MR. PROCTOR^S ADDRESS. 27 



*' legs, worth little or nothing, till the missing part or 

 " parts are supplied." Such modifications of the soil, 

 with the application of such manures as are specially 

 adapted to the crop sought to be raised, is the business 

 of the intelligent farmer. No man can make pretensions 

 to this distinction, without the requisite qualifications. 

 If a man offers his services to make your shoes, or to 

 build you a cart, or to teach your children at school, 

 you inquii-e into his qualifications to discharge these du- 

 ties. AV^hy should not the same inquiry be instituted, 

 when he offers to cultivate your lands ? To constitute a 

 gootl farmer requires a due admixture of scientific theory, 

 practical ski'l, and common sense. The one without 

 the others often misleads to visionary speculations, and 

 thereby brings into contempt all scientific operations. 

 I cannot better illustrate the benefits that may be 

 derived from the proper preparation and application of 

 manures, as compared with the heedless use ordinari- 

 ly made, than by reference to the extraordinary crops 

 obtained by gardeners and others from the careful culti- 

 vation of small parcels. In every village may be found 

 instances of such culture, where the profits accruing 

 over and above the extra labor, are ten times as much 

 as farmers usually realize from the same quantity of land. 

 Possibly it may be said that the demand for such garden 

 vegetables, as asparagus, lettuce^ strawberries, §-c., from 

 which the greatest profits have accrued, is of so limited 

 a character, that 'lqw can find their account in this kind 

 of cultivation. I will, therefore, refer to the cultivation 

 of the onion, which is distinctly the business of the far- 

 mers in my neighborhood, many of whom have more acres 

 of onions than most farmers in the county have of Indian 

 corn. The average yield of this crop is 300 bushels to 

 the acre ; sometimes as high as 500, or 600 bushels. 

 The ordinary expense of manure and labor to an acre 

 may be estimated double that required for Indian corn ; — 

 this estimate is believed to be ample to cover all that 

 will be requisite, for a series of years, especially when 

 it is taken into view that much of the labor of weeding 

 and gathering may be done by children. For ten years 



