97 
REVIEW OF JANUARY NUMBER OF THE 
AGRICULTURIST. 
Before commencing my task of again review¬ 
ing, I beg to express my thanks to a kind Provi¬ 
dence, for its watchful care over me, during a 
I delightful voyagh across the Atlantic and up the 
Mediterranean, of six months; and for having 
returned me, in renovated health, to the bosom 
of as happy a family as man, probably, was 
ever blessed with. 
I have seen much to interest and instruct me, 
during my late absence; but I shall enter into 
no particulars at present, regarding my tour, nor 
shall I speak of it, except incidentally, and so 
far then, only, as it may be appropriate in my 
comments on the Agriculturist. I am not writ¬ 
ing to gratify curiosity, but for the benefit of 
my readers—if so be, I happen to have any. 
Of course, one of the very first things for me 
to run to, after my return, was my old friend 
j and dear companion, the Agriculturist; but I am 
now so far behind hand in my reckoning, I must 
| take a skip over all the numbers unreviewed, in 
the . eighth volume, and yaw ship at once, and 
dash down, with all sails set, upon number one, 
of the ninth volume, which, I see, from the com¬ 
mencement of its sterling contents, is destined 
to be rather more than a nine-days’ wonder, 
among the farming public. So much, gentle 
reader, for a preface—now to our subject, 
i To Our Readers. — Query. Is not everything 
in the paper to your readers? Or did you ex¬ 
pect that they would read this article, because 
| it contained so many home truths ? You ought 
to have headed it “ Unpalatable Facts,” or 
‘‘something to show how much they love 
ignorance.” 
It is truly astonishing, how much of this latter 
article some men can bear, and yet live. And 
the most surprising part of it is, that those who 
have the most, are continually making a show 
of it before men. It is very rare to see a learned 
man, who is not ready and anxious to learn 
j more. The lawyer is ever searching into his 
books, and carefully examining every new case 
reported. The divine not only searches deep 
j into the Book of books, but he scans the opin¬ 
ions of others for something new. The doctor 
is not content with what his father knew before 
him, but he is constantly prying into the secrets 
of nature, and reading new books and periodi¬ 
cals, wherein are recorded the results of other 
searchings after truth. Not so with the firmer. 
He draws his head into his shell of self-conceit, 
and replies, to your solicitations to read a work 
that records the enlightened practice and expe¬ 
riments of others, who are engaged in the same 
pursuit, that he now knows all he wants to know 
about farming. How should such a person 
know anything, unless he is taught, indeed? 
Yet, how are you to teach him, if he won’t 
read? But, as the man said, when he was dun¬ 
ned to pay for his wife’s coffin, “ that’s a very 
melancholy sub ject—let. ’s drop it!” 
A Good Tamper Essential to Breeding Animals. 
—Yes, that is true. Particularly, if the animals 
are two-legged, and don’t wear feathers—except 
borrowed ones. If I were about to select a wife, 
good temper should be the sine qua non; and 
then, as I have the reputation of being a good- 
natured man, I should hope, if there happened 
to be a brood of young Reviewers, they would 
be good natured, too. 
Sausage Cutter. —My dear good wife—dearer 
to me now than ever—declares, that she would 
not have one of these about the house; because, 
she says, they would cut up meat so fast, that 
if a “ small dog,” or, may be, a “ singed cat,” 
should happen to get its nose in, it would go 
through, and be made into sausage meat, before 
the machine could possibly be stopped. Of 
young cats and puppies being madeinto ragouts, 
I could tell a droll story, that occurred to a fel¬ 
low passenger, in one of the Mediterranean ports 
our steamer put into, during my late voyage; 
but I am afraid, if I began “spinning such 
yarns,” an old sailor’s fit would come over me, 
and I should never end. So I’ll e’en stop before 
I do begin. 
Our Next Volume , is the title to an article that 
promises well; but I certainly feel a little cha¬ 
grined to think, that among the able writers 
mentioned as adding value to the Agriculturist, 
I am wholl} r forgotten. But I do not intend to 
be left out. I will be heard. 
[We assure our excellent friend, Reviewer, 
that the omission here complained of, was 
entirely accidental; and if it will be any amend, 
or salvo to his wounded honor, he shall be men¬ 
tioned with all due eclat in our next volume. In 
the meanwhile, let him please to consider him¬ 
self our main stay and staff—yes, and the whole 
ship and cargo to boot, if he will.— Eds.] 
Wetting Brick. —“Few people,” &c. I beg 
your pardon, Messrs. Editors and Gentlemen 
of the Jury, there are a vast deal too many peo¬ 
ple in New York, constantly “ wetting their 
brick;” yes, arid then getting them inside their 
hats! 
Advantages of Draining and Subsoil Plowing .— 
This is'a subject that cannot be brought too 
often nor too forcibly to the notice of American 
farmers. And I am glad to see that this article 
is numbered one, which indicates a series to be 
given. Upon this subject, the farmers of the 
United States are yet in their infancy. The 
advantages of being perfectly able to command 
the water that falls upon the land, and carry it 
off, so as not to wash the surface into gullies, or 
carry oft’ the most fertile portions of the soil, is 
less understood than almost any other branch 
of husbandry in this country . Many thousands 
of acres are annually destroyed, by washing 
off the face of side hills, which a very small 
amount of common sense, expended in “ side- 
hiil draining,” would entirely obviate. Many 
other thousands of acres are lying dormant, or 
almost worthless, for want of underdraining; 
while thousands of other acres would be nearly 
doubled in productiveness, by the free use of the 
subsoil plow. But the grand difficulty in the 
way of improvement, is the low price of land 
in America. Rather than ditch and drain the 
old farm, it is got rid of, with as little feeling as 
a boy would part with an old top for a new one, 
and away goes the occupant, to the fertile prai- 
