1S46. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
203 
most important vocation. All created things are so 
constituted that the perfect development of one almost 
necessarily involves the destruction of its predecessor. 
This is most emphatically the case with the long list of 
vegetable productions given us by the Almighty. The 
death and decay of the one affords the aliment for the 
growth and development of its successor, and its perfec¬ 
tion is much aided by the application of the decayed re¬ 
mains of the former; and the series by carrying out the 
rule instead of becoming more and more degenerate, is 
only rendered more vigorous and healthy. Manure, it 
is generally understood, is the organic remains of what 
has constituted vegetable life. Its application in this 
state to the germinating seeds and quickly absorbing 
roots stimulates the tender plant to put forth all its pow¬ 
ers for growth and maturity. That this is a law of 
creation, is dictated alike by reading, reflection and 
observation. Men cannot violate this law without loss, 
nor act upon it without remuneration. Such being the 
case, what then becomes our duty? Why, to use all 
our efforts to make or gather so much of this valuable 
treasure as we can possibly consume. Not to be con- 
content with the foecal discharges of our cattle, col- 
lected in our barn-yards alone, but to use as much time 
as is consistent with our other farming duties in col¬ 
lecting all else that will contribute to its increase. 
Providence has not stinted us to the use only of one 
kind of manure, but in his wise dispensation he has en¬ 
larged the field from which it may be gathered, almost 
“ ad infinitum,” and made the supply almost exhaust¬ 
less. Indeed, he has done more: he has made the sup¬ 
ply the more abundant, the greater the demand, leaving 
it to the industxy of man alone to make it commensu¬ 
rate to his wants. Within a few years the substances 
used for it have increased to a great extent, and instead 
of being confined now only to the supply of the barn¬ 
yard, it shows us in its catalogue quite an extended va¬ 
riety. But the great source of dependence for the far¬ 
mer is his barn-yard, and effort on his part will add 
much to increase its quantity. Indeed, if he does but 
proportion his stock to the productions of his farm, he 
has it in his power constantly to increase its fertility. 
He must not be content with the gatherings of his sta¬ 
bles and cattle yards. He must use abundance of lit¬ 
ter—draw in the muck, leaves, scrapings of ditches, 
sods, ashes, both of wood and coal; indeed, almost 
every locality has its own peculiar advantages to in¬ 
crease this kind of collection, and it is very easy gene¬ 
rally to double the quantity that under the ordinary 
course of farm management would be collected. Assi¬ 
duity in this particular is sure to pay well, for by in¬ 
creasing the fertility of the soil, you not only enlarge 
the crop, but it enhances the means, from its very 
abundance, for its own subsequent augmentation. The 
committee, from the several communications on farm 
management, came to the conclusion that in no one of 
these did the quantity made come up to the standard 
they had wished, although in most cases it was fair, yet 
they do not hesitate to say that in many it ought to 
have been greatly increased. Until this is done, our 
crops will not bear a comparison with the average 
yield in the best cultivated countries abroad. The sub¬ 
ject of using fermented or unfermented manures, they 
will not now touch upon—nor ivhether it is best to 
plow it under shallow or deep, or use it as a top-dress¬ 
ing—as all this may vary according to the season of the 
year and the crop upon which it is intended to be used. 
To enter into all these details would make this commu¬ 
nication too extended. 
The remaining queries propounded by the Executive 
Committee are on “ field crops, grass lands, irrigation, 
domestic animals, fruits, fences, buildings,” &c. On 
these topics we will not now enlarge. How far the 
answers to the several queries propounded meet the 
expectations of the committee, the public on reading 
them can judge as well as they; but they feel called 
upon to say that it was evident from the several com¬ 
munications, that sufficient attention has not been paid 
to making regular daily entries in their farmer’s jour¬ 
nal. Many of these statements no doubt were made 
with as great a regard to accuracy as circumstances war¬ 
ranted, but in hardly an instance with a definiteness 
satisfactory to the committee. Indeed it cannot be 
done to the satisfaction of the farmer without he keeps 
regular farm accounts of all expenses and all his pro¬ 
ducts. This would give confidence to his statements 
and precision to his observation, and I have no doubt 
would end in more individual prosperity than any other 
plan for his benefit that could be devised. If a farmer, 
like a merchant, would enter all his transactions, keep 
a regular debtor and creditor account, and make the 
requisite notes upon such things as require to be re¬ 
membered, he would make few annual mistakes on 
his farm, and still fewer for his ultimate success. He 
would at the end of the year be enabled to ascertain both 
his circumstances and the products of his year’s labors, 
and if unsuccessful, it would not be from want of infor¬ 
mation, should the continuance of a bad system end in 
bankruptcy. We are yet in hopes as education is dif¬ 
fused and our farmers become more imbued with a de¬ 
sire to adopt all the means to make them better ac¬ 
quainted with their business that the keeping of farm 
accounts will be generally adopted. It may not be 
inappropriate to the present occasion to look a little 
into the statistical information gathered in taking the 
census of this state as far as its agriculture is concerned. 
It has been carefully compiled by S. S. Randall, Esq. 
[The table here given in the report, is omitted, as 
the substance of it is embraced in Mr. Randall’s sum¬ 
mary, published last month. In reference to the ave¬ 
rage yield of crops—viz: wheat 14 bu., oats 26, barley 
16, peas 15, rye 1\, corn 25, potatoes 90—the commit¬ 
tee proceed to comment as follows:] 
When we look over these results and see how small 
the quantity raised compared to what has been done— 
wheat 60 bushels to the acre—oats 70—barley 50—peas 
45—rye 40—corn 130—and potatoes 500—it leaves no 
room to conjecture how much farther we have to ad¬ 
vance in Agriculture before we can in truth be called 
farmers, for three-fourths remain yet to be done. We 
know it can be done, for we have thousands of instan¬ 
ces of the production of these several large crops in the 
state, and that too in many instances from what was 
formerly worn-out lands. As a striking instance of 
this, we will refer you to the report of the officers of 
the Washington Co. Agricultural Society, contained in 
this volume. With this view before us, shall we de¬ 
spair to raise the agriculture of this state so that suc¬ 
ceeding averages shall testify to our improvement. It 
must be done. It can be done—and if farmers will call 
upon the intelligence of the head to aid the labor of the 
hands, it will be done. We have a noble state, a fer¬ 
tile soil, a salubrious climate and industrious people. 
AH we want is to throw our mental and bodily energies 
into the fulfilment of the task, and a quadruple product 
will in a few years compensate you for the toil. When 
we look at this great state, and cast an eye to what it 
may become, we are lost in contemplation of her fu¬ 
ture wealth and greatness, and the Agricultural Society 
will not do itself justice nor attain the ends of its crea¬ 
tion, if, through her efficient committees in their seve¬ 
ral departments, they do not give an effective impulse 
to improvement and foster a taste for the pursuit of hus¬ 
bandry among the citizens, and let me mention this for 
their encouragement, that retiring statesmen of every 
age and nation have chosen this employment as best fit¬ 
ted to give to life its sweetest charm, and to the restless 
mind the greatast repose. 
All of which is respectfully submitted. 
In behalf of the Committee, J. P. Beekman. 
Extraordinary Fecundity. —An English paper 
gives an account of a sow which had lately been killed 
at Lincoln, that had produced the following numbers 
of pigs in successive litters:—15, 14, 15, 16, 14, 16, 17, 
15, 14, 16—152—107 of which were reared. She took 
the prize for extra stock at Lincoln in 1842, and the 
first prize in. 1844; one of her pigs took the second 
prize on the latter occasion. She weighed 400 lbs. 
We once saw a Chinese sow which produced nineteen 
live pigs at a litter. 
