1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



601 



f.he laws of nature, are clearly proved and shown 

 and properly stated; all may be convinced upon 

 all questions in due time, (every one should study 

 geology, and the progress of man as well, to learn 

 how the laws of nature proceed,) without offend- 

 ing and doing injury and injustice to any. I look 

 upon the immediate abolition of slavery in the 

 West Indies as one of the greatest national errors 

 ever committed — but such an event must be for 

 Bome great purpose. The English are perfectly 

 insane upon this question. Entirely ignorant oi 

 direct, immediate, personal slavery, they view- 

 it as an abstract principle — and totally disregarding 

 all known and unknown principles of human na- 

 ture, and of the laws of nature, they abolish 

 their slavery there with the stroke of the pen! It 

 is the second step to the dismembermenc of the 

 British empire, which is likewise clearly not a per- 

 manent one. Free government, or rather the 

 first principles of it, were first developed in tem- 

 perate climates, in an island in the middle latitudes 

 of Europe. The germ of free government in the 

 tropics was first established in an island likewise, 

 (Hayti.) Why freedom has first been so estab- 

 lished may, I think, be easily shown. As it pro- 

 ceeds, vou will have a difficult task to perform in 

 the south. 



You are at liberty to publish all you think fit, 

 unless I request otherwise at the time. You say 

 you do not yet understand my views, or to what 

 school I belong upon political economy. I will 

 state my views upon manufactures, food and pop- 

 ulation, in connection with agriculture, as I pro- 

 ceed in my communications. I scarcely belong to 

 any school upon any subject. Condy Ilagoetism, 

 Matthew Careyism and Tappanism, &c. are all 

 wild, impracticable and mischievous errors and ex- 

 tremes of the same class — that is, in the presenl 

 state of society. If the means and ability to man- 

 ulacture exist, Matthew Careyism is infinitely 

 better than Condy Raguetism — the latter bein^- 

 altogether an abstract principle, only to be estab- 

 lished when man is perfect, and in this I firmly 

 believe — -it is easy to prove. The Creator is per- 

 fect. Protection I hold to be necessary to enable 

 manufactures to be established— being long es- 

 tablished elsewhere — and duties I consider as wise 

 and politic in the present state of the world. Most 

 of our duties are now paid by the foreign produ- 

 cers — formerly, not at all, or very little. I think 

 the United States paid the taxes of others long 

 enough. Coal, for instance, was formerly ten 

 and tw-elve dollars and more, per ton — now five 

 and six, with a duty of two dollars. Who pays 

 that duty? Certainly not the consumer. So with 

 many other productions — the foreign producer 

 now lowers his prices. If an article is not pro- 

 duced here, and the duty ismoderale, it is paid by 

 the consumer — if very high, it is paid by the con- 

 sumer and foreign producer, as is exactly the case 

 with your tobacco. If that duty was moderate, 

 you would probably obtain 25 to 59 cents per lb. 

 instead of only a few cents. That duty is paid 

 by the producer here, and the consumer in Eng- 

 land. If an article is partly produced at home, 

 and partly imported, the foreign producer pays 

 most of the duty — that is. he sells ibr less than he 

 otherwise would do. If the. duty upon tobacco in 

 England was ten cents instead of seventy, (it was 

 eighty cents!) the producer here would receive 

 more, and the consumer there would pay less than 

 Vol. Ill— 76 



they now do. If there was a duty of 20 cents 

 upon cotton in England, the planter would only 

 get about five cents, as he does for tobacco. 



I never could understand why the South so fu- 

 riously and vehemently supported the monopoly 

 of England! It should have said to the North, 

 "if you are ready and able to begin manufactur- 

 ing, we wiil help and support you to break that 

 monopoly, and God speed you — for monopolists 

 always sell dear and buy cheap." With two or 

 more markets, we shall get more for our raw ma- 

 terials, and pay less for the goods, which is now 

 the case, as I ahvaj s predicted. England had the 

 monopoly of the world, and well she has made it 

 pay! The United States has now a surplus reve- 

 nue of near twenty millions, and no body knows 

 where it came from! and there might have been 

 near twice as much obtained as easily. 



Before the Erie Canal was made, most of the 

 northern store cattle came here. We paid from 

 fifteen to thirty dollars ahead. After it was fin- 

 ished, they were chiefly fed and killed at home, 

 and they rose to twenty-five and forty dollars, and 

 beef fell two and three dollars per cwt. — the latter 

 now rising again from the great increasing demand. 

 Facts are stubborn things. 



When Congress took off the duty upon coffee, 

 Ferdinand VII. laid it on as an export duty at the 

 Havana, with an import duty of six or eight dol- 

 lars on flour! Condy Raguetism will not do yet 

 —and Jonathan is not always as sharp-sighted as 

 he might be. 



You seem to wish me to write more about di- 

 rect practical agriculture. I thought it better to 

 say something first as to what the true principles 

 of agriculture are, and what is required for their 

 establishment and existence — besides I wish to 

 see a little more of the results of my present 

 crops, for it is only lately I began my present prac- 

 tice. The promise is such as I never saw before. 

 I am confident I am right — but we must never 

 halloo too soon — a small error or failure under 

 new circumstances, no matter from what cause, 

 is enough. 



In 1833 I top-dressed a grass field in the fall. 

 Its condition was good. 1834 — mowed it, plough- 

 ed immediately — six weeks after sowed ruta baga 

 without manure. Such a crop I never had,or ever 

 saw, and I have seen thousands of acres. The 

 extremity of the leaves measured 11 feet, in circum- 

 ference: they looked like the rank vegetation upon 

 the banks of rivers. How often I looked at them! 

 the feelings J would not exchange for any man's. 

 1835 — Barley and down again with grass for three 

 years. The" barley was superb — not yet thrashed. 

 One of my pupils who returned from England 

 this summer, said he saw none so good there: an 

 Knflishman said the same. I intended top-dress- 

 ing it again this tall, but the grass is so luxuriant 

 ! thought it better not to do so. I have just light- 

 ly limed and plastered if. Oh! but it is a glorious 

 system — and it costs nothing. 



GEOUGE IIESRY WALKER, 



Uohnesburg, January 12//;, 1836. 

 Letter IV. 



You still appear (by your letter of Dec. 11th,) 

 to be the most desirous about practical operations. 

 Now, formers y.re not in much repute amongst 



