10 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
ADDRESS OF THE HON. JAMES M. GARNETT. 
Whatever proceeds from the pen of Mr. Garnett^ is 
sure to meet with a cordial welcome from the farmers 
of our country, and we should owe an apology to our 
readers for hot noticing his able address before the New 
Castle Agricultural Society, in our last No., were it not 
for the fact, that that number being the closing one of a 
volume, it became necessary to occupy a large portion 
of it with Reports of Societies, and the favors of corres¬ 
pondents, that could not well be delayed. 
After a happy introduction, Mr. Garnett proceeds to 
enumerate and explain some of the causes which have 
contributed to retard the progress of American Hus¬ 
bandry. The first of these, he traces to the natural fer¬ 
tility of our soils, inducing the general belief that they 
could never be worn out, and the consequent erroneous 
practices based on such a belief. These practices re¬ 
sulted in a general impoverishment of the soil, and cre¬ 
ated an opinion that it was labor lost to attempt a resto¬ 
ration of their fertility. Another obstacle in the way of 
progress, was to be found in the fact, that “ one class of 
our farmers is characterized by a marvelous fondness for, 
and tenacity of their own crude, dogmatic opinions, and 
another by a too ready credence of the opinions of oth¬ 
ers;” especially of those considered scientific men. The 
first consider every thing printed on the subject of agri¬ 
culture, as lies, or idle fancies; and the last are great 
theorizers, and ready to jump to conclusions before the 
premises are well established. Experiments, inconclu¬ 
sively conducted, and not carefully repeated, are put 
down as another cause of error. There is no use in 
drawing extensive applications from a single trial, and 
the disposition to do this, greatly lessens the benefit 
which may be derived from carefully conducted and re¬ 
peated experiments. Another evil adduced by Mr. Gar¬ 
nett is our notorious fondness for “ hobby horses and 
humbugs.” His catalogue of hobby horses is an in¬ 
structive one, and it might be much enlarged without at 
all exceeding the limits of truth. A disposition to grow 
monsters, and award premiums for such, in both animal 
and vegetable kingdoms, is another of the causes that 
have retarded our advance in agriculture. The princi¬ 
ple here laid down by Mr. Garnett, is so obviously just, 
that we wish it may be impressed on the mind of every 
one who shall hereafter be called upon to act as a judge 
or committee at our Fairs. “ It may be laid down as a 
principle without exception, that all •premiums having a 
tendency to render tillage and pasturage more showy than 
useful, more costly than profitable, directly retard instead of 
advancing the true interests of Agriculture^^ * * * 
“ In other words, to obtain the greatest results at the 
least cost of time, labor, and money, should be the inva¬ 
riable object of all Agricultural premiums, and of all 
Agricultural exhibitions.” The last obstacle that Mr. 
G. mentions, is one which results from the times; farm¬ 
ers saj'’, “ it is hardly worth while to make crops; we 
can get nothing for them; neither is it worth while to 
improve our lands.” This feeling, and it is too com¬ 
mon, is justly pronounced by Mr. Garnett, “ moody mad¬ 
ness or sheer folly.” Making haste slowly,” is far 
better than not advancing at all, and in the end we shall 
assuredly find our reward. 
The remedy for these obstacles and these evils, is to 
be sought in the proper employment of time. And we 
should be happy to lay the whole of Mr. Garnett’s re¬ 
marks on this important subject, before our readers. He 
justly says, “ this is the true, the only catholicon, or uni¬ 
versal remedy for all diseases, both intellectual or cor¬ 
poreal. It will so operate upon farmers who depend for 
their subsistence chiefly on their raanuul labor, as to 
not only make them think that labor honorable, but never 
to intermit it, except for the purposes of necessary rest, 
food, moderate recreation, and improvement in that 
knowledge of their duties, and of the true theory of their 
profession, which can alone perfect their practice.” Mr. 
Garnett in the following extract, deprecates that feeling 
of jealousy or ill will, which is sometimes found exist¬ 
ing among the several classes of our citizens: “Beit 
ever remembered, that all the honest trades, professions, 
and callings of our community, are necessary links in the 
great social chain that binds us together. Therefore let 
not the members of either, but especially of our own call¬ 
ing, look upon any of the others with a jealous ej^e; for 
their general prosperity necessarily contributes to ours, 
since tee produce what they must have, to live at all; and 
the richer they become, the more of owr productions they 
must and will purchase.” There is so much good sense, 
and important truth, in the following remarks on atopic 
not as frequently brought to the notice of all, as it should 
be, that we give them entire: “Farmers’ daughters 
should be taught, among other useful truths, that often 
to labor with their hands, is to use them as God himself 
intended they should be used: that their heads may be 
exceeding empty and useless within, although externally 
loaded with as many costly ornaments as would buy a 
good farm; that their true, their most estimable adorn¬ 
ments are, the knowledge and love of their duties; their 
most honorable occupation, to aid their mothers in all 
household concerns; that the strumming of musical in¬ 
struments as a principal business; the attaining the 
art of dancing as the perfection of accomplishments; and 
the annual consumption of a large portion of their lives 
in long, stated migrations to places of fashionable re¬ 
sort, like so many birds of passage in search of their na¬ 
tural food, are modes of spending time, which cannot, 
by any proper use of langauge, be deemed worthy of 
rational, moral, accountable beings, who have intellects 
to cultivate, numerous highly important duties to per¬ 
form, but above all, immortal souls to be saved.” Mere¬ 
ly adding that these remarks are as applicable to the 
daughters of every class as to those of farmers, and wor¬ 
thy the attention of all, we take leave of this address; 
with the feeling that by giving it to the public, he has 
added much to the obligations under which he has al¬ 
ready laid the farmers of this country, by his exertions 
and labors in their behalf. 
MR. RIVES’ ADDRESS. 
We have had the pleasure of perusing the instructive 
address delivered before the Agricultural Society of Al¬ 
bemarle, Va. at the annual Fair held on the 29th of 
Oct. 1842, by the Hon. Wm. C. Rives, President of the So¬ 
ciety. The high standing of the speaker was a sufficient 
guarantee of the ability with which the duty assigned 
him would be performed, and well has he discharged 
his obligation in this respect. The Society of Albemarle 
has had some of the most distinguished men of the na¬ 
tion for its presidents, among them President Madison, 
and Gov. Barbour, and Mr. Rives has proved himself 
worthy of treading in the steps of these able men. 
Mr. Rives has some excellent remarks on the impor¬ 
tance of association for public purposes. He says: 
“ This social principle is the modern lever of Archimides in 
all enterprises of public good, from making a railroad or canal 
to christianizing a world. There is no country in which it has 
been so extensively and efficiently employed, for general purpo¬ 
ses, as in our own. This characteristic feature of American 
society was remarked upon, with his accustomed discrimina¬ 
tion and judgment, by a learned and distinguished foreigner 
[De Tocqucville,] who visited us a few years ago, and w'ho, 
tracing its existence to the popular character of our institu¬ 
tions, affirmed as a general philosophical truth, ‘ that in Demo¬ 
cratic countries, the science of association is the mother of sci¬ 
ences ; the progress of all the rest depends on the progress it 
has made.’ " 
Mr. Rives speaks encouragingly of the progress of 
agriculture under (he auspices of the Albemarle Society, 
and points out some striking instances of this improved 
husbandry. His remarks on the general advance of ag¬ 
riculture are just; and those on the connection of sci¬ 
ence with the employment of the farmer, show an inti¬ 
mate acquaintance with the subject, and are forcibly ex¬ 
pressed. The importance of agricultural education is il¬ 
lustrated, and earnestly enforced. 
“ We have in great numbers, schools of Law, schools of Me¬ 
dicine, schools of general Literature, but none of Agriculture. 
Why is this so ? The recent census shows that the number of 
persons engaged in Agriculture, is four limes greater than the 
whole number of persons employed in Commerce, Manufac¬ 
tures, the learned Professions, and trades of every description 
all put together. Does not every consideration of policy and 
justice, then, require the provision of some means of profes¬ 
sional education, in an art to which so predominant and vital a 
portion of the industry and worth of the country is devoted ?” 
Mr. Rives earnestly urges upon Virginia, the necessi¬ 
ty of providing for a Professor of Agriculture in her Uni- 
versit}", and establishing in connection with that institu¬ 
tion, a special Agricultural Institute, designed for those 
who do not wish to follow the usual course of Univer¬ 
sity studies, and in which department, theory and prac¬ 
tice should go hand in hand. As a model of such an In¬ 
stitution, “ a perfect exemplar,” Mr. Rives refers to the 
establishment of Von Fellenburg, at Hofwyl, in Switzer¬ 
land, of which he says: 
“It was my good fortune during my residence in Europe, to 
visit this classic spot; and I can safely say, that I saw nothing 
in the palaces of kings, in the museums of the fine arts, in the 
gorgeous displays of wealth and power on every hand, which 
impressed me with half the admiration I felt in contemplating 
this modest but noble establishment of the Swiss republican, 
patriot and sage. Agriculture he chose as the basis of his en¬ 
terprise, and by the hapi'y combination, in the training of his 
pupils of intellectual and bodily labor, mutually relieving and 
giving zest to each other, he has achieved those prodigies of 
moral and physical improvement, which have drawn upon his 
institution the earnest attention and applause of the civilized 
world. It has furnished to Continental Europe, the best models 
of its acricuiture, while it has sent forth into its various states 
and kingdoms, some of their most usetul, virtuous, and en¬ 
lightened citizens. At the same time, the model farm of Hof¬ 
wyl stands a proud refutation of the stereotyped satires, so fre¬ 
quently indulged on scientific farming, as the accounts of the 
establishment kept with minute mercantile exactness, disclose 
through a series of years, a nett profit of 8 1-2 per cent upon the 
whole capital employed—a rate of profit with wffiich, I venture 
to say, any of us practical /arroers would be more than content.” 
Mr. Rives has used lime to a considerable extent, 
having abundance burned on his own land. He has ap¬ 
plied 12,000 bushels to 150 acres, or about 80 bushels 
per acre. The result at first did not answer his expec¬ 
tations, finding little effect upon the growing crop from 
its use. He adds: 
“My first disappointment, however, in regard to the effects 
upon the growing crop, was more than compensated by the 
marked, unequivocal, and decided effect I have never failed to 
perceive from the lime alone in the clover succeeding the wheat 
crop,with whichithasbeen my general practice to apply the lime 
at the time of seeding,harrowing in the lime and the wheat at one 
and the same operation. The increased luxuriance of the clover 
hasfurnished,of course, conclusive evidence of the improvement 
of the soil from the application of the lime, and has in its turn, 
enured to the still further amelioration of the soil. All my ob¬ 
servations in regard to lime, would lead me to the conclusion 
that it is the most permanent of manures.” 
Mr. Rives’ lime was applied to soil of a brownish 
gray color, forming a close gravely loam. From a sin¬ 
gle experiment, he infers that lime is not adapted to 
the red ferruginous clay soils which abound in the same 
region. We believe a different opinion prevails with 
regard to the use of lime on those red clay soils in Ma¬ 
ryland, and farther north, it being considered useful on 
them. Chemical analysis might, however, point out 
the causes of this discrepancy. It is, says, Mr. Rives, 
a proverb in England and Scotland, that 
“He that marls sand, will soon buy land; 
He that marls clay, throws all away.” 
One of the most interesting parts of Mr. Rives’ Ad¬ 
dress, is that which relates to the colonization of a num¬ 
ber of citizens from Dutchess county in this state, in 
Fairfax county in that state. From inquiries instituted 
by Mr. Rives, it appears that nearly 60 families have 
purchased lands to the amount of 13,630 acres, to which 
they are now fast removing. Should this movement 
succeed, Virginia may expect anew era in her agricul¬ 
ture, and be spared the mortification of seeing her most 
effective population annually leaving her domain to seek 
homes beyond the mountains. We have long been awmre 
of the disposition in many of our thrifty, intelligent 
northern farmers, many of whom are now in Michigan, 
Wiskonsan, and Iowa, to remove to Virginia; and noth¬ 
ing has prevented, but the well known existence of a 
feeling, (owing to peculiar institutions,) that labor is 
degrading. That feeling removed, the rich vallies of 
Virginia would find the stream of emigration now 
flowing beyond the lakes, turned into them, and the re¬ 
sult would be a rapid augmentation of her population 
and her products. Mr. Rives may well congratulate his 
hearers on the accession of such men to the citizenship 
of Virginia, and their number will doubtless increase. 
We cannnot avoid considering it a favorable omen for 
our country, when her ablest statesmen and most im- 
questioned patriots, find a pleasure and relief in retiring 
from the cares of legislation or office, to their farms, ma¬ 
naged with skill and success by themselves, and bring¬ 
ing the best powers of their minds, to inculcate and en¬ 
force the theory and practice of an improved agriculture. 
MR. FULLER’S ADDRESS. 
We have been kindly furnished with a copy of the 
Address delivered by William Fuller, Esq. President of 
the Onondaga Co. Ag. Soc. at the Cattle Show and Fair 
held by the Society, Oct. 6, 1842. Mr. Fuller is well 
known as the firm and enlightened friend of agriculture; 
and his effective services in the legislature of this state, in 
its promotion, will long be remembered to his credit. 
The address now before us, furnishes another proof of 
his devotion to the great cause of an improved husband¬ 
ry; while to the positions advanced by him, his situa¬ 
tion as President of the Society of that influential and 
flourishing countj:-, gives additional weight. We should 
be pleased to quote liberally from this address, but a 
few extracts will be all we shall be able to present. 
After some well conceived and beautiful allusions to the 
past, to the influence which agriculture has had on the 
peace and the civilization of the world, after mentioning 
the advantages resulting from the union of science with 
the practice of agriculture, Mr. Fuller preeeeds to show 
its practical results, and the duties it imposes on us. Here 
he puts the following pertinent queries which we hope 
every farmer will answer for himself : 
“I bring, however, no complaint, I prefer no charge,—but I 
ask, have we, in reference to our agricultural interest, always 
done our whole duty to ourselves, our country and our fami¬ 
lies ? Do we try to elevate and magnify our calling? Do we in 
all suitable places, and at all suitable times, claim for the cul¬ 
tivator of the soil that high standing to which he is justly enti¬ 
tled ? Do we endeavor to impress on the minds of our sons and 
OUT daughters, the value and real worth of their profession?— 
a profession full of happiness, contentment, and healthful en¬ 
joyment. On the contrary, do not some of us, the owners of 
noble farms all paid for, complain of the drudgery of the farm— 
that we can get no release from its duties to improve ourselves 
and our children ? Do not some of us go further and draw invidi¬ 
ous comparisons, injurious to ourselves, contrasting the plain 
comfortable garb of our son, with the gaudy finery of some city 
clerk, though that son is admirably filling up his destiny, and 
fitting himself for future influence and usefulness ? Is this pro¬ 
per? Is this commendable ? Is the position true ? Who among 
all the different avocations of life, has more time to devote to 
useful reading, study and reflection, than we ourselves, far re¬ 
moved from the noise, and din, and dissipation of our cities; 
our sons and daughters can and will, if properly directed, take 
up the pages of history, of the sciences, and if you please, 
of politics, and in the quiet of our homes and the peace of our 
firesides, arrange, digest, and mature those truths and that 
knowledge, that will fit them for future action.” 
We cannot doubt that the farmers of Old Onondaga will 
cheerfully respond to this spirited appeal: 
“Progress is emphatically the spirit ol the age, and shall we, 
herein Onondaga, in a county containing an industrious popu¬ 
lation of 70,000 independent freemen, with an area of 465,000 
acres of land, and almost the whole of it of the first quality for 
agricultural purposes—within whose borders there is more of 
the mineral manures than in any of our sister counties, possess¬ 
ing Lime, Marl, Gypsum, and Salt in abundance, and at our 
,ioors_shall we be behind the spirit of the age, and not turn to 
the best account all the advantages of our position ? In short, 
shall we not meet manfully the responsibilities which our po¬ 
sition imposes on us ?” 
Mr. Fuller strongly urges upon the farmers of Onon¬ 
daga, the importance of instituting experiments on the 
value of salt as a manure; and gives from Prof. John¬ 
ston’s work, a table showing the result of experiments 
made by Mr. Fleming, near Paisley in Scotland; show¬ 
ing its value when compared with other manures of a 
mineral nature. The soil was a heavy loam, a crop of 
potatoes was harvested in 1840, the ground sowed to 
wheat, and to one-eighth of an acre in each experiment, 
the mineral manures were applied. The following was 
the result of the three most efficient manures: 
160 lbs. of nitrate of soda per acre, gave 152 lbs. of 
wheat for 31s. or 12s. 6d. per bushel. 
80 lbs. of nitrate and 5 cwt. of rape dust, gave 400 lbs. 
of wheat for 43s. 6d. or 6s. 9d. per bushel. 
160 lbs. of common salt, gave 472 lbs. of wheat for 3s. 
6d. or 6d. per bushel. 
Thus showing a decided advantage in favor of the salt, 
in both quantity of grain, and the cost of producing it. 
Mr. Fuller ably enforces the necessity of our paying 
more attention to this kind of manures, by instances of 
success among ourselves, many of which are recorded in 
