64 ox CROPS. 



territory is a poor ambition. Our object should be to 

 show iiow well and not how much we can till. When 

 etern necessity, or good policy, or the dispensation of 

 Providence has divided farms, we have often noticed 

 that tlie several parts became more productive, and in 

 such cases it is almost always true, that the half is better 

 than the whole. Whenever a farmer becomes satisfied 

 that he is cultivating too much land, he should sell ofl' or 

 lease his supernumerary acres, or turn them into pasture. 

 The labor and expense of raising thirty bushels of corn is 

 three quarters as much as of raising sixty bushels to the 

 acre. 



Many of our farmers have yet to learn the great ad- 

 vantage of cultivating extensively root crops, as a winter 

 feed for stock. A lar^re portion of our time and strength 

 is expended in procuring this feed ; it is now principal- 

 ly hay and corn fodder. The average quantity of hay 

 to the acre is less than a ton and a half: but fifteen or 

 even twenty tons of carrots and mangel wurtzel, are not 

 very extraordinary. The expense of raising these roots 

 is considerable, but commonly it does not exceed six dol- 

 lars per ton. There cannot be a doubt that as food for 

 cattle, two tons of them arc worth at least as much as 

 one ton of hay, and stock kept in part on roots, are in 

 better health and condition, and make more valuable 

 manure. It is satisfactorily ascertained that two bushels 

 of carrots, and one of oats, are worth more for a horse 

 than tvro bushels of oats; and next to Indian meal, boil- 

 ed carrots are admitted to be the best food for swine. 

 But with all these facts before us, but few farmers, com- 

 paratively, can be induced to cultivate beets, carrots, or 

 the different varieties of turnips. In agriculture, the 

 progress of improvement has always been less rapid than 

 in any other of the arts of life ; rnay it not always be so. 

 The field is ample, and all that is wanted is active, spir- 

 ited, and enterprizing laborers. 



By the statements which follow this report, it appears 

 that some of our enlightened yeomen are ambitious of 

 leading off in this good undertaking of agricultural im- 

 provement, and the Committee tender them their thanks 



