146 



success of Mr. Baden, in Maryland, who 

 commenced his improvement in corn, by 

 planting- only from the stalks whicli bore 

 two or more ears: he states that he scarcely 

 perceived any diflerence for the tirst four or 

 five years; but afterwards it increased ra- 

 pidly, until his corn averaged throuohout 

 more than two ears to the stalk, someljear- 

 ing- many more. I saw two stalks from his 

 farm, at the Patent Office in Wasliington, 

 in 1837, one of which had seven, the other 

 ten ears; they were not large, but well 

 filled. I bought some seed, but it was accli- 

 mated too far South for this latitude ; there 

 were two or more ears on most of the stalks, 

 but they did not ripen well. The valuable 

 labours of Mr. Baden were lost to Pennsyl- 

 vania, but his corn is extensively cultivated 

 in the West. How easy would it be for 

 every farmer to follow his example ! Pota- 

 toes may be improved by the same means. 

 The largest potatoes have attained their 

 growth quickest, and should be used for 

 seed; we might thus obtain not only a 

 larger but an earlier potatoe; instead of 

 suffering the degeneracy, which must follow 

 from using the smallest, latest, and most im- 

 perfect roots for seed. 



After tlio conclusion of the A<l(!i-es.s, the following 

 Resolutions, as we learn from the J\~c!ctoic>i Journal, 

 was offered, and unanimously adopted. 



That the members of this Society will for 

 their mutual benefit, strive to avail them- 

 selves as far as practicable, of the advantage 

 of each others experience in relation to all 

 matters appertaining to the business of farm- 

 ing) by presenting from time to time, state- 

 ments in detail of their individual practice 

 and its results — embracing the time and 

 depth of plougliing, carefully notinir the 

 quality and condition of the soil. The ef- 

 fects of lime in comparison with ti)e quanti- 

 ties used, the time and manner of its appli- 

 cation, and all other conditions v/hich may 

 have combined to produce any particular re- 

 sult—the preservation, preparation, and ap- 

 plication of barn-yard manure. The effects 

 of poudrette, gimno, ashes, bone-dust, &c., 

 relative advantage of different systems ofi 

 rotation in cropping. The management of! 

 orchards, and the cultivation of all kinds ofi 

 fruit. The arrangement of buildings, with! 

 an eye to economy and convenience! Loss 

 or gain in dividing the farm into small en- 

 closures" for the purpose of grazing in com- 

 parison with soiling or confining the stock 

 to one lot. Plans of preserving^fences and 

 the relative expense and value of different 

 kinds of fencing. The comparative import- 

 ance of different agricultural implements. 

 The productiveness of different kinds of 



Application of Steam to Jlgriculiicre. 



\^0L. IX. 



gram, grass, fruits, roots, and stock— man- 

 agement and improvement of stock, selec- 

 tions of seeds and management of crops. 

 Includmg in short, every observation and 

 experiment which may promise to introduce 

 any miprovement in the management of 

 any branch of agricultural ind'ustry and 

 economy. 



Application of Steam to Agriculture. 



There is, indeed, one giant jxiwer, of 

 comparatively modern invention, which, it 

 IS thought, has not been as successfully or 

 extensively applied in agriculture, as in 

 some other departments of the arts. Every 

 one knows, at once, that I refer to the power 

 ot steam, which seems, wherever introduced, 

 to defy all competition ; and every day's ex- 

 perience appears to demonstrate that its 

 extent is yet hardly conceived, and its ap- 

 plication only begun. The experiments, 

 which have been made in the application of 

 steam power to the movement of ploughs, 

 have not, as far as I can learn, been attended 

 with success. It will not be safe to assert 

 tliat this cannot be done to advantao-e; but 

 certainly that is not the only application of 

 s^eam to the purposes of agriculture, which 

 1.? to be looked for. Indeed, besides the im- 

 possibility of an art, so intimately associ- 

 ated as agriculture is with almost all the 

 practical arts of life, escaping its share of 

 the general advantages which the commu- 

 nity IS enjoying from this mighty agent, it 

 has already received many direct contribu- 

 tions from It. In the Lothians of Scotland, 

 those beautifully cultivated grain districts, 

 wJiich, when seen in the season of their 

 glory, with their green and their golden 

 crops, so rich and deligiitful as to make the 

 heart of an enthusiastic agriculturist beat 

 as though he himself had a steam engine 

 under his waistcoat, a steam engine is to be 

 found on every principal farm, for threshing 

 out all the grain, and for other economical 

 purposes, to which, on a great farm, these 

 engines are capable of being apjiiied. The 

 average size of these engines for threshing, 

 IS from a six to an eight horse power, and 

 the cost, ^which was formerly more than 

 i;;i2n, or SQOO, is now greatly reduced. 



The advantage of steam, as a motive 

 power, must be obvious. It is always avail- 

 able, at all seasons, and without reference 

 to tiie vyeather. Its movements arc uni- 

 form ; whereas horse power is, to a degree, 

 capricious and unsteady, and horses often 

 sufier a great deal, both from too constant 

 and long continued pulls, and likewise from 

 frequent stops and starts. The steam power 

 never tires, and its operation may b,e coft- 



