THE STRAWBERRY QUESTION—CHAMPAGNE WINE. 
251 
of the multitude, he would never have tried the ex¬ 
periment of propelling a boat by steam. Neither 
I ought the enterprising farmer to be discouraged by 
failures; for “ true glory consists not in never fall¬ 
ing, but in rising every time we fall.” Let him 
pursue a straight-forward, persevering course of ex¬ 
perimenting, and in the end he will find that the 
gain will far exceed the loss. Yet, proper care and 
vigilance should be observed while walking in un¬ 
trod paths. No matter how plausible a theory may 
( appear, it should not be relied on with confidence, 
until it has been proved by experiment to be sound 
and trust-worthy. Hearsay evidence should al¬ 
ways be regarded with distrust until our own ex¬ 
perience has tested its validity, and caution must 
sometimes be observed in putting it to this test. It 
will not do to follow the example of the farmer, 
who, having heard that a hog could be made fat by 
feeding it one ear of corn and a pailful of water per 
day, starved a dozen to death in trying the experi¬ 
ment. 
The better way is to try experiments on a small 
scale, as the truth can be asvrell ascertained in this 
way, as by running the hazard of great loss, with 
the uncertain prospect of great gain. The utmost 
care should be observed in whatever innovation 
may be tried, and the appearance of success should 
not always be regarded as a certain evidence thereof. 
We ought also to be cautious about recommending 
to others, particularly through a public journal, a 
system which has been found good under certain 
circumstances, but which might not prove so under 
all. Such injudicious advice, given undoubtedly 
with good motives, has so often resulted in failure 
and disappointment, as to keep alive the unreasona- j 
ble prejudice against book-farming. If, for exam-I 
pie, one man finds by experiment that lime, applied | 
to his corn, has increased the product one-half, he 
is not warranted in saying it will always have so 
good an effect. In this case, the soil must be taken 
into consideration. Had this individual gone fur¬ 
ther and furnished a correct analysis of his soil, he 
might then very properly have given the result of 
his experiment as evidence of the benefit that might 
he expected from the use of lime on soil similar to 
his own. The way to make experiments result to 
our own good and to that of others, is to conduct 
them on a scale adapted to our resources, and to 
bring to their aid the important auxiliaries of an en¬ 
lightened judgment and sound understanding. 
As suitable subjects for experiment and investi¬ 
gation, I would suggest, 1st, The trials of various 
kinds of manures, organic and inorganic; that the soil 
on which they are applied should be analysed, its 
situation and exposure taken into consideration, and 
the various advantages of the different manures care¬ 
fully noted down. 2d, That every farmer should 
keep a correct account of all the expenses attending 
the cultivation of each crop, and every particular of 
his management. He will thus ascertain what 
kinds of produce are best adapted to his soil, which 
most profitable, and what mode of treatment most 
efficacious. 3d, Experiments in feeding and fat¬ 
tening different kinds of stock in order to ascertain 
the cheapest and best system. Others might be 
mentioned, but cases will occur almost daily, where 
the farmer will be at a loss which of two or three 
methods to adopt, and in such instances I would 
say, try them both or all, when practicable; watch 
the result of each, ascertain which is best, and then 
you will have a guide to direct your after manage¬ 
ment, in which you can place more confidence than 
in any hearsay testimony. 
Much benefit would undoubtedly be derived from 
a systematic course of experiments. That a gra¬ 
dual progress has long been, and still is going for¬ 
ward in American agriculture, is an undeniable 
fact; and it is equally true that there still remains 
much room for improvement. No farmer should 
feel satisfied while the system remains imperfect, 
and each one ought to consider it his interest as 
well as his duty, to contribute to the advancement 
and dignity of his calling. Every individual who 
cultivates an acre or more of ground, has it in his 
power to do something towards the attainment of 
perfection in agriculture. “ Where there is a will 
there is a way,” is a trite and true saying, and 
should be considered by those who make no effort 
to improve, and who attribute their ill-success to 
44 bad luck” instead of bad management. To those 
who are really anxious to acquire useful knowledge, 
the means of obtaining it are seldom wanting, and 
that knowledge which is gained by our own expe¬ 
rience is much more valuable and lasting than that 
which comes second hand and has cost us little ex¬ 
ertion. J. McKinstry 
Greenport, N. Y. June, 1847. 
THE STRAWBERRY**OUESTION—CHAM¬ 
PAGNE WINE. 
Our Strawberry Committee are busy examining 
the character of all the varieties cultivated here, 
: their bearing, quality, &c. They are all practical 
I men, and possessed of botanical knowledge. They 
| will again fully test the sexual question, and neither 
Linnseus nor Lindley will influence them in giving 
facts to the public. Nor will the declarations of 
your Eastern horticulturists, who allege that 44 they 
have raised new seedlings, perfect in both male and 
female organs, and bearing a full crop of large 
fruit;” and under this allegation, have been selling 
them at three dollars per dozen or more, for the last 
fourteen years. 
Mr. Downing, in his June number, again declares 
that he has the Hovey seedling, perfect in both or¬ 
gans ; yet I have not been able to induce him to 
send me a plant, notwithstanding I offer to pay $500 
for such a specimen. He has sent some of them, I 
understand, to the Boston Massachusetts Horticul¬ 
tural Society, who will on the first view discover 
that the plants sent, are a different variety. I will 
engage to send him children from our strawberry- 
gardens of twelve years of age, that shall tell his 
plants from the Hovey, from the stem and leaf, with¬ 
out seeing the flower or fruit. Friend D. appears 
to lose his patience with his correspondent, because 
he argues, that if the Hovey changed its pistillate 
character by running, it would be singular that it 
had not, after years of cultivation, undergone any 
change with him. I presume fifty acres of them 
may be found in our vicinity ; but not one that has 
changed its character, W e have a staminate, a 
partial bearer, that, with persons who are not ac¬ 
curate observers, would pass for the Hovey. I con¬ 
cur with our friend’s correspondent, that it is next 
to an impossibility to guard a variety from mixture. 
