OUR COUNTRY OUR WHOLE COUNTRY. 217 



CHAPTER X. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



OUR COUNTRY OCR WHOLE COUNTRY. Clover: its value for 

 Cattle, for Seed, and for the Soil. Use of Clover. Clover 

 and Clover-seed. Prevention of Smut. Why is it best to 

 bury Manure ? Butter-making. Drill Husbandry. Effect 

 of Steeps. Modes and Profits of Strawberry Culture. Sta- 

 tistics of American Wool and Woollen Manufactures. Ex- 

 periment in Harvesting Corn. Cultivation of Cucumbers. 

 The circumscribed Farmer &c., &c. 



THERE is no one business of life which so highly 

 conduces to national prosperity and independence, 

 and to general and individual happiness, as the cul- 

 tivation of the soil. Agriculture may be regarded, 

 says the great Sully, as the breasts from which the 

 state derives its support and nourishment. Agricul- 

 ture is truly our nursing mother, which nurtures, 

 and gives growth, and wealth, and moral health, 

 and character to our country. It may be consider- 

 ed as the great wheel which moves all the machine- 

 ry of society ; and that whatever gives to this a new 

 impulse or energy, communicates a corresponding 

 impetus to the thousand minor wheels of interest 

 which it propels and regulates. Providence seems 

 wisely to have ordained, that because this is the 

 most necessary employment towards the subsist- 

 ence and comfort of the human family, its labours 

 shall receive the highest and most substantial re- 

 ward. While the other classes of society are di- 

 rectly dependant upon agriculture for a regular and 

 sufficient provision of the means of subsistence, the 

 agriculturist is 'enabled to supply all the absolute 

 wants of life from his own labours, though he de- 

 rives most of his pleasures and profits from an in- 



