1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



603 



*enee, and that this law of subsistence is conforma- 

 ble to the true principles ofagriculture. Englandj 



arul the United States still more, have observed 

 those laws the best, and hence their prosperity 

 and advancement above all other nations. How 

 strange the political economists have never studied 

 this part of the question ! They have never yet 

 even thought of it ! ! 



I have endeavored to form my system of farm- 

 ing upon those, principles. I told you of my su- 

 perb crop of turnips without manure — after grass, 

 top-dressed the. year before. The, barley after them 

 last year (without manure.) will be 50 bushels per 

 acre, if not more, (not quite all thrashed yet,) and 

 a fine sample. I intended to top-dress the grass, 

 in the barley stubble, last fall, but it appeared too 

 rich, and I put the manure upon a poorer stub- 

 ble. A few years aim this land would not grow 

 more than five bushels oj barley per acre, of the 

 worst quality. The field was three years in grass 

 previous to the turnips (ruta baga). With this 

 system, deficiency of tiioJ and excess ol popula- 

 tion is an idle fear. The first year I mowed six 

 wagon loads of hay per acre; the second, four 

 loads; the third, top-dressed, three loads. It 

 ought to have been top-dressed the first year. 

 Manuring old grass is ol' little service to the coming 

 crop; it is like trying to renovate the youth of 

 an old man. But it is of great benefit to the suc- 

 ceeding arable crop. 



As grass and amble cattle crops are did) 7 propor- 

 tioned to, and alternated with grain and other crops 

 for man, according to the natural law of his sub- 

 sistence, so will the fertility of the soil be (lie great- 

 est, and the labor the least, leaving the mass of 

 the population for manufactures and commerce, 

 and all other professions. The practice of man- 

 kind has hitherto been perpetual tillage, with sepa- 

 rate or little or no grass; or grass very partially at- 

 tended with arable crops; or arable cattle crops 

 and some grass, occasionally alternated with arable 

 crops tor man; with separate permanent pasture 

 and meadow, as in England. Hence utter ex- 

 haustion of the sail — partial improvement, and 

 stationary medium fertility; and hence under these 

 circumstances, more or less deficiency of food, 

 and excess of population; and hence again, under 

 these circumstances, the full truth of the Malthu- 

 sian theory. Bat Mai thus evidently knew not 

 why or wherefore, nor how to remedy the evils 

 and errors, but by breaking a third law of nature ! 

 — for of the natural law of subsistence and of the 

 corresponding true principles of agriculture, he 

 knew nothing — nor even thought of them. Had 

 he investigated them, and studied how far they 

 had been observed, and how much they have been 

 broken, neglected, and unduly observed, he might 

 have been led to infer tar greater perfection, wis- 

 dom, goodness, beauty and harmony in the laws 

 of the supreme and all-wise Creator, than his sad 

 and disheartening theory implies. There are the 

 means of subsistence tor all, if the laws of nature 

 are duly observed by all. I should be sorry to 

 believe it otherwise. To regulate the numbers of 

 mankind is no part of the prerogatives of man. 

 Tliis can only be in the hands of that power 

 which created him. But Malthus has opened 

 the door to the truth, and that is a great deal. 

 His theory, with other circumstances, and a 

 knowledge of the condition of the people of Eng- 

 land and the United States, led me to the discove- 



ry of what I am quite confident is the real truth 

 in this greatest and most important of all questions, 

 affecting the condition, well-being, happiness, and 

 civilization ol' man. 



GEORGE HENRY WALKER. 



From the Southern Agriculturist. 



ON MANURES. 



Report of the Committee on agricultural subjects, to 

 the Society for the advancement of learning in 

 South Carolina. 



Gentlemen — Having been honored by your 

 choice to present to you some agricultural subjects 

 which may be interesting and advantageous to 

 our state, w r e must, notwithstanding the inade- 

 quacy of our knowledge and experience, to do 

 justice to so copious a theme, exert our feeble 

 powers. Relying on your indulgence, we hope to 

 take such views of the subject as may enable you 

 to glean a few ears from among the stubble. 



Although agriculture is the most ancient, an;l 

 the most honorable, because the most useful and 

 necessary prolession, it is, as a science, as yet, in a 

 surprising state of imperlection. It has always 

 added to the glory of the states which have given 

 it encouragement, and when skilfully conducted, 

 has ever proven a source of individual wealth and 

 national power. We cannot, therefore, bestow 

 upon it too much of our care, nor seek with too 

 much zeal the surest modes of securing the incal- 

 culable benefits to be obtained from it. Indisputa- 

 ble as these propositions are, it is a strange anom- 

 aly in human affairs, that this, most necessary 

 wealth, and power-giving art has never had a re- 

 gular footing in the schools of the ancient or mod- 

 ern world, there to be taught with the other arts 

 and sciences which have given to man so much 

 cause to be proud of the efforts of his reason and 

 of the flights of his genius. Is it because, it is the 

 most easy and least intricate vocation. 2 The 

 most superficial observers only can look upon it in 

 that light. It is very true that the industrious 

 man, though guided by ignorance, is generally 

 enabled to make a support, and even, in some 

 cases, to acquire affluence; but we must also ad- 

 mit that his exertions are most bewildered, and 

 his success most limited, when a difficulty arises 

 that baffles the. routine of his operations. 



The knowledge required to form a competent 

 agriculturist, is as profound as it is various. So 

 great is the amount and multiplicity of that know- 

 ledge, that we may well doubt the practicability of 

 its ever being all possessed by one individual, be 

 his talents, industry and opportunities ever so 

 great. Every branch of science or of art is di- 

 rectly or indirectly connected with rural affairs. 

 We shall not make the vain effort to enumerate 

 them, we shall only point out a lew of the nearest, 

 such as mathematics, natural philosophy, botany 

 and the physiology of plants, and the philosophy 

 of vegetation. Chemistry is also indispensable; 

 for it is in various ways intimately connected with 

 agriculture. 



The first principles, howeve ', to which we must 

 confine our iabors for the present, include the 

 knowledge of the different kinds of soils, and the 

 adaptation of each to every particular object of cul- 

 ture. 



Fertility depends on various circumstances; for, 



