98 BERMUDA. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



AGRICULTUEE. 



Neglect of agriculture — Ignorance of the Bermuda farmers — 

 Continual spring — Bermuda takes the lead of all the North- 

 em markets, in exporting her farming produce — Fertility of 

 the soil — Proposed agricultural and horticultural Society — 

 Advantages of Societies of scientific men — Proper rotation of 

 crops, &c. &c. — Little attempt to improve stock — The state of 

 horticulture in Bermuda — The funds for carrying on its ope- 

 rations — The business of the Society. 



The great neglect of agriculture in Bermuda is 

 owing principally to the want of competent scientific 

 knowledge, as well as to the lack of facilities for 

 transportation of farming produce. At present the 

 farmers of Bermuda have nothing to rely on hut their 

 own experience, which is not derived from careful 

 observation or experiment, but is merely an erroneous 

 theory adopted in ignorance, of cause and effect. 

 Such experience is of little value; for, except by 

 chance, no experiment in chemistry or agriculture 

 can lead to any useful result, if the experimenter has 

 not an acquaintance with the materials he e^nploys. 



