58 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



acre ; the last is the produce of a new variety, whirl) 

 proves very prolific. My barley has yielded, on an 

 average, twelve sacks per acre. I have, however, 

 one field of barley not yet threshed, from which I dn 

 not expect to get more than nine sacks per acre, the 

 soil being a poor gravel. The general character of 

 the land I have already described. 



CHAPTER II 



OX THE NECESSITY AND MEANS OF IMPROVING OUR HUS- 

 BANDRY. 



Report by Judge Buel. 



WE cannot be too often reminded of the contrast 

 which exists between good and bad husbandry ; nor 

 too often admonished to search into the causes of 

 this difference, and to apply the needful remedies. 

 The difference does not consist alone in a single 

 crop or a single season : the soil in the one case is 

 becoming more and more exhausted of fertility, and 

 losing its intrinsic value ; while in the other its rel- 

 ative worth is on the increase, and the difference in 

 product is consequently annually increasing. 



We will illustrate our proposition by a comparison 

 between American and Scotch husbandry now and 

 sixty years ago. Sixty years ago the agriculture of 

 Scotland was in a wretchedly low and unproductive 

 condition, while the products of our yet unex- 

 hausted soil were abundant. But sixty years ago 

 the spirit of improvement fell upon Scotland ; her 

 -gricultural society was instituted, and commenced 

 ts useful labours, and was soon after greatly aided 

 by the organization of a national board of agricul- 

 ture ; agricultural surveys were made and published 



