1847.] Diffusion of Jigricidtural Knoivledge. 155 



bulk, and yet the press is still incessant in rolling out its floods 

 of reading. How few however are devoted to the interests of agri- 

 culture, embracing as it does in its elementary principles, a large 

 field of knowledge, and in its practical labors an occupation so 

 well adapted to the happiness of man. Leavingout of the discus- 

 sion for a moment the science ol farming as embracing the com- 

 position of soils and the constituents of plants, and animals, and 

 confining the inquiry to that knowledge among farmers, which 

 should call forth a sound and discriminating judgment as to what 

 grain he should sow upon a certain field ; the quantity and kind 

 of stock he should keep on his farm ; what kind of produce he 

 should raise for his most convenient market, and many other cal- 

 culations in which his interests are so directly involved : we say 

 that the farmer is far behind the mechanic and the artist. Among 

 the latter branches that have been matured by mental labor we 

 will mention that of steam as applied to mechanical purposes, and 

 we are not competent to enumerate the sleepless hours of night, 

 or the more wakeful mode of severe and constant thinking that 

 has been devotetl to the improvement of the steam engine ; there 

 have been many painiul instances in which individuals have suf- 

 fered great losses by their unwearied eflbrts and profuse expen- 

 ditures in striving to find out the best mode of applying this pow- 

 er to machinery. 



By these applications and expenditures great improvements 

 have been made in that branch of mechanical labor, and mankind 

 have been greatly benefitted by its successes. There have been 

 also great improvements made in other branches of the mechanic 

 arts, and agricultural implements have also been wonderfully im- 

 proved in these latter times. The subject of manure has of late 

 been much discussed and thoroughly investigated, yet we conceive 

 that one branch of agricultural knowledge has not been so 

 thoroughly pursued as those of less importance, and that is the 

 manner in which the farmer should apply his labors. To obtain 

 the greatest profit from a given amount of labor should be one of 

 his chief studies. It is not characteristic of farmers to set down 

 and calculate and systamatize a course of farming for a series of 

 years to come. Among the more prominent facts to be consider- 

 ed in maturing his plans, are the quantity of land to be tilled, its 

 condition, his means for improving it, the amount of family labor, 

 and its proximity to market. Now, where is there a farmer that 

 devotes as many thoughtful hours and subjects his mind to such 

 severe labor in maturing his plans embracing the above facts, as 

 he who strives to improve a piece of machinery. 



Perhaps the extreme apathy of the husbandman to discharge 

 this duty, in which his interest is so directly involved, arises in 

 view of the cheapness of land, and the quantity that remains un- 



