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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



raged every principle of Nature in our system of 

 cultivation, thus far, and must now adopt a new 

 one ; not, however, immediately and at once, but 

 by degrees, just as the architect proceeds in the 

 reparation of a time-worn edifice, rejecting what is 

 worthless and rotten in its composition, but care- 

 fully retaining and improving, if possible, that 

 which is sound and goocl. Because our fathers or 

 our grandfathers persisted in hauling a tree from 

 the forest by the top, is no argument in favor of 

 our doing so." 



These suggestions are applicable only to land 

 that is capable of being plowed. On those that 

 are not, a different system must be pursued, — and 

 what the system should be, we hope some of our 

 correspondents will inform us. 



For tlve New England Fanner. 

 THEOKY AND PRACTICE. 



Mr. Editor : — The object of every farmer, I 

 suppose, is to raise from a given extent of land 

 the largest amount of crops at the least expense of 

 time and labor. To accomplish this object, if he 

 be a M'ise man, he brings into operation all his 

 knowledge, Avhether it be theoretical or practical. 

 In his case there is a perfect harmony l^etween his 

 theory and practice. The one follows, as a natural 

 and necessary consequence, from the other. If 

 his theory be right, his practice will be right. If 

 his theory be wrong, his practice will be M-rong. 

 His theory and practice will both be right, or both 

 be wrong, according to circumstances. Many 

 things which appear to be right, and which are 

 received as true in theory, prove to be untrue 

 when tested by experience, and they are rejected 

 in practice. No one will practice false theories 

 when he knows them to be wrong. It is some 

 ■what difficult to explain some true theories in 

 practical husbandry. The theories themselves 

 will sometimes explain useful practices, and point 

 out the circumstances under which they may be 

 adopted. Theories are generally the foundation 

 of all correct pi'actice, and form the basis of all 

 correct reasoning. Correct theories generally 

 lead to important practical results. But erroneous 

 theories frequently lead to grave errors in practice. 

 It is very important, then, and certainly we cannot 

 take too much pains to be right in theoi'y, which, 

 if we be consistent with ourselves, will ensure our 

 being right in practice. 



Some seem to think that all theories are neces- 

 sarily wrong, merely because they are theories, 

 and that all practice is necessarily right. This is 

 a great and fatal mistake. It is difficult, I know, 

 to find two formers who agree in everything, 

 either in theory or practice. Plow deep, says one, 

 .if you wish to obtain a good crop. No, says 

 another, I shall do no such thing. I have tried 

 that long enough, and I know from long expe- 

 rience that it will ruin my land, and that I shall 

 only get a crop of stones for my pains. Compost 

 your vwnure, says one. I shall do no such thin^^, 

 says another, for it will not add to my manure, 

 and hy so doing I shall lose my time and labor. 

 Build you a good barn cellar to keep your ma- 

 nure, says one. Nonsense, says another, I shall 

 continue to throw all my manure into the yard, 

 as I always have done. Cut your fiay and /odder 



for your cattle, says one. No, says another, it 

 does not increase the amount of nutrim.ent by 

 cutting it, and I shall only have my labor for my 

 pains. And so on, to the end of the chapter. 



Now, here are theory and practice, truth and 

 error, all jumbled together in the most admired 

 disorder ! What is needed to solve the difficulty 

 is a little accurate thought and correct reasoning. 

 For instance, the theory of deep plowing may be, 

 and probably is, correct. But it will not do to 

 plow all lands, of every description, deep, without 

 regard to their condition and circumstances. It 

 will not do to turn up a great amount of the sub- 

 soil without a liberal supply of manure of some 

 kind. It will not do to subsoil twenty or thirty 

 acres with only manure enough for four or five. 

 It will not do to plow very deeply a great amount 

 of poor land, either Avet or dry, and then expect a 

 great crop because you have plowed it so deep. 

 No ; in order to secure this end, all the conditions 

 and circumstances essential to a good crop must 

 be complied with. The same is true with regard 

 to the use of compost manure, barn cellars, and 

 the cutting of hay and fodder for cattle. There 

 ai'e certain conditions and circumstances, in each 

 instance, which must be complied with, in order 

 to be successful. The same is true with regard to 

 theories generally. 



Besides, there are some theories which, though 

 true, are yet of no practical importance, and which, 

 on that account, we should never think of reduc- 

 ing to practice. All useful theories, when rightly 

 understood, conduce to correct practice. In fact, 

 all practice, whether right or wrong, grows out of 

 some theory, as its germ, or root. It is theory 

 which produces practice — which gives it direction, 

 and renders it successful. We should endeavor 

 to understand this subject, and in the treatment 

 of the various kinds of soil — the proper mode of 

 preparing and applying manure — the adaptation 

 of particular crops to particular localities, and the 

 proper succession of crops, we need all the light 

 of science and of theory to direct and assist us. 

 Our want of success in these particulars is owing 

 to our Avant of correct theory and practice, which 

 alone can accomplish these objects. 



TTT ■ J i\T lo^o John Goldsbury. 

 narwick, Mass., 1862. 



A Novel Way of Curing a Breachy 

 H0R8E. — A correspondent of the Iowa Home- 

 stead was riding the other day with a friend, and 

 observed that one of the horses had a hole in each 

 ear. On inquiring the cause, he learned that it 

 Avas to keep the horse from jumping. "Why," 

 said he, "a horse don't jump with his ears." 

 "You are mistaken," replied his friend ; "ahorse 

 jumps as much with his ears as Avith his feet, and 

 unless he can have free use of his ears he cannot 

 jump." He ties the tAvo ears together, and has 

 no more trouble Avith the horse. We give this 

 for Avhat it is Avorth. 



"Thoughts on Economy." — The attention of 

 the reader is called to a capital article in another 

 column, on the subject stated above. We hope it 

 may lead many excellent men and Avomen to a 

 candid reflection of some of the matters so fairly 

 presented. 



