CULTIVATION OF CLEARED LANDS. 
3 
Books for reading, in the country schools espe¬ 
cially, ought to be different from what they now 
are generally. They should contain more upon 
the subjects of agriculture, horticulture, stock- 
breeding, and mechanics ; and less of mere literary 
matter. Poets, orators, and fine writers, are not 
as much wanted as good farmers and mechanics. 
We have a burning desire to see every child in the 
republic, male and female, educated in such a man¬ 
ner as to be able to make the most of the resour¬ 
ces of nature which surround them. A thorough 
education in the theory and practice of agriculture, 
the great business of our country, and, indeed, of 
mankind, is what our children should be taught. 
As the products of agriculture may be improved 
and cheapened, so will it follow with everything 
else—manufactures, arts, literature, and time, also, 
to avail ourselves of their pleasures and advanta¬ 
ges. 
CULTIVATION OF CLEARED LANDS. 
After the burning is accomplished, and the 
land is ready for a crop, the first thing necessary 
to be done, if the ashes are not to be disposed of 
for making potash, is to take shovels and distribute 
them and the coals which are left by the brush 
and log-heaps, as widely as possible around; other¬ 
wise, those spots will remain too rich, and give 
the crop there a rank and uneven growth for years. 
This accomplished, and the land enclosed under 
a good fence, it is ready for tillage. 
First Crops. —To one unacquainted with new 
lands, it seems to him, after the removal of the 
wood, not a little astonishing to v/itness the nu¬ 
merous rank weeds which instantly spring up, 
where before scarce one was to be seen; and we 
know of nothing which so strongly reminds us of 
the primeval curse, “ thorns also and thistles shall 
it bring forth to thee,” as a newly-cleared forest- 
field. The thrifty fire-weed shoots out like thick- 
sown wheat; the thistle pushes up its head; and 
cockles, and briars, and burrs, come forth like the 
fabled dragon’s teeth. In order to displace these 
and check their growth, it becomes very important 
to get in such a crop as will cover the land as 
thickly as possible. But such, frequently, are the 
pressing wants of the new settler, that this can 
not always be accomplished; he must consequently, 
take things as they are with him, and do as well as 
possible under the circumstances of the case. His 
first crops, therefore, will depend mainly upon 
three things: 1. The nature of the soil, 2. The 
climate. 3. The more immediate wants of the 
occupant. 
It must be recollected that forest-lands recently 
cleared, are so full of large roots of the trees just 
cut off, and these run so near the surface of the 
ground, that they make it almost impossible to 
plow. When the soil, however, is suitable for a 
good growth of corn or wheat, these crops pay so 
well, and are so necessary to the family of the 
settler, that plowing is often immediately attempt¬ 
ed. The best instrument for this purpose, is a 
strong and rather narrow plow skimming the earth 
lightly, and armed with a strong-set, sharp cutter 
forward, which, as it moves along, easily severe 
the smaller roots, while the larger ones are adroit¬ 
ly avoided by the plowman. After plowing, the 
land is thoroughly harrowed, then all the broken 
roots are raked up into heaps and carted away, or 
are suffered to remain till sufficiently dry, and 
then burnt. Others do not attempt to plow at all, 
but after harrowing the land as well as the stumps 
and top-roots will permit, sow wheat broad-cast, 
and then harrow and brush it in. If it be a good soil 
for wheat, and reasonably friable, and a favorable 
season ensues, it takes well, smothers the weeds, 
and yields a fair crop even with this imperfect 
preparation. 
When plowing is not resorted to for corn, it is 
planted in hills at suitable distances by walking 
straight forward with the hoe, removing a shallow 
scoop of soil, dropping the seed in, and then cover¬ 
ing it. Some give the corn no after-culture foi the 
first, second, and occasionally even the third year, 
from carelessness, laziness, or in consequence of 
the numerous strong roots, which, till somewhat 
decayed, are so great an obstruction to the plow. 
But this allows the weeds to spring up in great 
abundance, frequently almost choking the crop, 
and under any circumstances greatly lessening the 
yield. We have occasionally seen a heavy, nar¬ 
row harrow, with strong, sharp teeth thickly set, 
made for the purpose of cutting down the weeds, 
to be followed with hoes. The harrow, from the 
nature of circumstances, is partial in its effects, 
and hoeing is so slow and laborious, that few set¬ 
tlers have patience to trouble themselves about the 
weeds, and they allow the corn to take its chance, 
and do its own battling against them, and yield 
what it can. 
When clearing lands and putting them into cul¬ 
tivation, we fortunately were not much in want 
of wheat or corn; we more generally, therefore, 
put them immediately into grass, allowing them 
to remain so for several years, till the roots of the 
trees were sufficiently rotted to allow plowing 
with facility. Our method in^effecting this, was 
