158 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



NOV. 16, 184 8. \(,i 



AND HORTICUI/rUKAL RFGISTER. 



Boston, Wednesday, Novejiber 16, 1842. 



THE GROWING INTERKST IN AGRICULTU- 

 RAL PURSUITS. 

 Common report .says lliiit farmers general 'y are bring- 

 ing more thiuight, observalinn nnd study to their pursuit^ 

 than was given to it a few years ago. Agricultural Clie- 

 mistry is said to lend its aid to the tiller? of the soil more 

 than in times pn^t. Agricultural papers are niuliiplied 

 and multiplying in all directions, and are reported to be 

 awakening an increased attention to the processes and 

 results of husbandry. Men of property and men of edu- 

 cation, both are interesting themselves in the cultivation 

 of fields, and the production of fruits and flowers ; and 

 thus, men say, the pursuit is rendered more res[ici:table 

 and more inviting. 



In all these sayings there is some truth :— hut " all is 

 not gold that glistens." When a farmer, in these days 

 of papers, is successful ; when he is inquisitive nnd 

 skinful, when lie shows a deep interest in his calling, 

 when he makes any improvement, — (hen the world is 

 informed of it — and the countless number of such cases 

 that editors and their correspondents bring into public 

 notice, and the many whose success is proclaimed by 

 committees of agriculiural socinties, give the impression 

 that the farmers gener.Tlly have waked up from a pro- 

 found slumber, are now wide awake, and are striving 

 to find out betier ways than those in which their fathers 

 moved. But though the number whose doings are made 

 public, and whose minds work vigorously in conjunction 

 with their hands — though the number of these is legion — 

 vet the number who go round and round, as true to tlie 

 old track as their horses at the mill, is legions of legions. 

 Of thi- we make no complaint. We have much respect, 

 not for needless stupidity and blindness, but for that love 

 of tried and beaten paths which keeps the tillers of the 

 earth from ruinously expensive experiments We like 

 well to see the common farmer look long and carefully 

 at things new, before he ventures to try them extensive- 

 ly himself This is the safer way— safer for the indi- 

 vidual and belter for the public. We like to see him 

 look long — we do not nay, go with liis eyes «/iu(— but 

 look; look frequently, look carefully, look till there can 

 be no mistaking the thing he looks at, and then act as is 



best whether the best be a new way or an old way. 



We like to li.tve the farmer read too — not that he may 

 be a mere follower of some other man's methods and ad- 

 vice, but that he may make himself a more intelligent 

 thinker — a more efficient and enlightened practical far- 

 mer. Wc pity the man who is so wise that he can leain 

 nothing about farming from books, fir he is rut off fiom 

 one source of rich pleasure ; wo pity the man who un- 

 derstands farming so well that he can learn nothing 

 from his own processes of cultivation, and from those 

 followed in the fields of his neighbors ; for he too is de- 

 barred frcmi listing one of the highest delighli that till- 

 in" the soil affords. Let the day when we can learn no 

 more about the best modes of preparing soils and ma- 

 nures and of cultivating our various crops, be as distant 

 as the List day that we shall go into the fields. We 

 hear it said, and truly said, that we, in this country, are 

 but just beginning to learn the science and art of hus- 

 bandry. Lei this be matter of rejoicing ; for thousands 

 and millions most pass their days and years in inducing 

 the earth to yield the fruits we need ; happy, happy for 

 them, if while ihey pursue their toilsome way they may 

 be permitted to look ojion the beauty and inhale the fra- 

 gt:inca o!' the. Jloioers of Uarning. Not the flowers that 



bloom where Homer and Virgil, Tas^o and Shakspeare 

 are read — but those that can he made to open their pe- 

 tals in the corn field and on the compost heap. It is 

 matter of rejoicing that much is yet to be learned. May 

 the time never come when man shall be compelled to 

 till iho earth williout having it in his power to /earn how 

 to do his work better. 



Our plow is running widely from a straight line to the 

 stake we set up when we started. We meant to be a 

 Iiltle heretical. It is accounted orthodox, in these days, 

 to rep'esent it as vi ry desirable tliat more of our citizens 

 should devote themselves to agricnlture ; that our pro. 

 cpses of cultivation should be rendered less expensive, 

 and that we should cimtrive ways to get larger crops and 

 aC cheaper rotes. Would this 7io!0 he a public benefit.' 

 That the individual derives a pecuniary benefit when he 

 discovers a way by which he can produce a ton of hay 

 or bushel of grain for less than it costs others, no one 

 can doubt. That the public would be benefited by any 

 discoveries that would enable a smaller number of labo- 

 rers to supply the nation abundantly with the produc- 

 tions of ihe soil, at a time when all the hands that could 

 be spared from agrictilturo are needed for other useful 

 arts and callings, we are most ready to admit. But how 

 is it now? We have enough of every thing that the far- 

 mer cultivates ; the markets throughout the land are 

 glutted with grains, vegetables, fruits and meats. There 

 would be enough — an abundance even, had the crops 

 been no laiger than usual. As agriculture now is under- 

 stood and practiced, and wilh the hands at present cm- 

 ployed in it, we are supplied wilh food almost to satiety. 

 What would bo the effect of influencing many who are 

 now employed in other occupations, to become farmers .' 

 Presuming that no new foreign market can be opened 

 for our produce, the effect would be to produce more 

 than we waul — to bring piiees down so as to ruin mil- 

 lions who now earn their bread between tlie plow han- 

 dles. What would be the efi'ect of so improving our in- 

 struments or processes of tillage that half or one fourth 

 of our laborers might be d smissed from the fields.' This 

 would throw thousands out of employment or throw 

 them into <ither occupaiions that are now full. Have 

 we not agricultural productions enough .' If this ques- 

 tion is answered in the affirmative, then we ask what 

 the public advantage is of teaching farmers to render 

 their processes less expensive or their lands more pro- 

 ductive, unless wc can find some other useful employ- 

 ment fir a portion of them ? 



While w.-iting for an answer to this question, we will 

 put another. What other advantage than that of greater 

 intellectual activity and enjoyment in the farmers them- 

 selves, can result, in this country, at present, from the 

 awakening of a deeper interest in agricultural pursuits.' 

 " What ! Mr Editor ; quarreling with your own bread 

 and butter.' Trying to stop the spirit of agricultural 

 inquiry and improvement, when it is that spirit alone 

 that induces men to subscribe for your paper !'' No, 

 reader, we are not intending any such thing. We are 

 merely showing you a sample of the questions which 

 our weekly labors often bring up to our mind, and which 

 it is not always easy lo settle satisfactorily. 



It is a sound general principle that men should be en- 

 couraged and taught to produce as much as they can, 

 and as cheap as they can ; butju.st now we have provi- 

 sions enoutrh, hands enough for the mechanic arts, heads 

 enough for trade nnd the professions, laborers enough of 

 all kinds, and bread and clothes enough — and yet are all 

 complaining of the times — all in want of more profit — 

 more money. We might put our questions in relation 

 to any other pursuit and wilh the same reason. 



Something is wrung in the thread of intercommunica- 

 tion or exchange lietwecn the men of difl'etent occupa- 



tions — it is a tangled skein ;—wliigs have been pullin« 

 at one end and democrats at the ither, and betweer, 

 them both, making the snarl worse and worse. Winn 

 the whole shall gel into one set of hands, we hope ihn' 

 patience will sit down and untie all the knots, draw ou 

 all the loops, and let us hang our various wares upon , 

 straight and strong string and slip llum round lii.l', 

 from one lo another. 



Farmers, produce all you can, and as cheap as yim 

 can . 



MANURE FOR RUTA BAGA. 

 Our observations for several years, led us some linit 

 since to the conclusion that strong ham manure was 

 good for giving to ruta baga luxuriant tops, and an abun. 

 danre of worms. Last year we used mostly a mixturt< 

 of common soil, sail ley or sopers' wa?te and bone. The 

 crop was good, both in rjuantily Ttnd quality. This past 

 season we took meadow mud, sand and common field 

 soil, in about equal portions, and run into this salt ley, 

 and put in bone, making a heap of 15 loads of 30 bush- 

 els each, that cost us not more than two thirds as much 

 per load as the estimated worth of good barn cellar com 

 post. The fifteen loads of new compost and four of tin 

 barn-cellar compost were used on 82 2-3 square rods ol 

 land not in good heart, and the two kinds were appliei 

 in equal thickness. Where the new and peculiar com- 

 post was applied tiie yield compared with the other, 

 was as about 17 1-2 to 15. The piece gave me at the 

 rate of about 740 bushels per acre. This though not a 

 great yield absolutely, was yet good, considering iht 

 previous condition of the soil. We make mention r 

 this 71010, without going into the details at present, If 

 the purpose of drawing attention particularly to the ;;ij 

 lion of the salt ley upon this particular root. By in;! 

 ing to the table of our experiments on another pagi , 

 will he seen that the salt ley produced more ruta bagn 

 than any other one of all our twentynine different appl 

 cations. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH MANURES. 



We have given but little instruction in our leading 

 editorial article — but on another page we have given aw 

 account of some experiments wiih manures, whicli havi| 

 occupied some of our hours fur the past season, and tcf 

 which we are more willing to ask special attention thai4 

 we are to our writings generally. Those experimenia 

 have been made with great care, and we think may btt 

 worth studying. 



NEW GENESEE FARMER. 

 Mr Colman, editor of the New Genesee Farmer, an- 

 nounces ihal after the Isl of January next, he shall be- 

 come sole proprietor of that publication, and intends lo 

 enlarge, and will endeavor in other respects to improve, 

 the paper. He will also raise the price from 50 els to 

 $1 00. Mr Colman says that as it is not settled that 

 Miller's prediction of lire destruction of the worhl will 

 be fulfilled next April, but probably some time in 

 course of next year, the farmers who subscribe for his 

 (Mr C s) paper, will stand a fair chance of getting for 

 their dollar six or eight months' good agricultural read- 

 ing. We think so too. 



(IT=Tlie last Albany Cultivator contains Judge Lin- 

 coln's report on the New York swine. It is rich— of 

 course. We shall copy it in our next. 



There is another means, besides Phnmology, of dele 

 mining one's character for honesty. He who punctually 

 pays for Ids paper, must have " Conscienciousncss large" 

 — and vice versa. 



