No. 144.] 255 



It is this " can't afford it" doctrine that hangs like an incubus 

 about the necks of American farmers, and hinders all improre- 

 ment, and makes us work like willing slaves, though very foolish 

 ones, to raise a surplus of such produce as we can send to Europe 

 to sustain the doctrine of free trade. 



Geo. E. Waring, Jr., of Rye, M. Y. — Mr. Chairman, it seems to 

 me that the gentleman has been reasoning on false principles. I 

 do not intend to say that We are not now producing more m the 

 aggregate than we ever have done before, but sir, I do say, with- 

 out fear of contradiction, that in very many parts of the country 

 the land is becoming yearly less capable of producing as large 

 crops per acre as our improved implements indicate that they 

 should do, while those fields which yield abundant crops are not, 

 except in rare cases, compensated for their loss of inorganic mat- 

 ter, and that they are on the rapid road to impoverishment. 

 This, sir, may be readily seen from a casual glance of the laws 

 which govern the fertility of the soil and the growth of plants. 

 Dr. Wateibury might bring every census report ever published, 

 and hold them up in evidence of his correctness, and he would 

 find the facts of nature's science still unwilling to bow before 

 them. No, sir. The gentleman is wrong in his opinion. The 

 law that something taken from something leaves less than was pre- 

 sent at first, is immutable, and our experience as farmers has 

 shown, and ever will show, that we are pursuing a wrong course. 



But I do not propose to illustrate farther the injurious tendency 

 of our present system of cultivation. That was so fully discussed 

 at our last meeting, and its certainty so clearly settled that we 

 need give it no more time. Our attention may be now more pro- 

 fitably directed toward the means for improving our operations and 

 preventing the loss which we have seen to he so serious. 



We must prevent further wastes, and make use of all available 

 refuse niatter in increasing the fertility of the soil. The effectual 

 accomplishment of this object will be difficult to attain. It will 

 require the assistance of government and a thorough retormation 

 in nearly every branch of husbandry. Every farmer should keep 

 with his farm a sort of custom-house account, in which should be 



