ECONOMY OF AGRICULTURE. 431 



land into farm?, and to establish the right every individual lias 

 to the fruit of li is own labor. Thus dawned apon the pastoral, 

 or shepherd life, the agricultural, which was Boon succeeded by 



the horticultural period, which is the highest state of terra- 

 culture, and with it is generally found associated moral and 

 intellectual culture, and, necessarily, a highly enlightened and 

 advanced state of civilization. 



Hence it may be inferred, that, whether a knowledge of 

 agriculture and horticulture was originally imparted to man by 

 his Creator, and partially lost by the fall and the barbarism 

 which succeeded, or whether it is man's discovery, its introduc- 

 tion among savages has a tendency to produce civilization. 



The conquests of Caesar introduced agriculture into Gaul, 

 and converted her woods and marshes into fertile and fruitful 

 fields. Thus have war and conquest on both continents been 

 succeeded by a higher state of civilization; and so has been 

 partially realized the fulfilment of the prophecy, that the sword 

 and the spear shall be converted into implements of husbandry. 



It was the boast of Pliny the historian that the arts intro- 

 duced by the Roman conquests had diffused happiness over the 

 earth. Modern testimony tends to confirm this statement. 

 Visit the islands of the sea; and where you find the people 

 skilled in the art and practice of agriculture they will be found 

 subordinate, docile, and gentle. 



This art, which has had so powerful an influence in the civil- 

 ization of man, lies at the very foundation of both individual 

 and national growth and prosperity. The economy of such an 

 art is, truly, worthy of consideration ; for whatever tends to 

 increase the productiveness of agriculture communicates hap- 

 piness to individuals and energy to the state. 



A complete knowledge of "■ the economy of agriculture " is a 

 desideratum that has been long and diligently sought, but, like 

 the philosopher's stone, still remains hidden in the dark recesses 

 of Nature. It is true that some progress has been made in 

 the art of cultivating the soil ; yet it is equally true that 

 much remains to be known before the most economical mode 

 of changing inorganic bodies into organic can be successfully 

 practised, or, in other words, before the shortest and best way 

 of changing earth into trold is attained. 



