AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 33 



m the increased fertility of the soil. In this country, where every 

 man tills his own huid, it seems an impossibility to convince many 

 that all the improvements they put upon their land is so much 

 added to its real value" — not only its })roduetive value from year 

 to year, but its market value. 



The limit of productiveness in the soil is not known — the ex- 

 tent to which its fertility may be increased. And the question is 

 not, is this soil adapted to wheat, or something else, but which- 

 ever is most profitable to the grower must be compelled to grow 

 upon any soil. This is true scientific farming, and when at the 

 same time the greatest amount is raised at the least cost, we have 

 all the demands of the art fulfilled. 



III. The application of scientific principles to agriculture is the 

 i)usincss of the practical farmer — the investigation and development 

 of them to the chemist and naturalist. Why they have hitherto 

 not directed their labors more to this end, is difficult to understand. 

 (3ne thing, however, is certain, that the labor and time employed 

 would have been but poorly repaid. It cannot be expected that 

 they should work without pay any more than it can be expected 

 of the farmer. And when the latter is fully awake to the value 

 of the aid to be derived from the former, it will be found that he 

 is ready and competent to the business. It is not long since we 

 received a communication from a practical farmer, setting forth 

 the benefits of scientific knowledge in agriculture — giving a his- 

 tory of the progress of improvement abroad, and urging the rais- 

 ing a fund to employ a chemist from Germmuj to analyse soils ; 

 and also suggesting that Professor Johnston be invited to visit this 

 country, in order that his opinion might be obtained w'ith regard 

 to the improvement of our agriculture. It is not w-onderful that 

 such should be the feelings of a man desirous of knowledge in 

 his occupation, for almost all the books on the subject are written 

 by Europeans, and almost all authorities quoted are of the same 

 parentage. This, we do not believe, is altogether the result of 

 a preference for foreign opinions, although we know that the idea 

 is somewhat prevalent that they are better than our own. The 

 science of agriculture is the same the world over, but its applica- 

 tion to practice must vary wath the climate, and, in a measure, 

 with the habits and condition of a people, and other circumstan- 

 ces. As far as mere science is concerned then, both theirs and 



VOL. I. — NO. 1. E 



