10 



NEW ENGLAxND FARMER. 



turns to the soil. The cheapness of the seed 

 is m'jcli in favOT of its extensive application. 



Of all the vegetables tliat may be best sub- 

 stituted for the Lupin, Kve, in my opinion, is 

 the most promising. This plant, too much ne- 

 glected 10 produce food for brutes, but what is 

 ro be lamented, too much cultivated to funiish 

 poison for men, possesses all the amelioratina: 

 properties for the soil, that we arc accustomed 

 to derive tVom any of those belonging to the 

 Ifgiiininuus tril)e. lii/e withstands severe drought; 

 and without jnanure it feeds millions iu some 

 countries, from soils little better than blowing 

 sands. 



Those soils inclining to loam, that will pro- 

 duce a rank stMle, are said to be enriched by 

 a succession of ripened crops ; and it is a fact 

 within my own observation, that rich friable 

 loams, on the alluvial banks of Connecticut, 

 which have been e,\liausted by repeated, unma- 

 nured, crops ol' I.idiau com, have been in some 

 measure restored by two or three successive 

 crops of Kyc. If it will do this with the dnj 

 stubble, what may we not expect from it grec-a, 

 when buried rampant and succulent in the 

 soil .' 



In order to insure a sufiiticnt growth, in sea- 

 son, to plough in with Indian corn and most cf 

 our root crops. Rye should be sown the be- 

 ginning or by the middle of August, and much 

 thicker than when intended for a crop of grain. 

 If it gets too forward before winter, it should 

 be fed down with light stock or mown. Winter 

 Rye, sown early in the spring grows rapidly, 

 and will generally arrive at sufficient stature in 

 season to be turned in as manure for Ruta Baga. 

 Rye ploughed in when in full tlower and .Millet 

 soivii, which it will bring forward with great 

 luxuriance, and that in its most succulent state, 

 turned in for Wheat, may be one of the best fal- 

 low preparations for it that can be devised ; and 

 is probably the cheajtesl and most convenient 

 process to restore an exhausted soil. At the 

 .same time it should be considered, that giipsum' 

 acts more powerfully on soils thus prepared. 



I have been induced to submit the foregoing 

 remarks, not only from an imjjrcssion that such 

 a system, as has been imperfectly suggested, ^ 

 Will tend to increase our products immediately, i 

 and insure a progressive improvement of the 

 soil, but from a firm conviction, that it is one of 

 the most efticient resources that the farmers of j 

 New England can command, to enal)le them to 

 meet the crisis that awaits them ; and lor which, 

 perhaps, they are not fully prepared. 



By the noble efforts of the State of New York, 

 those fertile regions in the west, many hundred 

 miles from navigation, will soon be a|iproximat- 

 cdfor everij useful purpose, and jimduce the same 

 effect, as if they were within forty miles of the 

 Huilson. And 1 apprehend that the question 

 cannot be too soon propounde^l — How is the 

 Ma.isaclui.setts farmer to meet in the market, on 

 equal terms llie mass of agricultural productions 

 which will then inundate the shores of the At- 

 lantic ? 



Is it by Canals, in an uneven, confined terri- 

 tory, on which the most profitable staple is graz- 

 ing ? We have no inland seus mingled with 

 mighty rivers, to feed levels through rich allu- 

 vial tracts of an hundred miles in extent ! No 

 inexhaustible reservoirs of brine, within twelve 

 feet of the surface, seven times stronger than 

 the waters of the ocean ; and from m liich the 



whole Atlantic seaboard may be supplied with 

 the heavy article of Salt, as cheap, and of a /j»)- 

 er qiuditji, than can be obtained from any part 

 of the world! Neither do our mountains af- 

 ford those valuable and ponderous minerals, the 

 transportation of which on canals, contribute to 

 the main support of those costly undertakings 

 iu Europe !* 



On the other hand, would not greater bene- 

 fits (low, wore every dollar of capital that can 

 be spared from commerce and maiiut'actures, ap- 

 propriated to those vast improvements of which 

 the soil of Massachusetts is susceptible ? And 

 should a mania lor water works arise, it may 

 have ample and profitable gratification, by cut- 

 ting trenches on the ridges and tunnels through 

 the hills, thereby draining the numerous ponds, 

 swami)s and bogs, creating luxuriant meadows ; 

 and by erecting hydraulic machines on the innu- 

 merable streams and brooks to irrigate the 

 parched fields on their borders ! It is by such 

 enterprizcs that the Massachusetts farmers may 

 expect to prosper, aideil by a regular system of 

 management, with the application of all tlie mcu- 

 nures that can possibly be collected, on one third 

 part of the soil that usually receives them, and 

 by enriching the remainder by that joint process 

 of nature and art, h.ol'giii.vg in of orun crops. 



M.4SS.\CHUSETTS AGRICULTLR.U. REPOSrrORY AND 

 JOURNAL, FOR .lUNE. 



(Continued from p. 2.) 



Perhaps there is nothing which more serves to preju- 

 dice a great proportion of farmers against what tliey 

 call bool( farming than injudicious attempts to carry 

 into effect any improvement in husbandry without suf- 

 ficiently regarding soil, climate, pro.ximily to market, 

 scarcity or plenty of land, lov/ or high price of labor, 

 and other circumstances, which may render a proposed 

 system very eligible and proper in some cases, and 

 very expensive and ruinous in others. Seit7ice may 

 give us facts and theories — but good st7ise must make 

 the ap[.iication ; and the more knouitdgt a man has, 

 if he has not judgment to make a proper use of his 

 information, the wilder and more ruinou^ will be 

 hisprojects and calculations. But in snch cases 

 authors are no more culpable for having given 

 misapplied directions, than the sun is to be found 

 fault with for giving that light which enables a man to 

 travel in a road leading him astray from his object. 

 Book farmers, as they are called, are, however, some- 

 times wrong, therefore we should be cautious; but 

 they are sometimes right, therefore we should not be 

 too incredulous. If their doctrine is doubted, bring it 

 to the infallible standard of repeated actual experi- 

 ment ; but if it carries conviction with it, — is assented 

 to as soon as named, let us convert it to useful pur- 

 poses. But we cannot better enforce and elucidate 

 our meaning than by further quotations from the first 

 article in the Journal which is the subject of our pres- 

 ent notices. 



" Some persons have doubted the applicabili- 

 ty of the system of soiling to our country. By 

 soiling, we mean, (as some of our readers may 



* The canal from Lake Erie to the Hudson, 363 miles, 

 will probably be finished in 1823. For 240 miles on its 

 line not a single yard of rock is necessary to be remov- 

 ed ! The average cost of the whole canal is estimated 

 at !j;i3,!i00 per mile. The expenditure for canals in 

 England average $22,000 per mile. The Middlesex 

 Canal is said toliave cost $17,000. Mr. Gallatin sup- 

 posed the medium cost of canals in America wotiid 

 amount to $:J 1,000 per mile. See North .American Re- 

 view for .lanuarv, liiSi, .■irt. xii. 

 Brighton, 3d June, 1822. 



not be acquainted with the term, which we must 

 confess is a barbarous one, hav ing no sort of con- 

 nexion with its real meaning) the feeding cattle 

 eitherin the barn or barn-yard thro" the summe; 

 months with fVesh cut green food. Mr. Quincy has 

 very fully and very satist'actorily proved that it 

 can be profitably done in our country — that i;s 

 cost, compared to its usefuhiess is very small. 



" We agree, however, with many farmers, 

 that it is not gcnerallij applicable to our present 

 state of agriculture. It is of great use whero 

 fencing stuff is dear — where grass is of great 

 value — where cultivation is carried to great 

 perfection — where population treads very close 

 on the heels of production. But in our countr} , 

 even in the populous parts of New England, (we 

 say it with great respect for the gentleman ^vho 

 has called our attention to it.) we doubt wheth- 

 er it can be adopted with gTeat advantage, ex- 

 cept on lands in the vicinity of great cities, or 

 on farms reduced to a state of great improve- 

 ment and high cultivation, or on very small 

 farms, where it is invaluable. For example, to 

 myself, its value is beyound calculation. But 

 my next neighbor, has a rocky pasture, to sub- 

 due which, to any tolerable state, for any sort 

 of cultivation, would cost the whole value of his 

 faim — but it makes excellent pasture land. The 

 cattle thrive admirably among the rocks and 

 shrubs of this stubborn pasture, which will nev- 

 er be cultivated, till our country shall count as 

 China does its 270 millions of souls. 



" Immense woods and pasture grounds exist 

 within 50 miles of Boston, which can be used 

 in no way so profitably as they are now used, 

 for pasture. Till they are taken up and cultivat- 

 ed soiling will be limited, must be limited only 

 to small cultivatc«-s, or great experimental farm- 

 ers. If it he asked why are not these waste pas- 

 ture lauds taken up for cultivation ? ray answer 

 is they are not wanted — they will not pay the 

 price of reducing them to cultivation. They 

 will remain as they are, till New England shall 

 have its half a dozen Manchesters and Birming- 

 hams, and then soiling will become, and never 

 till then, extensively in use." 



Mr. Lowell concludes this valuable paper by stating 

 his opinions relative to such obiects as require the at- 

 tention of those who would ameliorate the present sys- 

 tem of Agriculture. 



" My own ideas as to the most practicable im- 

 provements in the agriculture of this part of our 

 country, are principally confined to the follow- 

 ing particular.s. 



" First. The improvement of the character 

 and qualities of all our domestic animals. It 

 would not be extravagant to say that the ex- 

 pense an<l profits of raising stock would be ben- 

 eficially affected by having the best races of ev- 

 ery sort that are now known in Europe. New 

 England will never bo a grain country, anymore 

 than she will become the raiser of tobacco or 

 cotton. But she can probably supply two mil- 

 lions of people with beef, pork and wool. 



" Secondly. To do this, she may and must 

 use for half a century her natural pastures, be- 

 cause she cainiot afford at present prices, to 

 break up her uncultivated lands, but she can 

 raise, and raisje to advantage, by a succession o( 

 crops, a sulficient supplj' of succulent roots, such 

 as the Swedish turniji — tlie Mangel Wurlz?l or 

 white beet, carrots and potatoes, to come m aid of 

 her cultivated and natural grass-land-, to support, 

 and improve the condition of her stock ^' aiii- 



