No. 129.] 183 



deterred by ridicule or any thing else from managing his affairs as 

 he thinks best. This is according to his usage and habits grow- 

 ing out of his calling, pursued by him and liis ancestors perhaps, 

 for many generations, that of an independent American farmer. 

 We further liope that this same class will continue to increase in 

 our country in strength and numbers for ages to come, and espe- 

 cially in the strength of their habits, as we believe them to be the 

 safest reliance for the permanence of our political institutions. 

 We question the morality too of recommending and encouraging 

 in strong decided language such an expensive system as under- 

 draining generally to our farmers on all lands, no matter where 

 located and how their soils may be constituted. Not that we 

 have the least apprehension that many of them will be influenced 

 by such recommendations, but a few might and try it, and without 

 suflicient means to do it well. Thus they would sustain a doub- 

 le injury not only for doing what their land did not require and 

 probably never would if properly tilled, but doing it badly and 

 thereby positively injuring it irreparably. Here is not oniy the 

 unnecessary expenditure on their shoulders whether done well, 

 or ill, but a serious damage to the land if badly done, and alto- 

 gether would certainly weigh down any ordinary farmer and end 

 in his ruin or inevitable embarrassment. It cannot be moral to 

 advise, much more, vehemently urge upon the community a sys- 

 tem attended with such ruinous consequences. We believe most 

 of those, and the whole number we think, are few who recom- 

 mend it, do it with the best intention, and because they believe 

 sincerely in the utility of the system. These we think, in time 

 will see the impolicy if not immorality of continuing publicly to 

 support and advise it and will desist from it, especially when 

 they all see the few converts they make, and these likely to pay 

 so dearly for being influenced by their advice. In England and 

 Scotland where the system of underdraining has been brought to 

 the greatest perfection and where their soil and wet moist climate 

 require it perhaps more than any other country, and where they 

 have done so much of it, we say even here they have millions 

 of acres yet undrained and which require it as much probably 

 as any they have drained, but the great expense in addition to 

 many other burthens which weigh so heavy upon the tenant far- 

 mers there deter them. Labor there is not much more thaa a. 



