122 



NEW ENGLAx\D FARMER. 



cation of the alcohol as recommended in page 

 89, vol. ii. of the New England Farmer; or at 

 least not to adil the alcohol or spirit of any kind, 

 till alter the cider had done workinsf, or the vi- 

 nous fermentation was completed. Gluten is not 

 soluble in alcohol, and we apprehend that its 

 addition in any considerable quantity to must or 

 new cider which holds gluten in solution would 

 cause the latter to fall down, or he precipitated 

 as chemists espre«s it, before it had produced 

 its desired eifoct in promoting the vinous fer- 

 inentation. Of this, however, we are nut cer- 

 tain, (as the alcohol would bear but a small 

 proportion to the quantity of the liquid) and, per- 

 haps experiments alone cm decide the question. 



AN ADDRESS 

 Delivered before the Grafton (jV. //.) Agricultural 



Society, at their Jiamial Meeting, October, 18:22. 



By Thomas Whipple, Jr. Esq. 

 Mr. President, 

 Gentlemen of the Society, and Fellow Citizens, 



In my attempt to addiess you on this rccasion, 

 I teel no inconsiderable degree of ditfidence 

 and want of confidence in ravself, to do justice 

 to a subject which is in itself highly important 

 to the well being of ourcommiiuity ; but every 

 member of the commuiiily ought to exert him- 

 self to aid the whole, and however defective 

 may be his labors, yet he ought to submit them, 

 subject to the belter judgment of tho^e who 

 may have more time or leisure to contribute 

 to the fund of general knowledge. 



Agriculture in its general sense, compre- 

 liends a knowledge of the nature of the soils, 

 with which we meet, on and near the surface of 

 the earth ; the methods of correcting those 

 which are unfavorable to the production of use- 

 ful vegetables; the improvement of such as arc 

 deteriorated by our cropping ; such imp!ement~ 

 as are fittest for facilitating the operations of 

 the husbandman ; the means and powers best 

 adapted to such purposes ; the cattle and live 

 stock most prolitable to mm whether for labor or 

 more immediate use as food ; the grasses, grains, 

 roots and pulse most beneficial to him, and the 

 minor subjects connected with this important 

 science. The objects of agriculture, must then 

 be, of primary imfiort to man, and his condition 

 will be found more or less meliorated, accord- 

 ing to his greater or less progress in the science 

 of husbandry . 



One of the greatest concerns, of every wise 

 people, an<l enlightened government, must then 

 be, the iminovemcnt and perfection of the hus- 

 bandry of the country, which they inhabit, or 

 over wliich it may exercise control. 



Of all the arts, (says the learned Vattel) 

 tillage or agriculture is doubtless the most use- 

 ful and necessary, as being the source, whence 

 the nation derives its subsistence. The cultiva- 

 tion of the soil, causes it to produce an infinite 

 increase ; it forms the surest lesource and the 

 most solid fund of rithes and commerce, for a 

 nation that enjoys a happy climate. This object 

 then deserves the utmost attention of the gov- 

 ernment and people. The sovereign ought to 

 neglect no means of rendering the land under 

 his jurisdiction as well cultivated as possible. 



it would be useless to multiply arguments 

 and authorities, to satisfy ourselves, of what has 

 bpon adinill'MJ by the reflecting of almost all 



"otries and ages of the world. 



If improvement in agricultural science, is 

 important and necessary to the well being and 

 happiness of other nations, it is peculiarly in- 

 teresting to the people of the United States. 



The American farmer pursues his occupa- 

 tion under circumstances of [leculiar felicity. 

 His tenures being allodial or fee simple, he is en- 

 abled to enjoy the utmost avails of his labor, to 

 provide for his ease and comfort, and to trans- 

 rait to his posterity, free from any prejudicial 

 restraints, whatever of his property may remain 

 at his decease. 



Nor are the agriculturalists of the United 

 Slates, (more especially those of New-England) 

 considered as a degraded class of society ; but 

 the manners and habits of thinking in the Uni- 

 ted Slates, have remedied the abuse, of which 

 Vattel so justly complains, as injurious to agri- 

 culture, at the period in which he wrote. 

 "Another abuse(says he) injurious to agriculture, 

 is the contempt cast upon the husbandman. 

 The tradesman in cities, even the most servile 

 mechanics, the idle citizen, consider him that 

 cultivates the earth, with a disdainful eye ; they 

 humble and discourage him. They dare de- 

 spise a profession that feeds the humiin race, 

 the natural employment of man. A little insig- 

 nificant haberdasher, a tailor, pl.ices tar beneath 

 him, the beloved employment of the first consuls 

 and dictators of Rome." 



If at the present day, a vestige of feeling re- 

 mains, in any class of community, were it to be 

 ■r-xpressed, he who should utter the sentiment, 

 ivould rather be considered as a suitable inmale 

 for a lunatic asylum, than fit for rational socio- 



'y- 



An art so necessary, useful and beneficial. 

 as is that of agriculture, it should seem, that all 

 would wish and conspire to improve. But how 

 shall the husbandmen, effect their desirable ob- 

 ject ? It may be replied, that in this, as in ev- 

 ery other department of knowledge, system will 

 be found to be, an indespensable auxili.iry. 

 Aristron Metron, method is the best, was the 

 saying of one of the seven wise men of Greece ; 

 and it will be (ound as applicable to any attemjits, 

 to improve agricultural knowledge, as, to all 

 the other arts and sciences. So long as the 

 larmer shall be confined to his own limited ex- 

 perience, and possess himself of no other male- 

 rials for knowledge in his art, than the detach- 

 ed and scattered facts, which he may casually 

 derive, from the experience ol his more imme- 

 diate neighbors, so long, he will make but little 

 progress, in improving himself in the art of hus- 

 bandry. Measures should be adopted by the 

 agricultural community, to embody the ex[)eri- 

 ence and improvements, of other nations, inhab- 

 iting countries similar to our own, ifi soil and 

 cbmale; to collect and preserve the valuable 

 tacts, observations and discoveries in agricultu- 

 ral knowledge, which are scattered over the 

 siirfiice of our extensive territory, and which 

 are to be found in documents not accessible to 

 the great mass of our farmers, to acquire cor- 

 rect topographical knowledge of the counties 

 within our own state; the state of property 

 therein, farm buildings, mode of occupation, im- 

 plements, fences, arable land, grass, orchanls, 

 plantations, draining and other improvements, 

 live stock, rural economy, the defects which ex- 

 ist in the present system of management, and 

 the most probable and least expensive means of 

 remedying them. 



Our soils should receive particular atlentii 

 It must occur to every one, that different 

 rieties of soils, must require diffeient treatmi 

 and culture. 



The division of soils into clayey, loan 

 calcareous, sandy, gravelly, peaty or mossy ; 

 vegetable earthy .«oils, as they are found in i 

 tare, lays the foundation for improving each, 

 very different principles. 



By different combinations of these subsfanc 

 all the intermediate kinds of soils are form' 

 and upon a pro|ipr mixture of them, in cert; 

 proportions, depends the success of the farm 

 industry. But if the cultivator, understand 

 the nature and properties of the soil subjeclei 

 his culture, how will he be able to make thi 

 admixtures, which may improve it? 



li calcareous, argilaceous or silicious m 

 ter, predominate in any given soil, so as to r 

 der vegetation feeble, an addition of grea 

 quantities of either of these kinds of eai 

 would increase the cause of unproductiveni 

 A more intimate and scientific knowledge of 

 nature of our soils, must then be necessary, t 

 successful cultivation of ihem. 



1 am aware, that long settled habits ofthii 

 ing, on agricultural subjects, will lead many 

 the conclusion, th.il common observation v 

 supply every defect, and remedy every err 

 in the culture of our soils. But, does not cc 

 moil observation evince, thai no inconsidera 

 portion of our farmers are rather declining 

 their circumstances, and becoming less and 1 

 able to produce sufficient supplies of agric 

 tural pi .'.bluets, to afford ease and plenty, in i 

 domestic circle ? Hence, frequent einigrati 

 in quest of a better country : or what is woi 

 in. my are tliscouraged by bad crops, ceasS 

 ^rtion, and sit down in despair, consoling thf 

 selves With the fallacious saying, that "the h 

 laborer, fares no better than the idler." Si 

 would do well to substitute the saying of an i 

 incut writer on agriculture, " it is not the qu 

 tity of labor, but the skilful application ol 

 which produces plenty." 



There has heretofore been less necessity 

 a scientific investigation of the constilu 

 principles of our soils, because, when our la 

 were first reduced from a state ol nature, tl 

 were covered with the rich vegetable moi 

 produced by the successive layers of leaves ; 

 other vegetable matter, annually <lecompo 

 upon their surface : but successive cropping, 

 exhausted this rich source of supply lo the I 

 mer, and brought him in contact with the prii 

 live ingredients of the soil which he is to en 

 vate, and from which, he must not only der 

 his food, but his wealth. 



This impoverished state of our soils is i 

 great source of disquietude, and the promotel 

 the spirit of emigration. But, does it beco 

 an enlightened people, like the hordes of k 

 north of Europe, first to exhaust their means i( 

 subsistence, and then migrate in quest of oil 

 provinces, that they may devour also, the proil 

 lions of the earth, destined by the benefic 

 Creator for the support of other families 

 mankind ? 



It is important (says Seybert in his sta 

 tics) to consider what will be the effects of i 

 migrations on the agriculture of the Allan 

 Slates. Many valuable farms originally prod 

 tive have been ab.uidoned after they were i 

 hausted and made barren from constant cultii 



