IS37.J 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



739 



as almost any other: nor when properly pursued, 

 is it behind any secular employment among men, 

 in respectahiliiy and useluhiess. Of lawyers, and 

 physicians, and merchants, our country has more 

 than enoiii^h. Not a lew in^ these calliii<is, are ab- 

 solutely the pesis ol society ; the Ibmenters ol" dis- 

 orracelul and ruinous scluiuies of litiiration, the le- 

 gatized destroyers ot" himian lile, and the ravenoiis 

 leeches that latten on the exhorbitanl gains that 

 are driwn from the resources of honest and fruiral 

 industry. No on?, in his sober senses can doubt 

 that it would vas!ly subserve "the public weal," 

 without detracting essentially from the credit of the 

 individuals themselves, were many of them to ex- 

 chariire their present pursuits for the good old tiish- 

 ioned way of getting their bread by '■ the sweat oi' 

 their brow." 



I should rejoice, sirj to see you efficiently acting 

 upon this launerous, and more than useless portion 

 oi'our population. Is it not possible tor yourself or 

 some one else, to convince tiiem, by bringing forth 

 your "strong reasons," that the business oi' plant- 

 ing if? more noble than that of pe/i(/(')ggj7ig-; that 

 the cuUivatum of the soil, (at least upon scientific 

 principles,) is more elevated than quack-doctoring ; 

 and that well directed efforts to increase and im- 

 prove the substantial comforts of life, fire much 

 more commendable avocations, and reciuire a much 

 Jarger share of intellect, than is demanded for the 

 petty paltry business of vending commodities, many 

 of which are not only stiperfluous, but hurtful, and 

 at the extravagant rate of from one hundred to one 

 thousand per cent, profit? Could this be done, could 

 this conviction be produced, a desideratum no doubt 

 Avoulil be eliected, and he wiio should accomplish 

 it would richly deserve the title of a benefactor — a 

 benefactor as renowned as he who should " make 

 two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow 

 upon a spot of ground where only one grew be- 

 fore." 



Yon may regard me, sir, as a '' miserable com- 

 forter," but I cannot suppress the apprehension, 

 which I indulge, that your "correspondents" will 

 not be likely very soon or rapidly to increase, your 

 moving appeal to the contrary, notwithstanding. — 

 31en, to write much, must be under the influence 

 of some powerful stimulus, as the love of money, 

 or the love of fame, or the love of usefulness. — 

 Now farmers, for the most part, are too modest to 

 expect to become famous as writers. If the accu- 

 mulation of riches is their object, thev have a short- 

 er and surer cut to that ; and as to the help which 

 they might afford to others, they would principally 

 and greatly prefer, in the first place, helping them- 

 selves. It is a pity it sliould be so, but farmers, like 

 most other men, have not as much benevolence as 

 they ought to have. I do not wonder, therefore, 

 that your ofTer of pecuniary compensation had no 

 greater effect than it seems it did have, in suppl}^- 

 inw your columns with matter. The most hope- 

 ful expedient for the melioration of your condition, 

 and for the brightening of your prospects appears 

 to have been hit upon by yourself; (on this ac- 

 count, I opine, you must like it none the less ;) and 

 that is, to "engage the aid of an efficient coadju- 

 tor" I'or "the special purpose" of collectintr asri- 

 cultural information for the columns of the Regis- 

 ter. To ijet such a "coadjutor," I suppose, how- 

 ever, is the difficult]/ ; and I certainly wish you all 

 imaginable and desirable success ; not because I 

 conceive there is any special deficiency in your 



own qualifications, but simply, on the universally 

 acknowledged principle, that "two are better than 

 one," and tliat your undertaking is one of loo much 

 magnitude to be laid on the ehouldeis of r.n indi- 

 vidual, however gigantic in eneigies. The bur- 

 den is too heavy to be borne without division. I 

 am a decided friend to union of effort in almost 

 every iletnutment of life; Union is the strong 

 cement of society, that gives stability and secures 

 accomplishment to human purposes. "A two-fold- 

 cord is not easily broken." "In the multitude of 

 counsellors, there is safety." In combinations ot 

 men, each has the benefit of the concentrated wis- 

 dom of the whole. If one is thrown down, the 

 others can help him up. Animals as well as men 

 perf()rm their labors with more cheerliilness, ani- 

 mation and eflecf, when coupled together. I have 

 recently thought it a sulijecr for regret, that agri- 

 cultural operations should not long since have had 

 the benefit of these obvious and acknowledged 

 truths. In other kinds of l)usiness, men unite, as 

 in mercantile and manuliicturing establishments, 

 and, it is believed, to no inconsiderable advantage. 

 And why should not A. B, and C, who are liirmers, 

 form a confederacy for agricultural operations — in- 

 vest their capital in a common stock, and bring their 

 concentrated powers to l)ear upon its skilful over- 

 sight and management ? It seems to me that a 

 combination of this sort, if judiciously got up, would 

 [iresent a spectacle to tlie community not only novel, 

 but grand in its aspects, and [)regnant with promi- 

 ses ol extensive good in its bearings and results. If 

 I mistake not, it would lead to coiiversaiion, and 

 conversation would lead (o thinkinsr, and thinldng 

 would lead to action, which is precisely the thing 

 we want. I miiiht add, that in my opinion it would 

 lead too to wealth, and this, with some perhaps, 

 would be its most powerful, if not its only recom- 

 mendation, in this speculating and "money mak- 

 ing" age. The truth undoubtedly is, that there 

 are simple ways of" making money, (mean as the 

 business may be, it is likely to be kept up) that 

 have not yet been fully discovered, and tested, 

 even in this "enlightened" day ; and the cultiva- 

 tion of the soil on scientific principles, or, what ia 

 called in derision, " book farming,'''' is one of those 

 ways. You will'misunderstand me, sir, if you in- 

 fer from my remarks, that I am the advocate for 

 monopolizing overgrown corporations, such, as it 

 has been said, have been projected and proposed 

 elsewhere, for conducting the silk and beet culture. 

 The rebuke that has been given to these projects, 

 by a distintjuished agriculturist at the north, is 

 doubtless a just, and \ trust will prove an effectiial 

 one. I am for a union of a private, not a public 

 character; for an association of individuals, with- 

 out an array oi' state rights and chartered privileges. 

 The advantages of such associations in conducting 

 asricuhural ojierations, I think, could easily be 

 shown to be obvious and immense. Farming 

 should be carried on as the hus'niess of pi n-makiug 

 IS, which employs a multiplicity of hands to form 

 that little piercing instrument, without which, 

 beauty would lose half its charms. The services 

 of persons, upon the enlarged scale contemplated, 

 of the most approved qualifications, could be ob- 

 tained ybr, and appointed fo the superintendence ; 

 and at a far less expense than it would cost a sin- 

 gle and inconsiderable member of the association, 

 should he undertake the directionof his investment 

 alone. The laborers employed could have their 



