334 
AGKICtTLTURAL PERIODICALS. 
in grass or meadow ; or refreshment when clover or 
other fertilizing crops are plowed into the soil for 
manure. Such crops carry back to the soil so much 
of its materials as they have taken from it, and in ad¬ 
dition, important elements which they have abstracted 
from the atmosphere; and they are found, by long 
practice, to be of great benefit in sustaining the fer¬ 
tility of the soil. Before passing on to a considera¬ 
tion connected with this particular point in the subject, 
of the highest importance, we would say, that a 
large share of the benefit to the land, derivable from 
this practice, may be secured, by feeding the clover 
to such animals as will consume it on the ground. 
We say a part only, for all the food which goes to 
supply the respiration of the animal, which is no in¬ 
considerable share, passes off again into the air, and 
is lost. Another part is stored up in the augmented 
size of the animal, for it is certain that whatever 
Weight it acquires while feeding, is at the expense 
of the soil. If milch cows are pastured, the abstrac¬ 
tion of valuable ingredients is still greater, as it has 
been found that pastures fed off for a long time by 
cows, have been robbed of large amounts of phos¬ 
phate of lime, and other important matters. If horses 
are thus fed and taken on to the roads or elsewhere 
to work, it is evident that large quantities of this 
manure will thus be lost to the fields supplying the 
food. 
Sheep are undoubtedly the best adapted to the ob¬ 
ject we have in view. They remain stationary in the 
same fields where they feed, and return to them all 
they have taken, save what escapes by respiration, 
evaporation, or is stored up by the wool or carcass. 
They also drop their manure on the highest and driest 
parts of the ground, where it is more beneficial than 
elsewhere ; and we would most earnestly recommend 
the introduction of sheep husbandry on a more or less 
extended scale, to any farmer who practises the 
system of turning in crops for manure. The neces¬ 
sity of carrying them through the winter, will still 
further provide the materials for fertilization, by 
accumulating a store of manure from this source, 
which without the sheep or a full equivalent in other 
stock, would not be thus secured. 
But to recur to the subject of turning in green 
crops. It is evident at a single glance,‘that this sys¬ 
tem does not accomplish all that is necessary in sus¬ 
taining the full measure of fertility of land subject to 
close cropping. In a rotation consisting of clover and 
wheat simply, we find that the wheat abstracts large 
amounts of phosphate of lime, potash, gypsum, salt, 
&c., &c., which, if nothing be added to the soil, ex¬ 
cept the clover crop, will in a few years reduce any 
ordinary soil to so low a point, that it cannot yield 
profitable returns. The land may continue to yield 
for a longtime ; but it is evident that it is losing pro¬ 
perties at every successive harvest, which must be 
supplied to it, or it will eventually be exhausted. 
The true and only remedy for this, is, to ascertain 
by analysis, either of your own, or the well establish¬ 
ed researches of others, precisely what of the inor- 
iranic materials, such as are inherent in the soil, and 
not found to any appreciable extent in the atmo¬ 
sphere, are taken from the land by cropping or feed¬ 
ing, and not returned to it by straw, manure, or offal 
n: any kind, and return those materials to the land in 
such available shape, as will enable future crops to 
supply themselves with all that they require. This 
is indispensable to a succession of good crops and 
prolonged fertility, and no farmer is wise who neg¬ 
lects this practice for a single year, however seem¬ 
ingly well his adopted system may answer, which 
does not embrace the foregoing practice. 
AGRICULTURAL PERIODICALS 
As the season is fast approaching when most of 
the periodicals end their volumes, and others are 
about preparing to be started, we have thought it ad¬ 
visable to say a few words on this subject. We 
have now had nearly four years experience in the 
conduct of a journal, and can therefore speak under¬ 
standing^ in the matter. Heaven knows that our 
heart is perfectly free from any jealousy in regard to 
our cotemporaries. We care not how many journals 
are in existence, provided there were the slightest 
chance of a fair support for them ; but of those of a 
purely agricultural nature, all engaged in them will 
at least privately acknowledge, that it is exceedingly 
difficult to keep them up. Let those then who may 
think of embarking in this thankless and most mise¬ 
rably paid species of literature, sit down and coolly 
count the cost thereof, and their prospects of success 
We can reckon up nearly twenty agricultural jour¬ 
nals that have started within the four past years, 
every one of which has stopped for want of support, 
and several others are merely floundering along in a 
sort of spasmodic existence, and must soon share 
their fate. 
To successfully establish and conduct an agricul¬ 
tural paper, requires a good many more things than 
those unacquainted with the business can well ima¬ 
gine. First, it must have considerable capital to start 
upon. Second, a great central location, and exten¬ 
sive facilities to get it into circulation. Third, no 
little share of talent, education, and incessant obser¬ 
vation, reading, and practice on the parts of the editor 
and his correspondents; and these last must be pretty 
numerous, otherwise the work will flag for want of 
variety and interest. Fourth, the public taste now 
demands a good deal of embellishment in the way of 
engravings, which are quite expensive, and only to 
be procured in the cities where artists reside. Lastly, 
strong collateral interests are absolutely necessary to 
support and keep the paper afloat in the community. 
If it were not for our extensive business and other 
things connected with this journal, we would not 
continue it another month—we could not afford to do 
so. It takes 5,000 subscribers to pay the printer's 
bills alone, and the publishers and editors must look 
for a considerable subscription beyond this for remu¬ 
neration for their services in conducting it. “ Five 
thousand subscribers,”" we hear the reader say, •« im¬ 
possible ! why that is $5,000.” No sir; it is usually 
less than $3,000, when we come to deduct the com¬ 
missions allowed to agents, bad money received, and 
frequently no money at all, postages, and fifty et cete- 
ras that the bookkeeper alone can give any account 
of. Notwithstanding the foolish boasts of some 
contemporaries, of “immense circulation” of their 
papers, which have no other effect than to inflate in¬ 
judicious heads, and start other periodicals into exist¬ 
ence as competitors, which otherwise would never 
have been attempted—believe us when we say, that 
there is not a single purely agricultural paper now 
published in the United States, that is more than pay¬ 
ing expenses au 1 several of them not that by some 
