102 



T HE N E W G EN E S E E i A K M E R, 



Vol. 1 



Xotes on European Agriculture. 



[The following extracts from the tSouOitrn Cabinet, 

 indicate excellent judgment in ngriculturc, ond it is 

 withpleasuic that we present them to our readers.] 



As a general remark, I am disposed to believe that 

 Europe in generol, and England in particular, Is more 

 favorable to the cultivation of wheat, and other grains, 

 which go under the denomination of corn, than the 

 United States, with the exception perhaps of our 

 Western country; but that our own soil can, by a 

 proper system of tillage, be rendered twice as pro- 

 ductive as it is at present. That improvements in 

 implements of husbandry can be more easily introdu- 

 ced among us than in Europe, where it is ditiicult to 

 induce the laborers to lay aside the old heavy ploughs 

 and wooden toothed harrows, which we have aban- 

 doned for half a century; and when I have seen the 

 miserable hoes, spades and rakee, used by the peasants 

 of France and Austria, I have sometimes wished that 

 revolution (not political, but agricultural) might 

 sweep them and their wooden shDcs into oblivion to- 

 gether, to be known only as the relics of a clumsy, if 

 not a barbarous age. 



In fine breeds of horses, horned cattle and sheep, 

 suited to the different climates and pastures — and in 

 the careful manner which these distinct varieties are 

 kept separate. Great Britain takes the lead of the 

 world. The black faced sheep of Scotland differs so 

 widely from the varieties found in the downs and low 

 countries of England, that -hey would scrccly be re- 

 cognized as the same species. The same may be said 

 of the black cattle driven from the highlands to the 

 markets of Edinburgh, when compared with the dif- 

 ferent breeds found in the Lothinns of Scotland, and 

 in the level, rich counties of England. Each variety 

 is coulined to localities suited to its size and habits. — 

 The mountain cattle and sheep woidd not succeed well 

 in low countries, nor would the breeds of the downs 

 thrive on the mountains. No traveller in England 

 who knows a horse from a donkey, can fail to admire 

 the distinct breeds of horses, each in their nature ad- 

 mirably adapted to the services required of them. — 

 The carriage-horse, the hunter, the dray-horse, and 

 the race horse, con be distinguished at a single glance. 

 The dray-horse, in the streets of Liverpool and Lon- 

 don, unwieldy as the elephant, with a f lot of the size 

 of a peck tub, could scarcely be conceived to be the 

 same species as the little Shetland pony, that is seen 

 carrying the groups of gay travellers to the top of 

 Ben-Lomond, climbing over the rocks and up the 

 mountains like so many squirrels. I witnessed at 

 Ratisbon, in Bavaria, one of the finest collection of 

 horses I ever beheld. They were owned by the 

 Prince of Taxus, whose expensive stables were more 

 magnificent than many of the palaces of Europe — fit- 

 ted up with marble troughs — fountains for bathing — 

 the name, country, and pedigree of each, placed in 

 gilt letters on the wall. The number of grooms, and 

 careful attendance, and other foolefiee, reminded me 

 of what I had read of the honors paid to the sacred 

 Bulls of India, or the white Elephants of Ava. — 

 Among these were horses not only from Mecklenburg, 

 Saxony, and France, but from England and Arabia; 

 and to me the English courser appeared not only the 

 most elegant in form, but was admitted by better judges 

 than myself, more active and fleet than those of Ara- 

 bia itself. 



In the preservation of seeds of grain ond vegetables, 

 infinitely more pains are taken to preserve the varie- 

 ties distinct and unadulterated than with ue. In the 

 mountains of Scotland' there are certain districts op 

 proprioted solely to the cultivation of Garden Seeds— 

 and no two varieties that are in danger of becoming 

 adulterated by being placed near each other, are allow 

 cd to be cultivat'.il in the same district. 1 noticed at 

 Edinburgh, in the collection of Lawson & Sun, 

 Seedsmen and Nurserymen to the Highland and Ag 

 ricultural Society of Scotland — 83 varieties of Wheal, 

 62 of Peas, fA of Turnips, 140 of i'ototoes, ond on 

 immense number of species and varieties of Gross 

 seeds, some of which may probably be adopted to our 

 southern country. In a subsequent number I will en- 

 deavor to recur to this latter subject, ond point out 

 those species on which it would be advisable to make 

 experiments. 



The benefits of Societies for the promotion of agri- 

 culture, in stimulating industry and ambit.on, I saw 

 exemplified in Scotland, England, and at the Fairs of 

 Germany. The Highlond S iciety of Scotland has 

 existed sixty-one years, and from one of the bleakest 

 and most sterile countries of Europe, Scotland has, 

 ■with all its disadvantages, risen to a state of agricultu- 

 ral prosperity, far beyond any thing which could have 

 been expected from such a soil ond climate; and some 



of tSc counties, especially the Lothions, are not infe- 

 rior, in point of cultivation and product, to the richest 

 in England. Alamcetingof that Society, held a f^w 

 weeks previous to my arrival, 177 members were added 

 atone time, paying three guineas entrance, and one 

 guinea annually, and these including the names of the 

 most respectable men in the country. At this meeting 

 there was an additional sum of £1,500 ($7,000) sub- 

 scribed to promote the interests of the Society. Ev- 

 ery agricultural county mokes an annual report, and 

 thus thirty-three reports, embracing every object of 

 agricultural interest, arc annnally submitted to the so- 

 ciety. ' 



* This Society was formed in 1784, by a few gentle- 

 men, who " formed themselves in a hole and corner 

 club, in a cofl'e house called the Exchange," in Edin- 

 burgh. From a most wretched state they have raised 

 the agriculture of Scotland, until it has reached the 

 topmost rank. The means which were employed by 

 this Society, are thus detailed in the Edinburgh Quar- 

 terly Journal of AgriciUture: 



" In the days of its youth and feebleness, the High- 

 land Society sent the leaven of the turnip husbandry 

 into all the glens and straits of the north, by oflisrs of 

 small prizes to certain Highland Parishes; and the 

 same may be said as to the growth of clover ond the 

 finer grosses. As it advanced in strength, (as to num- 

 bers and to cosh, ) attention was to premiums for stock, 

 then came oilers of reward to men of science to dis- 

 cover better implements and machines, to diminish 

 friction and consequently draught, such as in the 

 thrashing mill ond other ports of agricultural machi- 

 nery. Still advancing in the scale of intellect and of 

 science, premiums were ofiered for essays to bring to 

 light the facts connected with chemistry and natural 

 philosophy; and, under the auspices of the society 

 was set up the ' Quarterly Journal of Agriculture,' a 

 woik which has been the vehicle of conveying so much 

 useful information to the agriculturist, that we humbly 

 venture to say it ought to appear on the table and book 

 shelf of every farmer's parlor. After this, the great 

 stock shows were resolved upon, as another link of 

 union between the society ond the practical farmer, 

 at the some time throwing aside all party feeling, and 

 making them open to stock from both sides of the 

 Tweed, [i. e. from England as well as Scotland.] — 

 How well they have succeeded, let the last one at 

 Scotland bear witness. (This was the most splendid 

 show of fine cattle ever exhibited.) Nor has the so- 

 ciety forgotten the beauty of the country, as the pre- 

 miums offered in regard to planting trees and such like 

 subjects fully testify; and to sum up all, it may be said 

 the Highland Society has been a point d' apj)ni, a ral- 

 lying point, to which the agriciUturists of Scotland 

 might look, and a fostering mother to all who, al- 

 though sti ong m talent, were weak in interest to make 

 it public." 



Premiums to the amount of $17,000 were offered 

 the last year, under the following classification: 



" Class I. — Agricultural machinery, 500 sovereigns 

 and a gold and silver medal. 



Class II. — Essays and report on various subjects, 

 embracing thirty-one subjects of high interest to the 

 farmer, viz. : 



1. Geological surveys. 



2. Reports on coal districts. 



3. Mines ond niinerols. 



4. Produce of pent moss, &c. 



5. Comparison between different kinds of manure 

 in raising potatoes. 



G. Extended application of water and other power 

 to farm purposes. 



7. Comparative efiicacy of the two modes of tho- 

 rough draining. 



b. Reports on irrigation. 



!). Forest planting. 

 U). Sheep pastures at high elevations. 



11. Improved sheep salve. 



12. On crossing the Chevoit with the New Leicester 

 ram. 



I'i. Cultivation of the recently introduced correal anli 

 other grains. 



14. Feeding farm horses on raw and prepared food. 



15. Early reaiing ond fattening of lambs. 



16. Insects injurious to ogricultural plants. 



17. Insects injurious to forest trees. 



18. Comparative nutritive property of grasses. 



19. Extirpating (erns from pastures. 



20. Thorough draining. 

 Subsoil ploughing" of thorough-drained land. 

 Mole plough. 



Experiments with manures. 

 Analysis of bone or rape dust. 

 On the effects of altitude on vegetation. 



21. 

 22. 

 2a 

 24. 

 2.'-.. 



Enghbh Agricultural Societies, although with lets 

 imilormiiy, are seduously engaged in the same cause, 

 and the result has been the generol diffusion of agri- 

 cultural knowledge. The different soils have been 

 analyzed — the kinds of luanures and modes of cultiva- 

 tion adopted to eoch, have been pointed out. The 

 steam engine has been introduced in threshing and for 

 other agricultural purposes, and Great Britain, inclu- 

 ding Ireland and Scotland, which formerly averaged 

 only nine bushels of wheat to the acre, lost year pro- 

 duced in the aggregate, I9J bushels; and three of the 

 counties of Scotland-, and several of England, avera- 

 ged 51 bushels to the acre. A Farmer by the name 

 of Thomas Oliver, residing five or six miles from Ed- 

 inburgh, leased a farm for the last twenty years, of 150 

 acres, paying annually a rent of 10 guineas per acre, 

 ($7,500,) on which he raised grain, hay, and vegeta- 

 bles for the market of Edinburgh. This lease he has 

 recently renewed for nineteen years, (the usual time to 

 which leases jun,) on the same terms, and from a poor 

 man he has become independent in his circumstances, 

 and rides in his corriage. What American Farmer 

 could make a profit that would enable him to pay such 

 an enormous rent ? All may be accounted for on the 

 principles of judicious manuring and careful, industri- 

 ous cultivation. 



From a cursory review of the cultivation of the va- 

 rious kingdoms of Europe, it ajjpeared to me that 

 England was in the highest state of cidtivution, and 

 which, from iis beautitul thorn hedges — its neat cotta- 

 ges, adorned by the eglantine, honeysuckle and ivy, 

 checkered here and there by the park and lordly pal- 

 ace, rendered the whole land a picturesqe garden. 



In additioit to a favorable climate, the soil of Eng- 

 land has the benefit of a judicious tillage. I was par- 

 ticularly struck with the system almost universally 

 adopted in regard to the rotation of crops. It should 

 he remarked that they never cultivate two successive 

 crops of grain on the same field. Although physiolo- 

 gists have not been able fully to account for the fact, 

 that the successive cultivaton of grain or vegetables 

 exhausts the soil, whilst a change to a different pro- 

 duct does not impoverish the land to any considerable 

 extent, yet, it is now universally admitted, by all good 

 husbandiuen, that this is the case. Some have ascri- 

 bed this to the exhaustion of the proper food of the 

 plant in consequence of its cultivation during succes- 

 sive years, whilst DecandoUe, Mocaire, and others, 

 have accounted for it on the doctrine that plants exude 

 from their roots eertoin substances, poisonous to 

 plants of the same variety, which in time renders the 

 earth unfit for their cultivation. As toujour perdriz 

 cloyed on the appetite of the Frenchman, so the teem- 

 ing earth longs for a change of food, and withholds 

 her fruitfulness unless she be indulged. It has often 

 been remarked why is it that a forest which has long 

 been covered with a growth of pine, when cut down 



26. Feeding of Cattle. 



27. Forests of larch. 



28. On raising improved varieties of grains. 



29. Reports on improved rural economy abroad. 



oO. Honorary premium for reports in several districts 

 in Scotland. 



31. Investigation of certain points connected with 

 the science of agriculture, viz: 



An essay or memoir explaining, on scientific princi- 

 ples, the mode in which soul operates in producing or 

 facilitating the germination and growth of vegetables. 



An essay or memoir describing and proving, on sci- 

 entific principles, what is the best admixture of the or- 

 dinary elements of soil, for promoting the germina- 

 tion and growth of particular vegetables. 



An essay or memoir describing, on scientific prin- 

 ciples, the mode on which lime operotcs in rendering 

 the soil better odapted for the germination and growth 

 of particular vegetables. 



An essay or memoir explaining, on scientific prin- 

 ciples, the effect of drainage in altering the constitu- 

 tion or qualities of the soil, and increasing its fertility. 



An essay or memoir, showing the natuie of the at- 

 mospheric influence on soil, in promoting its fertility, 

 including the modification of these influences arising 

 from heat and cold, dryness and moisture. 



Class III. — Waste lands — their improvement by 

 tillage. 



Class IV. Crops and culture. 



Class V. Pastures — their manogement. 



Class Vr. Live Stock — districts coiiipeutors. 



Class VII. Products of live stock — butler and 

 cheese. 



Class VIII. The best kept cottages and cottage gar- 

 dens. 



Class IX. Woods and plantations. 



Class X. Genera! show of live stock, and agricul 

 tural meeting at Inverness." — Ed Sou. Ciih. 



