4 32 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 7 



have no doubt, that another season will give it all the 

 support it may now appear to want. 



"1 shall rely upon this fact at present: I shall not at- 

 tempt to support it by any arguments drawn from the 

 philosophy of plants, or theories of vegetation. There 

 are, however, some very important views which bear 

 upon the economy of agriculture, and are within the 

 scope of this work, which will probably be brought 

 forward in the second volume of this journal. 



O. W. FEATHERSTOjVIIAUGH." 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 FOLLOW NATURE. 



JVardsfork, (Charlotte,) ? 

 Aug. 27th, 1S35. $ 



In all our attempts at agricultural improvement, 



(to succeed) we must follow the indications oi 

 nature. Whenever we are in doubt of the way, 

 we should not be misled by every ignis fatuus of 

 speculation — but eye attentively the linger of 

 direction on the way-side — lor nature has tixed a 

 signpost at every fork, so that the wayfaring man 

 may not err. Man in his inquiries after truth, is 

 prone too mucb to listen to the suggestion of a 

 theorising fancy — and when the maul becomes 

 vain of its own ingenuity, and amazed with its 

 own reveries, it. turns with disgust from the more 

 laborious but more certain pursuit of truth, in the 

 way of observation and experiment. The wise 

 physician, in order to find out the best indications 

 of cure, applies his finger attentively to the pulse, 

 and looks steadily on the countenance of his pa- 

 tient. So should the agriculturist, who has to re- 

 store to health a diseased and exhausted soil, ap- 

 ply his nicest touch- and scrutinizing look, to the 

 indications of the vis. medkatrix natura of agri- 

 culture. 



Amid the now noisy clash of discussion, and 

 the conflicting jar of registered essays, the still 

 small voice of practical truth is not sufficiently re- 

 garded. Let us lay aside much of speculation 

 and noisy talking, and elaborate writing, and go 

 forth into our fields, with the eye and touch of ob- 

 servation, under the light of nature, and find out, 

 each for himself, where lies the truth. 1 would 

 not be understood as objecting to discussion, con- 

 versation, or written essays on agricultural sub- 

 jects, where they arc not substituted lor practice 

 and experiment, and directed too much by a theo- 

 rising spirit. When properly conducted, they be- 

 come the reservoirs of tried truth, and the chan- 

 nels for circulating the refreshing and fertilizing 

 water of knowledge through all the desolate and 

 thirsty places of our country. 



But to return. If we would catch the true spirit 

 of improvement, we must bow at nature's shrine, 

 and consult, her oracles. If we would move on- 

 ward to perfection in agricultural science, we must 

 invoke her aid. Do you wish to reclaim land 

 subject to injury from water? — notice the natural 

 direction which the water is disposed to take, trace 

 out that course with your spade, and by this sim- 

 ple and sure method you redeem the lost soil, and 

 render it safe and productive. But on the other 

 hand, if you run an awkward ditch without any 

 regard to to the direction of the stream, you incur 

 all the expense and trouble, without any sort of ad- 

 vantage. The simpleton who obstinately slights 

 the indications of nature, will always reap trouble 

 and expense only, for his pains. Do you wish to 



rear a valuable fruit tree? plant it where nature 

 has said it. should grow; and when you come to 

 look lor fruit, you shall find it. But if you tear the 

 scion from its proper home with a rash and heed- 

 less hand, and iuree it into a soil and situation un- 

 congenial to its nature, it will not flourish, but die, 

 and its withering branches shall upbraid him with 

 Solly who planted it. 



V hen you undertake to turn nature out of her 

 course in any depart meat of her operations, there 

 is a reaction immediately produced — the protect- 

 ing principle is aroused into action to counteract the 

 effects of this encroachment on her laws. For ex- 

 ample: if you throw an obstruction across a stream, 

 the water gathers above, accumulates force, and 

 endeavors to remove the barrier. The weight of 

 ihe wal i' above, and the lidl of the water below, 

 (undermining) both contributing to bring things 

 to their natural state. 



Again; you see the. same thing exemplified in 

 diking. If too great encroachment is made on 

 tin 1 natural boundaries of the stream, by an inju- 

 dicious embankment, you will be chastised tor this 

 violation of nature's laws, by the loss of your dike. 

 Many of'thedikes that have been raised oflate, have 

 been so injudiciously contrived, that their broken 

 backs and excavated sides will tell to future times 

 the lolly of their builders. Where they are con- 

 structed with due regard to the natural privileges 

 of the water, they are useful, [but not] where the 

 stream cannot be straightened all the way, or 

 where there is not sufficient fall (when straighten- 

 ed,) to keep the low lands out of the reach of 

 freshets. 



Let us observe the indications of nature with 

 .o the application of manures. Her object 

 seems to be two-fold — to cover .-oil from extreme 

 heat and cold, and to invigorate the productive 

 principle. The matter used, are leaves, weeds, 

 grasses, sediment, &c. The time of applying is 

 lite fall. The part to which she applies, is the sur- 

 face. It is a little curious how she manages this 

 business, about the time she brings her materials 

 in the greatest perlection. She employs the hand 

 of frost to prepare, and the wings oi" the wind to 

 scatter broad cast. In the fall, and while .he mat- 

 ter rots, the rich juices are trickling into the soil, 

 while the woody parts remain on the surface as a 

 cover to protect against winter cold. I .could enu- 

 merate many other examples, to show that to suc- 

 ceed in agricultural improvement, we must follow 

 the indications of nature — but let these, for the 

 present, suffice. 



J. R. 



From the Philadelphia Commercial Herald. 



SILX. 



In every part of our country, attention is waken- 

 ed to ibis important and profitable branch of 

 manufacture. New England, however, having 

 taken the lead, s"ems likely to enjoy for the pre- 

 sent neatly a monopoly of the production. A 

 company, "with a capital of S200,000 has been 

 firmed at Boston, called the Massachusetts Silk 

 Company, which has for its object the culture and 

 manufacture of this article. This company has 

 purchased several tracts of land at Northampton, 

 on which are one or more water privileges, and 

 their factory will probably be erected in that town. 



