12 



Improvement of Exhausted Soils. 



Vol. VI. 



For Uie Farmers' Cabinet. 



Improvement of Exhausted Soils. 



Mr. Editor,— Returning the other day by 

 6ta?e from Baltimore, our route lay tlirough 

 lands which are a caution to behold ! The 

 farm, which I was informed consists of about 

 200 acres, is in the most deplorable state of 

 poverty and wretchedness that can be ima- 

 gined, although the owner has of late done 

 much towards repairing and adding to the 

 buildings, the erection of fences, &c. The 

 fields lie very conveniently around the house, 

 are large and easy of access, free from ob- 

 .stacles and of level surface, but the weeds 

 completely occupy the soil, and have left no 

 space for any cultivated plant whatever ; the 

 St. John's-wort and the gigantic mullein 

 reign triumphant and unmolested, and in its 

 present state, the occupation must be ruinous 

 to any one who would undertake to reclaim 

 it by his individual means. I was informed, 

 the owner is a very intelligent man, of much 

 wealth and first-rate possessions, but has been 

 unfortunate in his tenants, who have not, for 

 some reason or other, done justice to the farm 

 in question. Now, it struck me, that nothing 

 would give me more pleasure than to be the 

 owner of such property with such resources 

 at hand, for I have ever had a " penchant" to 

 make two blades of grass grow where but 

 one grew before ; and here, I should not de- 

 spair of finding employment to my heart's 

 content, although it will be admitted that it 

 would be a work of time to cause such a 

 desert to " blossom like the rose." On my ride 

 to the city, therefore, I amused myself by 

 chalking out a plan for both owner and tenant, 

 which, upon paper, looks well, and by no 

 means of difficult accomplishment; and if, 

 on detail, you should consider there is aught 

 in it that would be amusing or instructive to 

 either, perhaps you would give it a place in 

 some future number of the Cabinet; at all 

 events, it might contain hints that may be 

 useful to some one, either in the way of re- 

 proof or comfort. 



In the first place, then, were I the owner 

 of this estate — "very intelligent, of much 

 wealth and first-rate possessions," — 1 would 

 seek out some intelligent man, having nei- 

 ther of the additional requisites; put him 

 upon the farm, and become to hiin another 

 Duke of Buckingham — see page 79 of the 

 Cabinet, vol. 5 — my motto being "live and 

 let live," sensible, that the more a tenant im- 

 proves his land, the more he must benefit 

 himself and me. I would say, "Every as- 

 sistance I will render you, should I find you 

 deserving, relying on your honour and friend- 

 ship to do me justice whenever that is in 

 your power; I live in the hope of seeing you 

 successful, and long may you live to enjoy 



and increase the value of the property," I 

 would then give him the farm at an easy 

 rent; assist him to stock it, holding it as se- 

 curity for the investment at common interest; 

 give him the right hand of friendship, and 

 the sole management of the estate. 



And were I the tenant of such a farm and 

 under such a landlord, I would improve it, or 

 I would know the reason why. Perhaps I 

 should not, in the first year, plough twenty 

 acres — possibly not half that quantity — but I 

 would not suffer a weed to live and perfect 

 its seed upon any part of the farm : I would 

 get my landlord to purchase me a few young 

 cattle and sheep, with which to stock the 

 greater part of the farm ; and I would then 

 seek for some low part of the land, from 

 whence I could raise earth for the purpose 

 of top-dressing the permanent pasture, even- 

 tually to the depth of perhaps some inches ; 

 this, with the continual mowing of the weeds 

 would alone work wonders, for it is a fact 

 that as soon as land is able to support useful 

 plants, and they have a fair chance to grow, 

 the weeds will give place. I should never 

 contemplate to keep under the plough more 

 of such land, than sufficient to produce roots 

 and straw for winter use, and bedding for the 

 cattle, satisfied, that at least two-thirds of the 

 farm should remain in permanent pasture; 

 and thus, in a few years, I would put a new 

 face upon things. For although the doctrine 

 is not denied, that the best means of renovat- 

 ing old worn-out pasture is to plough and 

 cultivate and again lay to grass, by sowing' 

 the best seeds on a clean, well-pulverized 

 and well-cultivated soil; admitting also, that 

 " without grass, severely-cropped land can- 

 not be restored to full fertility, and without 

 cropping, grass cannot be made to continue 

 at the maximum point of utility and verdure," 

 yet this must be done by degrees and by small 

 portions at a time, still reserving the propor- 

 tion of two-thirds of such land in pasture ; 

 careful not to undertake too much, and re- 

 membering always, that what is expended in 

 top-dressing, will be found, whenever the sys- 

 tem of renovation by breaking up, is resort- 

 ed to. 



But I must continue to have the farm at a 

 specific re7it, and not upon shares — a system 

 that is ruinous to both landlord and tenant, 

 nine times out of ten ; productive of distrust 

 on the one side and dishonesty on the other. 

 The rent of the farm abovementioned cannot 

 be great in its present state, and as it is the 

 tenant who must render it productive, he 

 ought to be the gainer, after paying a fair 

 rent and interest for the use of money ex- 

 pended in the purchase of stock, &c., which 

 stock should be held by the landlord, as se- 

 curity for capital so advanced. No one, hav- 

 ing capital of his own, would consent to ex- 



