1850. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
135 
<& rich, thickly-matted sward, you have gained an 
important point. When this sward is plowed under 
fqr a new rotation, its mechanical and other influ¬ 
ences upon the clay will have an important bearing. 
As soon as this sward has formed, say in four or five 
years after seeding, plow again, running each plow 
an inch or two deeper than before, spread the same 
quantity of compost, and plant, sow and seed down 
on top of the decomposing sod, as at first. By pur¬ 
suing this course for a few years, you will probably 
succeed in forming a fertile surface soil, of good 
depth, well proportioned as to vegetable mould, es¬ 
sentially changed in texture and composition, and 
producing well,—particularly a fine quantity and 
quality of hay for winter forage. 
It strikes me that your rotation on the other five 
lots is rather hard for the land, I will suggest that 
if your rotation were,— 1st, corn, with manure— 
2d, wheat, or other grain, with grass seeds—and 
then three years grass, your crops would all be hea¬ 
vier, and your land would improve faster with the 
same manure. However, I merely suggest. 
With regard to “ Bommer’s Method,” there are 
various good ideas and hints advanced in it that 
might perhaps be beneficial to follow, where one’s 
means for making manure in other ways are limited. 
But with your large amount of farm-stock, and your 
abundant supply of muck and other vegetable sub¬ 
stances, all the necessary manure can be made, if 
a system of composting and saving all is adopted. 
I have attempted to “ blaze out a track,” as you 
request; but in trying to follow it, you may perhaps 
find yourself in a condition somewhat like that of the 
traveller in a crooked and uncertain path, with trees 
imperfectly marked, and nightfall settling thickly 
around him. F. Holbrook. Brattleboro, Vt . 
The Dignity and Relations of Agriculture. 
Eds. Cultivator —In the brief history of the 
creation of man, given in the sacred Scriptures, we 
are informed that “ God formed man of the dust of 
the ground,” and that “every herb bearing seed, 
and every tree yielding fruit, was given to him for 
meat.” 
The study and practice of agriculture then, has 
this dignity; it is directly connected with the ques¬ 
tion of the origin and sustentation of the human 
frame, and the human race. 
The earthy origin of that frame is directly proved 
by the easiest chemical analysis; and its continued 
sustentation from the same source, is a matter of 
common and familiar experience. 
Accordingly, after man was created, he was pla¬ 
ced in a garden. The Hebrew word “gan,” means 
a hedged place, and is appropriately translated 
garden, i. e. a guarded place. The name of this 
garden was “Eden,” (Hebrew “ Aden,”) literal¬ 
ly pleasure or loveliness . Here then we have the 
proof of the security of man’s divinely appointed 
home, and the indication of the beauty of its loca¬ 
tion and scenery. We are further informed that 
“God put him in the garden to dress it and to keep 
it.” The Hebrew word “ aubad,” translated to 
dress, means to work, and is the root from which 
another word, (“ebed,”) which means a servant, is 
derived. The Hebrew word shamar, translated to 
keep, means to watch as a “watchman.” Hence 
then, we have this result: the original designation 
of man, was to a life of labor and enterprise. All 
this was arranged before sin had cursed the ground, 
and while man was in his primeval condition. 
Need another word be said then, of the utility, 
dignity, and I had almost said, divinity of agricul¬ 
ture. 
After this introduction, it may be well to say 
something of agriculture in its relations to utility 
and science. 
I. General Relations of Agriculture. 
1. To the supply of Food, Raiment, Shelter, fyc. 
—All these are intimately connected with the culti¬ 
vation of the soil. 
Barbarous countries possess a very sparse popula¬ 
tion. Thus, Asiatic Russia has but two inhabitants 
to a square mile, the whole of Africa but five; 
while cultivated Europe has sixty-six. Again, half- 
civilized countries, as Equador and Venezuela, 
though possessed of a fine climate, and much fine 
soil, have a population of but two inhabitants to 
the square mile; while cultivated Belgium has 323, 
Holland, 254, and Great Britain, including Ireland, 
223. It is true that these last countries are much 
the oldest, but this makes but a small part of the 
difference. 
A people who live almost entirely on flesh, as 
most barbarous nations do, require a larger territo¬ 
ry, even when it is cultivated, to support the same 
population, than when the inhabitants live partly or 
largely on vegetables. The reason is, that vegeta¬ 
ble food, when eaten by men, in the first instance, 
contains more nutriment than the same food convert¬ 
ed into meat. 
The fact, and its causes, that cultivated lands af¬ 
ford better raiment and shelter than uncultivated, is 
too obvious to need illustration. The savage hunt¬ 
er and fisher lives precariously, whether you regard 
his food, raiment or shelter. 
2. To Health. —Man, and perhaps all animated 
beings, need exercise to promote health. The la¬ 
bors of the agriculturist, taken as they are in the 
free open air, under the light of the sun, under the 
impulsive desire of food and gain, become more 
healthful, on the whole, than any other species of 
labor. This is evident in the superior vigor and 
longevity of an agricultural population, in all ages 
and nations. It should not be forgotten, also, that 
the varied scenery, labors, and interest of such 
a population, do much to cultivate that mental vi¬ 
vacity and quiet on which good health is based. 
3. To Mental Development. —“ Mens sana in sa- 
no corpore,”—i. e., a sound mind in a sound body, 
is an adage as old as it is true. A brisk, equable 
circulation of the blood, firm muscles, and steady 
nerve-s, are as important to the vigor and health of 
the mind, as of the body. 
4. To Moral Improvement .—Whatever gives health 
to the body promotes mental calmness; whatever fa¬ 
miliarizes man with the works of God, removes him 
from large associations and exciting scenes, plea¬ 
santly and usefully occupies his time and thoughts, 
and maintains the family state —that is favorable to 
moral improvement. All this is embraced in the 
pursuits of the tiller of the soil. Seldom, among 
them, are we struck with the perpetration of dark 
crimes and high misdemeanors, or the exhibition of 
towering ambition and violent political animosities. 
5. To the cultivation of Social Sympathies .— 
Such sympathies are the sweetest in life, and are the 
foundation of all that is interesting in the idea of 
home. When correctly cultivated, they form the 
highest degree of social harmony, comfort and im¬ 
provement. Such results are no where so uniformly 
attained as in a rural population. 
6. Agriculture is the necessary calling of per¬ 
haps four-fifths of the population of every age and 
country .—Food is the first want of man, the first 
objeot of wise and laborious pursuit. Except in 
