242 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Mat 



and it is equally common for parents to connte- 

 nancesuch thoughts — their own pride is flattered 

 with the idea that if their sons can be seen and 

 heard, making a noise in the world, it will in a 

 measure redound to their own credit. 



As to model farms— how could our County So- 

 cieties do better, than to take the care and di- 

 rection of such a farm— each, within their own 

 limits ?_ Most of them have funds ample for the 

 procuring of a farm— and the presumption is, if 

 aiscreetly purchased, it would continue to be 

 worth what it cost. I know of societies, that 

 for 20 years, have had funds to the amount 

 ot" eight or ten thousand dollars — why not judi- 

 ciously invest these funds in a farm? Will it 

 be said, that no investment of the kind can be 

 made that ivill pay ? That the societies cannot 

 get along without the income of their funds 1 Is 

 this true 1 If it be, is it not a most discouraging 

 fact? It certainly is not true, that all farms are 

 unproductive; for numerous instances can be found, 

 in all the counties of the Commonwealth, where in- 

 dividuals have become independent, by the opera- 

 tions of their farms alone. Then, it must be that 

 associated bodies cannot conduct farms. so advan- 

 tageously as individuals. This may be true to 

 some extent in farming — but it is not true in 

 manufacturing— m this class of industry, the most 

 successful examples are usually found, in associa- 

 ted enterprise. The same would be true in farm- 

 ing—with labor properly directed. If not, let the 

 first movement of the society be, when their farm 

 is purchased, to select an individual of best prom- 

 ise, to take the management of it ; and let the 

 trustees hold their monthly meetings, at the farm, 

 not for the purpose of instructing their farmer^ 

 but to improve themselves by observing his man- 

 agement. Such an arrangement of model farms, 

 in each county, under the supervision of the Coun 

 ty Societies, with a detailed statement of their en 

 tire management and products annually made, 

 revised and published by the Secretary of the 

 Board of Agriculture, would, in my judgment, at 

 the present time, be one of the best modes of ad 

 vancing the interests of the farmer. 



Much is said about the application of chemical 

 science to the operations on the farm ; and the 

 benefits to be derived from an intelligent under- 

 standing of the constituent elements of soils. How 

 is this knowledge to be attained 1 By study or by 

 labor ■? I answer, by a combination of these.— ^ 

 Neither, alone, will be sufficient. A man may 

 treasure in his mind all the learning of the books, 

 and be a complete master of all the manipulations 

 of the laboratory ; still, without reaZ experiments 

 illustrative of the principles thus acquired, he nev- 

 er can be confidentin his own knowledge. A man 

 may know all the elements to be found in the anal- 

 ysis of Indian corn, for instance; but still, until 

 the growth of it has been tried uponlhe field— he 

 cannot say whether or not, it will succeed. The 

 food of plants is not found entirely in the earth 

 beneath — the heavens above contribute their por- 

 tion. Therefore, no analysis of the ground alone 

 will ever be a sure indication of the result of the 

 cultivation of a particular crop. All such calcu- 

 lations are based upon the supposition, that other 

 things being equal, and that they will go on, in 

 the ordinary way. Is it not certain that a given 

 quantity of rain is necessary for the production 

 of a crop of corn 1 Whoever knew a field of corn 



come to maturity without rain ? Bat it may be 

 said, the rain will of course come — because it al- 

 ways has come. True, what has been, probably 

 will be. But not necessarily so. Who can say 

 that the dews of the night, are not essential to the 

 maturity of a crop 1 No one will presume to say 

 that they ever knew a crop come to maturity with- 

 out being moistened by such dews. Then who 

 can say that the dew is not the one thing need- 

 ful for perfecting the crop. But the analysis of 

 the elements of the soil gives no information as 

 to the rain from above, or as to the dew of the 

 atmosphere. AVho will presume to say, that the 

 electric fluid which pervades all space, has not 

 something to do with the growth and maturity of 

 plants'? If I do not mistake, theories have been 

 started, tending to show that electricity is an es- 

 sential element in the growth of plants. And 

 plans have been proposed of advancing their 

 growth ])y electrical operations. But I am not 

 aware that Chemistry or Philosophy, have as yet 

 defined with any precision, the laws of Nature in 

 this particular. Perhaps when we fully under- 

 stand the transmission of ideas from shore to shoye, 

 by means of magnetism, we shall better compre- 

 hend the power of electricity in the growth of 

 vegetables. 



If it be true, as learned professoi-s, not of Mas 

 sachusetts, particularly, confidently assert, that 

 the soils of our fields can be so subdivided and an- 

 alyzed, that their productive powers can be esti- 

 mated, with as much precision as the hours of 

 the day can be numbered, it is high time this 

 were known, and the means of doing this placed 

 at the command of every cultivator. Where in 

 Massachusetts can this science be attained? — 

 Where can a young man go to learn practically 

 the sure method of analyzing soils ? Can it be 

 done at Cambridge, the fountain of knowledge for 

 New England. It may be, that it can be there 

 acquired ; but I have not had the good fortune to 

 meet any of the sons of Cambridge thus learned. 

 Can it be acquired at Amherst? If so, who Avill 

 teach it? President Hitchcock and Professor 

 Nash say, they themselves are anxious to acquire 

 the art. They do not profess to know it. They 

 are modest, honest, sensible men, willing and 

 ready to tell what they know, and nothing more. 

 Would others, in like position, do this and no 

 more, science would be respected. But when 

 the learned mingle the marvellous with the real, 

 and thus impose on the credulity of those whom 

 they address, they very soon cease to command 

 respect. p. 



April 12, 1853. 



How TO Raise Fruit every Year. — If rightly 

 understood, few trees, unless absolutely dead or 

 rotten, need occupy ground, without yielding a 

 plenteous crop. After a long and varied series of 

 experiments, I gradually adopted the following 

 mode : As soon as the winter has sufficiently dis- 

 appeared, and before the sap ascends, I examine 

 my trees ; every dead bough is lopped off, then, 

 after the sap has risen sufficiently to show where 

 the blossoms will be, I cut away all the other 

 branches having none on, and also the extremity 

 of every limb the lower part of which bears a con- 

 siderable number of buds, thus concentrating the 

 sap of the tree upon the maturation of its fruits, 

 and saving what would be a useless expenditure 



