5i34 



rsi^Vv ENGLAND FARMER, 



JAN. 27, 1^4I 



thoroimh invcstirfation, to be fully siisltiiiipd by an 

 array of facts wliicli put incfredulity at defiaiico. 



"If wars and battles have rendered the names 

 of victorious chieftains memorable throughout the 

 •world, has not agriculture given an intinilely more 

 commendable, precious, and lasting lame to those 

 really great and good men, who havi^ acquired dis- 

 tinction as the benefactors, rather than the exter- 

 minators of their race ? Will not the admirable 

 characters and eminent deeds of the latter, become 

 more extensively known and morehiulily apprecia- 

 ted, as the bounds of human intelligence and civil 

 liberty are enlarged, while the blood-stained laurels 

 of the warrior will have perished, or be considered 

 as revolting emblems of their crimes ; and their 

 martial feats, instead of exciting respect and emu- 

 lation, will be converted into subjects of indignant 

 execration and abhorrence ? " 



"Only fifty years since, and the whole of that 

 broad and lengthened region which extends from 

 the fountains of the Atlantic rivers to the western 

 verge of the vale of the Mississippi, was one entire 

 wilderness. Now it contains eleven states and 

 three flourishing territories, whose aggregate popu- 

 lation amounts to more than seven millions. 



" These are the glorious achievements of untir- 

 ing rural industry — the splendid triumphs of civili- 

 Eation — the indisputable victories and magnificent 



conquests of Agriculture. Yes, of Agriculture 



for by the axe and the plough were laid the im- 

 mense foundations on which was reared this mighty 

 and prosperous republic ; and its patriotic and in- 

 dependent yeomanry now constitute at least seven 

 tenths of the entire population." 



* * » * # 



" It was not before the reign of William and Ma- 

 ry that agriculture, manufactures, foreign trade 

 and navigation began to make a decided and vigo- 

 rous onward movement. Even as Irte as the com- 

 mencement of the eigliteenlh century, and during 

 the brilliant reign ol Queen Ann, the commercial 

 fleet of the kingdom was estimUeii at only about 

 70,000 tons, and now it numbers 25,000 vessels, 

 whose aggregate tonnage- is 2,7S;i,0('0. The an 

 nual consumption of grain has increased to ^40,- 

 000,1100 of bushels, all of which is generally raised 

 in the country. 'I'he products of agriculture of 

 every kind in the year 18:)8, huve been valued at 

 the enormous sum of $1,2.50,000,000, and those of 

 manufactories amount to !*i750,000,000. 



From 1792 to 18;», the population of the United 

 Kingdom has increj.sed fiom 12,680,000 to 27,- 

 350,0l)0 ; and the exports have arisen from 25,009i'-- 

 000 to 105,000,000, and the imports from l!),a59,- 

 000 to 61,2tJ8,000 of pounds sterling. 



" The invention of the steam engine, and the 

 substitution of machinery for manual labor, with 

 the consequent dovelopement of the powers of those 

 two grand elements of national industry, coal and 

 iron, have been the chief causes of that ireincn- 

 dou.s impetus which iias been given to the arts in 

 Great Britain. With the aid of machinery, one 

 hundred persons can inaniifLCtiire as much cotton 

 as would have required ten thousand only forty 

 years since ; and the cotton now manufactured in 

 that country, would require, without the aid of la- 

 bor-doing machinery, 1 (',000.000 workmen ; and all 

 the various articles which are thus made, could not 

 be manufactured by 200,000,000 of men. 



" It may be truly .said, that Ureat Britain has at- 

 tained a more exalted position than has ever been 



reached by any other nation. In letters and sci- 

 ence ; in the useful and ornamental arts; in aari- 

 culture, trade, navigation and maniifacturps ; in 

 prosperity, riches and power; in eloquence and 

 arms; in the refinements and embellishments of 

 civilization; in the grandest eflibrts of genius and 

 most brilliant displays of talent ; in all that elevates 

 man and nations, that kingdom is a glorious exam- 

 ple for the whole globe. It may there be seen 

 how far the human race can be advanred, when the 

 interests and rights of the people, and the grandeur 

 of the nation, bee ime the main subjects of conside- 

 ration on the part of the most enlightened men and 

 of the government." 



*■*»•» 



" It is not surprising that among the most im- 

 portant subjects which the illnssrions Washington 

 urged upon the attention of the first Congress which 

 assembled under the great charter of our liberties, 

 were — "the advancement of agriculture, commerce 

 and manufaclures ; the promotion of science and 

 literature ; the expediency of giving eflectual en- 

 couragement to the exertions of skill and genius, 

 in producing new and useful inventions ; and of fa- 

 cilitating the intercourse between distant parts of 

 the country." 



"In accordance with those enlarged views, laws 

 were successively passed for encouraging and fos 

 tering those all-important objects; and such has 

 been the salutary influence of a continued protec- 

 tive policy, that the annual productions of woollen 

 manufactories amount to 40,000,000; of cotton to 

 60.000,000. and including those of all other mate- 

 rials, to 350,000,000 of '^dollars ; and adding the 

 earnings of agriculture, and every other branch of 

 industry, the national production has been estima- 

 ted, by one of the most distinguished statistical au- 

 thors of our country, at §1,200 000,000. 



"The navigation of the United States has been 

 augmented in a like remarkable manner, as the ves- 

 sels employed in the coasting and foreign trade and 

 the fisheries, now exceed 2,000,000 tons ; being 

 more than two thirds as much as that of Great 

 Britain, and nearly quadruple that of Fram-e. The 

 increase in population has been quite as extiaordi- 

 nary, for it must exceed, at this time, 15,000,000. 



"From the facts which are to be obtained from 

 the history of those nations that have become the 

 most distinguished for their progress in manufac- 

 tures, trade and navigation, it is apparent that ag- 

 riculture has ever ke()t in the advance, and been 

 not only the creator and pioneer, but the founda- 

 tion and perpetual support of each and all of tliem. 



"In Great Britain, where manufactures and 

 navigation have been the most fostered, and have 

 flourished the most within the last century, it has 

 been ascertained that the persons employed in ag- 

 riculture amount 16 over 9,000,000, while those en- 

 gaged in the industrial arts were less than 4,000,000. 

 Not half of the latter, however, were employed in 

 producing articles for the foreign markets, while 

 neither the number of people or the wealth acquir- 

 ed by them, was a fourth part of that which is pro- 

 duced and maintained by the agricultural industry. 



"Agriculture in the United Stales, besides sup- 

 plying the demand for home consumption, furnishes 

 three fourths of the exports of domestic articles, 

 and manufactures imly a tenth. The disparity, 

 however, between the exports of the raw material 

 and of manutiictures, is conclusive evidence that 

 we have not siilficiently extended the latter, and 

 are too much dependent upon other nations for ar- 

 ticles that could as well made in our own." 





For the N. E. Farmer. 



BORROWING AND CREDITING. 



In one of the late numbers of the Farmer, I o't 

 served, in an editorial article on squaring accounli 

 some remarks as to borrowing. It was there sta- 

 ed that such articles as were loaned a neiorhbc 

 should be charged to him, and articles borrowei 

 credited. My object at this lime is to inquire ho 

 far this rule is to be carried out — to what article 

 and in what cases it is to extend .' It is obviot 

 that if 1 have a complete set of farming implemeni 

 — and we are told that every farmer should have- 

 I shall be under the frequent necessity of lendin 

 some one or more of these implements to my les 

 fortunate neighbors. Now shall I charge thei 

 with the use of such implements, and receive pa 

 either in money or work, or shall I gratuitousi 

 grant the use of them .' If I make the charge an 

 exact payment, it will, in many cases, operate to 

 total prohibition of their use by others: if I charg 

 nothing for their use, I may be troubled to such a 

 excess for the loan of such articles by others, as t 

 amount almost to a prohibition of their use by mi 

 self. It seems clear, therefoie, that neither i 

 these rules can be indiscriminately adopted. 



But how stands the case .^ Are there many fai' 

 mers whose stock of tools is so complete that the 

 have no occasion to borrow of their neighbors" 

 Very few, I will venture to say — very few, excep 

 ing only your wealthy and fancy farmers. Wh; 

 fanner, for example, has the improved seed sower 

 rollers, horse rakes and cultivator,* ? Vou ma 

 say that every farmer ought to possess them — bi 

 still every farmer does not possess all of these an 

 other improved implements, and till he is able i 

 willing to purchase, he may wish to borrow of oil 

 ers, and others in return to borrow of him .'^uch a 

 tides as they may themselves be in want of. No 

 what rule shall be adopted to regulate this mutn; 

 borrowing.' I confess I do not like the system ■ 

 charging, or ofl'setting the use of one thing again 

 the use of another. It seems to be carrying into 

 neighborhood, where ofiices of mutual kindnei 

 should prevail, a system only of dollars and centsi 

 a system which will allow of nolhing to be doD 

 without a quid pro quo, as the lawyers say— or, i 

 other words, without an equivalent received, 

 an implement is very valuable and of such a cha 

 acter that one will suffice for the wants of a larg 

 neighborhood — as a threshing or winnowing mi 

 chine — why, in such instances, let the onni 

 charge a fair compensation for its use. But I 

 charge fiir the use of a harrow, plough or rake— 

 mean for every occasional loan of such cominc 

 articles, of however short duration — seems to n 

 rather too strict and exclusive: by doing sn, 

 should much fear that I should enjoy no cnviab 

 reputation among my neighbors. 



I would not, however, be understood to favor tli 

 principle which some seem to act upon, of Inir: 

 by borrowing. Your mere borrower, where he li; 

 the means to be above it, is the most despic;iLil 

 character in community. I have known a man I 

 keep his own wheelbarrow housed for years, an 

 all the while live by borrowing his neighboi' 

 Such fellows are soon found out and treated :u 

 cording to their deserts. But the conduct of sm 

 men, and the evils to which borrowing sometuiit, 

 subjects us, are not sufficient reasons with me, fi 

 refusing a reasonable request to lend. I remen 

 her, when such requests are made, that there is n 

 individual, however well off, who is absolutely ir 



