16 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



5. Root Culture. And, 



G. In substituting Fallow Crops for Naked Fallows. 



Most of all these are necessary to good farming, 

 according to soil, climate, and location. They are 

 the distinguishing traits of the new husbandry ; and 

 as they are practised with more or less fidelity and 

 judgment, in the same proportion are they likely to 

 advance the condition of our agriculture, and to ben- 

 efit the commonwealth. 



These objects have become so hackneyed from 

 our repeated attempts to illustrate their bearing upon 

 the prosperity of our country, that we almost de- 

 spair of interesting our readers by what we have to 

 offer ; but as we labour in our vocation, and deem 

 the matter in question of deep interest to the farmer, 

 we shall again throw our seed abroad, in the hope 

 that at least a portion of it may fall upon the ground 

 and yield a reasonable increase. 



We intend to discuss the several subjects we have 

 named, and shall endeavour to show the why and the 

 how each of them tends to benefit the farmer, and to 

 advance improvement in our husbandry. In the re- 

 marks we shall offer, it will be our endeavour rather 

 to explain the principles upon which the new system 

 is founded, and which have a common application, 

 and to demonstrate their beneficial influence in hus- 

 bandry generally, than to detail the minutiae of prac- 

 tice, which must, in some degree, ever be influenced 

 and controlled by local causes. 



I. MANURING. 



The first requisite to improving the fertility of the 

 soil, is plenty of food for the crop which it is des- 

 tined to nourish. The meal-chest must be occasion- 

 ally replenished, or it will not long serve to supply 

 the wants of the family. The kine must have daily 

 her forage or her grain, or she will withhold her ac- 

 customed tribute of milk. The field, which yields 

 an annual contribution to the husbandman, wili be- 



