No. 5. 



A Discourse on Agricullure. 



141 



and impart an additional dignity and grace 

 to the profession. 



This, indeed, has been a favourite theme 

 with me, on occasions like the present: for 

 wherever practical excellence was known 

 to be established, my attention was naturally 

 directed to those ulterior accomplishments — 

 hitherto so little regarded — and yet, in my 

 judgment, so worthy to be superadded. 

 When the intelligent young farmer has be- 

 come expert in all the manual operations of 

 his profession, and understands the whole 

 practical routine of agriculture, — what can 

 more appropriately claim his attention, than 

 the intimate nature, — the structure or com- 

 position, the properties and relations — of the 

 various objects involved in his pursuit! Why 

 should he not make himself acquainted — 

 scientijically acquainted — with the character 

 of the several earths which compose the 

 soil he cultivates"? Knowledge of that de- 

 scription — and sufficient for all useful pur- 

 poses — is readily acquired by the mind that 

 craves rational intelligence; and when once 

 obtained, may often be turned to good ac- 

 count by its possessor. It may not only en- 

 able him to become a more successful culti- 

 vator, but it will also greatly enhance his 

 interest in his employments, rendering him 

 a wiser and a happier man. The occupation 

 of the farmer, as already remarked, is em 

 phatically with the objects of Natural His- 

 tory; and the contemplation of those objects, 

 by an observing and disciplined mind, is a 

 continual source of instruction and gratifica- 

 tion. His studies, indeed, are mainly ultili- 

 tarian in their character: but if rightly di- 

 rected, are calculated to expand and elevate 

 his views of the Creator's works: for they 

 embrace, to some extent, the three grand 

 divisions of the material world — the Mine- 

 ral, the Vegetable, and the Animal king 

 doms. The first business of the skilful ag 

 riculturist, is with the inorganic matter of 

 the Mineral kingdom, — so far, at least, as 

 may be requisite to understand the quality 

 of the soil, and the best mode of improving 

 and managing it; so that it shall sustain the 

 greatest amount of organic life. His next 

 care will be extended to the primary organ 

 ized beings, viz : the Vegetable creation ; 

 so regulating the production as to secure 

 the largest contribution towards the suste 

 nance of the most valuable animals. This 

 is agriculture, in a technical and restricted 

 sense — i. e. the culture of the fields, — and 

 implies, of course, an acquaintance with the 

 plants cultivated, or a portion of what is de 

 nominated botanical science. But the end 

 and aim of the farmer's operations, in the 

 promotion of vegetable growth, is to support 

 the higher organization of the animal king 



dom, — and by the multiplication of his flocks 

 and herds, to enhance the comforts and fa- 

 vour the increase of the human family. 

 Hence the science of Zoology is involved, 

 and the wonderful laws of the animal econo- 

 my present a claim to be studied and under- 

 stood. Thus it is manifest that the farmer 

 is directly interested in possessing some 

 knowledge of the three great kingdoms in 

 Nature; and it will scarcely be doubted that 

 his knowledge, of whatever extent, will be 

 valuable in proportion to its scientific accu- 

 racy, 



I would, therefore exhort our young farm- 

 ers to acquire so much Natural Science as 

 will enable them certtlinly to know, and to 

 discriminate between flie more important 

 objects of their daily care and attention, — 

 and by means of which they may also treat 

 of those objects intelligently and correctly, 

 in their intercourse with others. They 

 should be so far acquainted vtith Geology 

 and Minerals, and understand so much of 

 Chemistry and its laws, as to have a gene- 

 ral idea of the structure and stratification of 

 the earth's crust, and a just conception of 

 the reciprocal influences exerted by the con- 

 stituent portions of the soil and the atmos- 

 phere. This information may now be readi- 

 ly obtained from elementary works within 

 the reach of every one who has the taste or 

 the inclination to possess it; but, that all 

 might have a fair and equal opportunity to 

 profit by such knowledge, according to their 

 several capacities, it should be made an in- 

 dispensable branch of the education of youth, 

 and faithfully imparted, by competent teach- 

 ers, to every child in the Republic. Until 

 such instruction shall be provided, it may be 

 confidently maintained, that no better substi- 

 tute can be devised than is aflbrded by the 

 intercourse of intelligent public spirited 

 men, in well conducted Associations. 



Similar remarks may be applied to the ex- 

 pediency of a reasonable acquaintance with 

 the Vegetable and the Animal kingdoms. 

 What sort of an agriculturist is he — in this 

 age and country — who is so ignorant of the 

 interesting plants on his own farm, as to be 

 continually overlooking the most pernicious 

 weeds, when they invade his premises; or 

 mistaking, for them, those of a comparative- 

 ly harmless character; and who knows so 

 little, even of those he annually cultivates, 

 as to be unable to designate them by a name 

 that is certainty comprehended beyond the 

 limits of his native parish? Is the young 

 American farmer, who can rest contented 

 with such imperfect intelligence in his im- 

 mediate profession, — is he calculated, — in 

 this progressive era — to advance the inte- 

 rests, or maintain the appropriate rank, of 



