No. 129.] 311 



puddiEgs, 300 bushels on an acre. Of this delicious root there 

 are varieties of which some are very superior to the rest. Intel- 

 ligent and careful farmers would never have any but the best, 

 and yet very little talent has ever made its way into the raising 

 of our delicious Carolinas. There is not the shadow of a doubt 

 but the best of the sorts may be greatly improved. We are as 

 certain of this as we are of the positive improvement in all our 

 animal and vegetable food, by dint of science and industry. The 

 ox of England, some 500 years ago, averaged less than 400 lbs. 

 weight. The present race are entirely the result of knowledge 

 and care. The same is true, to a great extent, in poultry, in 

 swine, sheep, &c. The originals of many of our most important 

 plants were, compared with the present, small and of very infe- 

 rior quality. This truth is easily made manifest now by subject- 

 ing any of the animals or vegetables to the deteriorating effects 

 of ignorance and carelessness. We can now as readily brutalize 

 our races of all sorts, as was anciently done, and among savages 

 is now done. The root crops show us the men that make them 

 with stern certainty. The starved, meagre, tough, coarse beet, 

 carrot, turnip, parsnip, tell the story of the wretched soil, the 

 lazy, ignorant, stupid booby who ruins his land, his roots, and 

 his wife, children and self. You may read his whole character 

 in a peck measure of his roots. So of his animals. The regular 

 form, full growth, smooth skin and perfect leaf testifies that the 

 farmer who made it must make other things relatively good. 



The lessons of these good farmers, teaching by glorious exem- 

 plary evidence, how greatly wisdom][is handling the land, caus^ 

 the triumphant crops to bless the owner and his fellow -citizens, 

 while the other poor creature makes his land like himself, shal- 

 low, ragged and patched. These most precious lessons are often 

 preached in vain ; and they ought, like our religious doctrines, 

 to be dealt out to us daily and weekly, for they are very hard to 

 attain, although so rich in the possession. 



To know all that can be known of the best means of amending, 

 fertilizing soil and keeping it so ; to have that soil deeply tilled, 

 perfectly freed from weeds j to care for every plant in the whole 

 field ; see that each has his wonted room, depth of tillage, proper 



