170 



THE FARMERS CABINET. 



VOL. I. 



the inestimable benefits of agriculture by 

 undertaking for a short time, the laborious 

 occupation of directing the plough in person. 

 Previous to the establishment of the Ro- 

 mans, the cultivation of the soil was but 

 little understood in Britain. By their assis- 

 tance, however, it experienced considera- 

 ble improvement, insomuch that the Britons 

 were enabled annually to export large quan- 

 tities of grain. Subsequent to this period, 

 it has been continually advancing in its pro- 

 gress, and has now attained a high degree 

 of perfection. Societies have of late years 

 been formed for the purpose of encouraging 

 this and other useful arts; and a plan has 

 been proposed for introducing the study of 

 agriculture into schools, and making it a 

 necessary part of national education. 



In the year 157G, a period of difficulty 

 and distress, France began to pay particular 

 attention to this important subject. Prize 

 questions were annually proposed by the 

 academies of Lyons, Bourdeaux, and by the 

 society instituted for the improvement of 

 agriculture in Brittany. About this time, 

 it was also greatly encouraged in Russia, 

 Prussia, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and 

 Italy; in the last mentioned country, a pri- 

 vate gentleman, about 80 years ago, left his 

 whole fortune to the establishment and sup- 

 port of an agricultural academy. 



Whether we consider agriculture as a 

 means of procuring as well the necessaries 

 as luxuries of life; of providing a security 

 against the aggregated calamities of scarci- 

 ty, famine, and disease; or of engaging the 

 mind in active and extensive pursuits of 

 general knowledge, it is one of the most 

 useful and important of all the arts which 

 have employed the attention of mankind. 

 Its theory is, in a great measure, dependent 

 on several branches of science, such as na- 

 tural history, chemestry, experimental phi- 

 losophy, and mechanics, all of which may be 

 successfully applied to its advancement ; and 

 without a competent knowledge of these, it 

 cannot be properly understood. Its practi- 

 cal part, however, may be carried on, inde- 

 pendently of scientific experiments. No 

 person therefore need be deterred from at- 

 tempting any improvements, because he is 

 not conversant with the more abstract parts 

 of physical knowledge. 



The flourishing state of manufactures is 

 greatly dependent on that of agriculture ; 

 because the price of those commodities ob- 

 tained by labor, is not only closely con- 

 nected with that of the necessaries of life, 

 but some of the most considerable articles 

 of manufactures are originally supplied by 

 agricultural productions, such as wool, flax, 

 jbemp, rai^e-seed, tallow, &c. 



The successful advancement of the rural 

 art depends on two circumstances : the one, 

 its improvement by discovery or invention; 

 the other a mere extensive practice of such 

 improvements, when fully demonstrated. 

 The former is effected by the contrivance of 

 more perfect machines and implements of 

 husbandry, which facilitate the progress of 

 labor; the introduction of new articles of 

 profitable culture, and the most advantage- 

 ous method of treating those which have al- 

 ready been cultivated, though in a defeetive 

 manner. The latter, namely, the practice, 

 relates not only to future improvements, but 

 likewise to those which, though generally 

 known, have been either wholly neglected, 

 or adopted only in peculiar places. 



; Agricultural Axioui§. 



Benjamin F. Station, Esq. in a letter to 

 the editor of the Farmers' Register, says : 

 "I am pleased that in connection with others, 

 you have succeeded in establishing some 

 highly important truths which were for- 

 merly not known, or entirely discredited, (it 

 is lamentable that many should still be so 

 slow as not to embrace them,) but are now 

 received among the more intelligent among 

 the cultivators of the soil, as agricultural 

 axioms, about which all doubt and discussion 

 may cease; axioms that may be expressed 

 in few words, and on the correctness of which 

 lany one who chooses, may immediately and 

 safely proceed to act. A few of these are — 



That deep ploughing never need be dread- 

 ed. 



A small farm well conducted is a source 

 of greater revenue, than a large one indiffer- 

 ently managed. 



It would be a vast amount of saving to 

 the whole community, if every private 

 owner were required to keep his stock from 

 committing depredations on his neighbors, 

 instead of imposing this onerous burden 

 upon them. 



The profits of agriculture (other things 

 being equal) are in proportion to the atten- 

 tion paid to manuring; that is, as is the ex- 

 tent of the latter, so will be that of the 

 former. 



The corn crop, with the stalk cut up from 

 the ground entire, at a much earlier period 

 than has usually been practised, is worth 

 about double what it is when gathered in the 

 old way. 



Prepared food of some kinds, and for 

 some animals, will go nearly, if not 

 quite, twicers far as that which is given in 

 a raw and natural state. 



The raising of tobacco need not impover- 

 ish the land, but it is only 19 the undue and 



