New England culture, 

 which lully illustrate the immense advantages that 

 are derivable from a skilful application of science 

 to the practical arts of husbandry. This verified 

 and consetjuently most useful of all kinds of know- 

 ledge, but which has been confined within very 

 limited and liir separate circles, will hereafter be 

 as universally possessed, through the medium of 

 the reports on each county, as that which has been 

 collected and published on every other subject con- 

 nected with human indusiry; and the whole, 

 vvlien completed, in the lucid, exact, and satisliic- 

 tory manner in which the first has been presented, 

 will, allowing for the extent of territory surveyed, 

 form the most accurate and valuable agriculiural 

 cyclopaedia which has appeared in any country. 

 It will include the actual operations of each indi- 

 vidual, who has best perfec teil that portion of rural 

 economy to which his attention had been most 

 exclusivply directed, from the nature of the soil, 

 ami ireographical position as respects a market. 



Hiiherio idl the publications which have appear- 

 ed on a<xriculture, have been principally compila- 

 tions from the various treatises that have been 

 wriiten on that all-important subject, since the 

 period of the illustrious Columella; and, how- 

 ever laborious may have been the authors, and 

 ingeniously iiuthful in design, or desirous of produ- 

 cing a work which might the most perfectly sub- 



