Necessity of consulting boors. 



It is a saying sanctioned by the authority of Bacon, 

 that " knowledge is power." Of all the various sorts 

 of power enumerated by that great philosopher says 

 Sinclair, this seems by far the most important. What 

 g^ives one man any real superiority over another, but 

 the knowledge he|possesses ? What enables some indi- 

 viduals to produce abundant harvests, — to carry on a 

 prosperous commerce, — to establish successful manufac- 

 tures, — to excel in mechanism, or any other useful art, 

 but the acquisition, and judicious apphcation of that 

 knowledge in which others are deficient ? 



That the power and prosperity of a countr}'', depend 

 6n the diuusion of useful knowledge, can hardly be 

 questioned ; and there is probably no art, in which a va- 

 riety of knowledge is of more essential importance, than 

 in that of agriculture. The extent of information ne- 

 cessary to bring it to any thing like perfection, is far 

 greater than is generally supposed. To preserve the 

 fertility of the soil — to free it from superfluous mois- 

 ture — to cultivate it to the greatest advantage — to raise 

 its productions at the least expence — to procure the 

 best instruments of husbandry — to select the stock like- 

 ly to be the most profitable— ^to feed them in the most 

 judicious manner— ;to secure the harvest, even in the 

 most unpropitious seasons — to separate the grain from the 

 straw with economy and success — and to perform all the 

 other operations of agriculture in the most judicious 

 mode, require a greater extent, and variety of knowl- 

 edge, than might at first view, be judged requisite. 



It is not many years, since chemistry was brought to 

 the aid of Agriculture, and this will eventually prove 

 one of its principal pillars. Systematic rotations of crops 



