Jo. 5. 



P. Morris' Address. 



150 



me has gone by when its success was 

 eemed problematical, and I have entire con- 

 ience, that before twenty years shall have 

 issed, roots will be considered as indispen- 

 ible a crop as Indian corn or potatoes. One 

 >ason why they have not made their way 

 .ster, is owing to the extravagant calcula- 

 ons which ushered them into notice, — they 

 ere to supercede not only the use of grain, 

 it also of hay ! They were accordingly fed 

 l some places at the most extravagant rate, 

 1 the principle, if only a moderate quantity 

 : roots produced such benefit, a larger 

 mntity must produce more ; and this me- 

 iod of feeding not answering the purpose, 

 ie culture of them was discontinued. From 

 y whole experience I can say, I have fed 

 tern to uniform advantage, to cows and 

 )un<; stock, supplying succulent food at a 

 me when they generally fall away for want 

 ' it ; promoting the secretion of milk and 

 ie flavour of butter, and keeping them in 

 ie healthy condition, without the usual in- 

 rruption to thrift by a change from pasture 

 dry food. By making an estimate of the 

 lantity of corn annually fed to stock in 

 hester county, and deducting one third, 

 hich is a low estimate, of what might be 

 ved by combining with it a portion of roots, 

 t idea may be formed of the benefit to be 

 srived by an extended system of root cul- 

 re. Another advantage is, they are not 

 ■eat exhausters of the soil, for by their 

 oad leaves they derive a principal part of 

 eir nourishment from the atmosphere; 

 hile the grains, such as wheat and oats, 

 ith narrow leaves, obtain their nourishment 

 liefly from the soil; and it is ascertained, 

 at all plants which mature their seeds on 

 e ground, impoverish a soil much more 

 an do those that are cut green. And 

 hen they are made to alternate between 

 ro of our grain crops, they will obviate the 

 jection to raising the same species of plants 

 succession. 



"But the proper collection and application 

 ' manure, after every thing else is said, is 

 e grand secret of fair management. All 

 ops exhaust the land more or less, the 

 eans of renovation existing in manure, the 

 rmer's gold mine, the capital on which 

 ! conducts his business ! and yet, the too 

 •mmon practice in this neighbourhood, is to 

 low the accumulations of the winter barn 

 ird to remain unmoved until the succeed- 

 g fall, when it is applied to the wheat; but 

 ' the combined action of the sun, wind and 

 in for so long a period, there must be a great 

 ss sustained; and add to this, it is not un- 

 mmon to see at the time of heavy rain, from 

 any barn yards, a stream of liquid manure 

 iwing off into the road or the nearest ditch, 



which is totally lost ! The continuance of 

 this through the whole season, may be com- 

 pared to repeated infusions of a certain 

 quantity of tea, so as to exhaust it of all its 

 strength, and then to make use of the resi- 

 duum. The loss arising from this, is probably 

 two-thirds : by estimating the increased value 

 of the crops of Chester county from the ap- 

 plication of two-thirds more manure to each 

 farm, an idea may be formed of the extent 

 of the evil. This is one among the many 

 illustrations which might be given, where 

 sound theory should be combined with prac- 

 tice; agriculture has received its present 

 impulse, not so much from chance discoveries 

 and experiments of the farmer, as from the 

 labours of those whose assistance he gene- 

 rally rejects. For most of the improvements 

 in English agriculture, which so eminently 

 distinguish her, she is indebted to the re- 

 searches of men denominated, * book farm- 

 ers,' but who, soaring above prejudice, and 

 animated with true public spirit, devote their 

 time, their talents and sometimes, their for- 

 tunes to the cause of agricultural improve- 

 ment. The objection against this class of 

 persons has been an impediment here to the 

 progress of the art, but it is as unnatural as 

 unjust. No one objects to converse with his 

 brother farmer on matters relating to their 

 common business, — to compare their ex- 

 perience, and we all have derived advan- 

 tage from visiting other sections of country, 

 and contrasting its soil, its crops and its 

 cattle with our own, and this is all very 

 well ; but so soon as the information thus ac- 

 quired is transferred to print in an agricul- 

 tural paper, for the greater convenience of 

 transmission, it immediately becomes 'book 

 farming,' and is avoided as an unclean thing! 

 No doubt, much has been written which could 

 never be made available in practice, but the 

 mischief done in this way, has been trifling 

 and transient, while a spirit of inquiry has 

 been aroused, productive of positive benefit. 

 It is not expected that farmers should find 

 time to become profoundly versed in chem- 

 istry or natural philosophy, but if there is 

 one business of life in which a moderate ac- 

 quaintance with the sciences is at all neces- 

 sary, it is certainly farming. In all his op- 

 erations there may be application of ehemical 

 knowledge; every plant requires for its sup- 

 port and growth, such food as is found on 

 analysis to enter into its composition, and all 

 vegetable matter is resolvable into certain 

 elementary substances ; then we have min- 

 eral, animal, vegetable manures, some nu- 

 tritive, some stimulating, and some acting 

 mechanically, and all differing in their com- 

 position ; and how is the farmer to act with 

 judgment in his application of them, without 



