OF THE SOIL. 65 



new-settled lands, acts very much like the prodigal son 

 of wealth, who finds a treasure in his hands, and who, 

 without inquiring how it came there, or how it should be 

 preserved, exhausts it recklessly, without regard to duty 

 or ultimate benefit. So the farmer, under the old sys- 

 tem, seems to have regarded the treasures of the soil 

 as a patrimonial inheritance, conferred by Providence, 

 for his especial benefit, and to have gone on and wasted 

 it, regardless of the interests of society and of his off- 

 spring. The consequence has been, that he who has 

 wasted the treasures of the soil, like the spendthrift, has 

 often thereby consigned his children to poverty and to 

 want, or driven them to other employments, by the in- 

 fluence of his bad example. 



The first requisite, therefore, for improving the fertili- 

 ty of the soil, is to provide plenty of food for the crops 

 which it is destined to nourish. The meal-chest must 

 be occasionally replenished, or it will not long serve to 

 supply the wants of the family. The cow must have 

 daily her forage, or her grain, or she will withhold her 

 accustomed tribute of milk. The field which yields an 

 annual contribution to the husbandman, will become ster- 

 ile, if nothing is returned to replace the vegetable matters 

 continually carried off. Philosophers have speculated for 

 ages, as to what constitutes the food of plants. With- 

 out recapitulating the various theories which have had 

 their day, upon this point, every farmer can readily re- 

 spond to the question, from personal knowledge — that it 

 is MANURE — vegetable and animal matters — which con- 

 stitute the true food of farm-crops. Mineral, fossil, and 

 earthy substances may meliorate the soil, and increase its 

 capacities for the healthy developement and maturity of 

 plants, or may impart wholesome stimuli to their organs ; 

 but vegetable and animal substances, after all, constitute 

 mainly the food of plants. Crops are always good, on 

 well-prepared ground, where these, in a soluble state, are 

 known to abound ; and they are always defective, or 

 prove a failure, where these are wanting. Farmers 

 should hence regard manure as a part of their capital — 

 as money — which requires but to be properly employed, 

 6* 



