250 



NEW ENGLAND FA R M E R, 



1 



FEB. 14, 18''8.* 



(For the N. E. Fnrmer.) 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM AND GARDEN. 



Within II few years, ihe science and art of use- 

 ful and ornainenlal cultivation, have l)econie sub- 

 jects of general inquiry and attention, througlioiil 

 the United Slates ; not only hy practical farmers 

 and ffardeners, but by statesmen and legislators, 

 the illustrious in letters, and the enlightened and 

 patriotic, in all the diversified professions and oc- 

 cupations, in which rur enterprising citizens have 

 been engaged. Precept and example have com- 

 bined to extend information, and excite s passion 

 for the noblest employment, m which man can la- 

 bor ; for it is from the earth, that he derives food 

 and raiment, as well as the comforts and luxuries 

 of his existence, both physical and intellectual. 



The industrious aits and navigation are the vig- 

 orous olTspring of agriculture, the secondary means 

 of perfecting, increasing and rendering available, 

 the products and interesting developments of 

 rural labor, genius and taste ; but it i,s the teem- 

 ing and exhaustless earth, which furnishes the 

 materiahs for the works of the mechanic, the cou- 

 Btruction of the vast fleets of commerce, and chief- 

 ly, the rich lading, which they transport, from one 

 hemisphere to another. The ncorns planted by 

 Evelyn, in the reign of Charles II. supplied the 

 timber for that navy, whose thunders were so tri- 

 umphantly directen b.v n Collingwood and a Nel- 

 son ; and the immo.rtixl author of Marniion and 

 Waverley.when embeliis.bing his extensive grounds 

 of Abbotsford, with fojeb't trees, ingenuously de- 

 clared, that besides the ii.Tmcdiate gratification, 

 which that most interesiinj,' o f nil his employments 

 iifTorded, he could not hut acknowledge, that he 

 was stimulated in his exertions, frOm the reflec- 

 tion, that it was possible, his g ro\'e3 might furnish 

 »he ribs of oak, for some futuri' s.T'adron, which 

 would rival the victories of AboLiki <" »"d Trafal- 



■■''^' ' /> "'.A.,:;., n. vv. dl as those of 



All the nations of antiquity as vvv i 



^«larn times, ..est d--t'i-:*!^^'f »^ . ' .^i ,. 

 ,^ucement in civilization, .tmjj^d the • g-^- 

 -from the resources of agr.cu.tl.re. The J. 

 ,„an furnished the malenel, as wel as tlu pej.o 

 Zl of armies; and monarchs have been p. • -f^^. , 

 iB proportion to the p.ol.ficness of the sojl, ove. 

 which their sceptres extended. :n,.p„,.n- 



So much does the true and practical mae, -n 

 .lence of nations.-tbe increase of their popuKt.oi, 

 happiness and wealth, depend on the nidigenots 

 „,em.s of support, that it is only when the s.ipp y 

 is augmented, to meet the general demand, and 

 increases with a rapidity equal to that of the in- 

 habitants, that they may be considered, as in a 

 flourishing and progressive condition 



Why is it then, it may be asked, that improve- 

 ments in agriculture have always remained in the 

 rear, of the other great brancheB of art ? Jovel- 

 lanos,» a .listinguished Spanish author, has assign- 

 ed the reason. "Because it is an art more d.fti- , 

 cult to be carried on, and requires more knowl- 

 «,lKe and understanding, than those which admit 

 ,of greater division ; for it is, jn fact, much less an 

 Art, than an admirable reunion of several of the 

 inost distinguished arts." , ^ , , 



before tlie reign of Elizabeth, England was 

 BiawJy dependent upon France, Hollan.l, and oth- 

 er nations for bread and clothing ; but that talent- 

 ed and energetic queen, and her royal successora, 



-especially after the revolution of 1668, gave such I tion of the varieties of culinary vegembles, frui. 

 .' , .. ■ .., 1.., . i,„„,..„ „n il.P RK- flowers and other plants, in the difterent usef 



an impulse to agriculture, by a bounty on the ex 

 portation of wheat, and other encouragements, 

 that the cereal grains soon became staples of ex- 

 change for foreign articles of trade ; and the wool- 

 Icn manufacturers were so abundantly supplied 

 with the native raw material, that they were ena- 

 bled not only to meet the demand for home con- 

 sumption, but have, ever since, made near:v the 

 who.e earth tributary to tneni, for their various, 

 innumerable and beautiful fabrics. Indeed, the 

 history of the agriculture of Great Britain, since 

 ihe midule of the scveiiteentli centuiy, reveals the 

 causes of her mechanical, maniifictiiring and com- 

 mercial prosperity,— of her wealth, power and 

 grandeur. It is the universal diff'usion of intelli- 

 gence, nmon<; the ciihivators and proprietors of 

 the soil, which has rendered that island more pro- 

 ductive, and Its whole surface more beautiful, 

 than any other portion of the globe, — which has 

 covered its hills, plains and valleys, with well- 

 tilled fields, luxuriant gardens, and magnificent 

 villas. 



While Bacon, Locke and Newton enlarged the 

 bounds of exalted philosophy and Watt and Ark- 

 wright facilitated the labors of the artist, by their 

 wonderful mechanical inventions, Evelyn. Sin- 

 clair, Young, Coke, and Knight, with a host of 

 zealous compatriots — cheered on hy nobles, prin- 

 ces, and sovereigns, came forth, as the illustrious 

 apostles of husbandly ; and announced to the 

 shepherd and the ploughman, that their vocation 

 was among the most useful and honorable of the 

 realm ; and from the baronial castle to the cot- 

 tage, the mighty influence of their teaching and 

 example, has been conspicuously evinced, — thus 

 fully establishing the correctness of an axiom of 

 Davenant, one of the earliest writers on political 

 economy, " that the real and effectual riches of a 

 country, are its native ju-oducts."* 



So general and emphatic is the inclination and 

 taste throughout England, for a residence in the 

 country, that no one lives in a large city, except 

 for the purpose of acquiring the means to become 

 a proprietor of land ; and it may be truly said, 

 that the dear and proper home of an Englishman, 

 whether noble or commoner, is under his own 

 roof-tree, ill the midst of green fields and majestic 

 groves. It matters not, why, or where, he may 

 have been compelled to adventure, for fortune or 

 honors ; whether amidst the tumults of London 

 and iron din of Birmingham, or in distant colo- 

 nies, — an the ocean, or in the battle field, he is 

 animated, encouraged and cheered on in his ardu- 

 ous and perilous career, by the fond hope, that he 

 s.hall, one day, be restored to the venerable man- 

 sion of his ancestors ; or enjoy the quiet of a cot 

 tai'e, in some well remembered, "blissful haunt" 

 of hiK youth, whsn, — 



" Higfi over hills and low adown the dale, 

 I He wander'd many a wood, and measur'd many a vale." 

 It was in the midst of such a country-loving 

 people, that, experiments were eagerly made, by 

 •he wealthy enlightened and patriotic, either for 

 enriching the land , perfecting the implements 

 and modes of tillage, or improving the breeds of 

 sheep, cattle, horses and other domestic animals ; 

 while others with equal zeal were successfully 

 engaged, in developing the capabilities of the soil 

 and climate, for the introduction and multiplica- 



flowers and other plants, in the different usef 

 and ornamental departments of horticulture. B 

 sides these very efficient means of diflfusing i 

 formation, numerous agricultural and horticult 

 ral societies were established, hy whose genero 

 and active co-operation, a knowledge of the g 

 ence ami art of farming and gardening has be 

 uii.-versally disseminated ; and now there is scan 

 ly a county or large town, that has not its expe 

 mental or botanical garden, as well as extensi 

 nurseries and t)''intations, of all kinds Jif fri 

 forest anil ornamental trees, slirubs, flowers, a 

 every kind of useful vegetable production, wh 

 can he reared in the open air, or under the p 

 tection of Wails, Green-houses, Stoves, Cons 

 vatories and Vineries. 



Like causes and measures have [irodiiced 

 same happy results in portions of France, Holla 

 Belgium, Germany, haly, and even Russia; an 

 becomes our duty to profit by these examples, 

 is not expected that the practical operations of 

 large land owners, or that those dearly cherisi 

 rural propensities, and that long cultivated ta 

 which have end)el)lshed the scenery, and give 

 general aspect of comfort, ease and substan 

 happiness, to the great mass of the people^ 

 England and Scotland, can be immediately er 

 lated in this country. We are, as yet, not si 

 cienlly sensible to the grandeur, and beaiitie 



' •His excellent work, on the Agriculture of Spain, 

 *»#• RHbliphed in French in 1806. 



"His "Discourses on tho trade of England," was 

 printed in 10i»8. 



the works of nature, or ambitious of that digni 



independence and honorable distinction, whic 



spacious, and well tilled farm would confer on 



proprietor ; so far from it, there is a loo gen 



proclivity and custom among ihe rich and the 



ucated, to hold the country in such terror or < 



tempt, that they either avoid, or gladly flee I 



it, to congregate in the thronged emporiun 



commerce ; rather than seek, like Sallust 



Cicero. Washington and Madison, Webster 



Clay, Scott and Wilson, true domestic pe 



manly exercise, exalted occupation and inte 



tual enjoyment, on the borders of some of 



spacious hays, noble rivers, romantic mout 



streams, or numerous forest embowered U 



Still those other and efficient means, which 1 



been so beneficially employed in Europe, sh 



be adopted here ; for they are admirably calo 



ed to awaken a vigorous spirit of inquiry, ci-e 



deeper interest for those exalted pursuits, w 



they are intended to illustrate, eft'ect an amet 



tion of condition among the hardy sons and tit 



daughters of Massaciiusetts, and exert a pow 



and salutary influence, on all the branches of 



tic industry, throughout New England. i 



The Massachusetts Agricultural Society^; 



those Of the several counties, have done mat 



advance the great objects for which they J 



formed, and tho Horticultural Society has I 



than answered the expectations of its fout» 



but to fulfil all the conditions of such institui 



an extensive Experimental Farm and Garde 



indispensable, which shall embrace most o.' 



advantages of those, of a like character, that 



been i^uccessfully eslablished, in many of th« 



lopean nations, — either by individual enter 



liberal associations, on regal i)aIronage. 



'Jhe Experimental Gardens of the Londo' 

 Caledonian Horticultural Societies, of Chil 

 and Inverleith, the Jardin des Plants in Pa 

 which is more than seventy acres in cxtei 

 Institute Royal Horticole at Fromoni, the it 

 of Rural Economy at Alfort, and the Nr 



