THE CULTIVATOR. 
35 
these subjects have also been considered and discussed in 
this fourth Part. 
“ In discussing 1 new topics I have had occasion to bring 
before you many new views. This, however, I have not 
done lightly or without consideration, and I feel it to 
have been one of the greatest advantages which have at¬ 
tended the periodical form in which these lectures have 
been brought before the public, that it has allowed me 
leisure to think, to inquire, and to make experiments in 
regard to points upon which it was difficult at first to 
throw any satisfactory light. It is gratifying to me to 
know that the general diffusion which these lectures have 
obtained, has already clone some service to the agricul¬ 
ture of the country.” 
That country is England, and if the husbandmen of 
New-York, or other parts of the United States, should 
purchase and read and study Johnston’s Lectures, they 
would be amply compensated, as believes their friend 
and fellow countryman, 4? 
November 12, 1844. A Practical Farmer. 
AN EXPERIMENTAL FARM—No. I. 
In this great state there are not far from eleven mil¬ 
lions of acres under cultivation. In working these lands 
there is a vast amount of labor—I will not attempt to say 
how much—annually expended. As a practical question, 
and one of great moment, allow me to inquire: On what 
does the productive value of all this land and labor main¬ 
ly depend? 
For agricultural purposes, land without labor is value¬ 
less. This is demonstrated by the utter worthlessness of 
the products of the one thousand millions of acres in our 
national domain. Labor, then, is the one thing valuable. 
But the question still returns: Wherein consists the value 
of agricultural labor? Is it in the mechanical power of 
human bone and muscle; or in the intelligence of the di¬ 
recting mind? If in the former, as many seem to believe, 
then the labor of an ox is worth more than that of seven 
intelligent men. But with no mind to direct it, what is 
the strength of a thousand oxen, or of ten thousand de¬ 
mented persons’ worth? This is a practical question, af¬ 
fecting the intrinsic value of labor, which every one, 
whether he have labor to sell, or to purchase, should stu¬ 
dy and understand. 
There are at least a million of persons constantly em¬ 
ployed in rural pursuits in the empire state. If all this 
honest toil can be made far more productive than it now 
is, and hence, be far better rewarded, who will complain? 
Probably no human being. The value of this rural in¬ 
dustry, we have seen, is justly measured by the profes¬ 
sional knowledge of those that direct, either wisely, or 
unwisely , all its operations. To increase largely the 
amount of this professional knowledge, and cheapen its 
cost to every practical farmer in New-York, there should 
be somewhere in the state a well conducted Experimen¬ 
tal Farm, in connection with an Agricultural School. 
Agriculture is essentially an experimental science. Its 
experiments and complicated details require much skill 
to decide accurately the value of any system of farming 
under different circumstances. That great improvements 
have been made, and that greater still may be achieved, 
no one can doubt who has investigated the subject. 
Every practical agriculturist knows that a single grain of 
wheat will often send up ten or more stems, and that each 
stem or stalk will bear an ear containing 100 or more 
seeds. This gives a yield of 1000 fold. Twenty-five 
hundred kernels of good wheat, and more of corn, have 
been harvested from one of either. 
By planting wheat with a drilling machine that drops 
one seed in a place, and at a proper uniform distance 
asunder, that the air may circulate freely through the 
whole field, and by supplying each plant with all the in¬ 
gredients in a soluble condition at its roots, necessary to 
build up its entire structure, it is believed by some that 
100 bushels may be profitably grown on an acre. The 
raw materials required by nature to elaborate 100 bush¬ 
els of wheat are not expensive. An experimental farm 
is needed to demonstrate practically from what sources 
these ingredients can be obtained at the smallest expense: 
and how they should be combined so that every plant 
may have its productive power developed to the fullest 
extent, and yet the farmer lose not one particle of the 
raw material not transformed into grain. 
A moment’s reflection will convince any one that in th< 
production of any organic being, not a particle of matte* 
is created. Every farmer knows that the leanness or fat 
ness of his domestic animals, and cultivated plants, de 
pends, mainly, on the scarcity or abundance of thek 
food. To prepare this food for all our plants and ani 
mals, and to work it up without loss, and to the best pos 
sible advantage, is a study of great practical importance 
The manufacture of breadstuff's, provisions, wool, cotton, 
flax and hemp, from certain raw materials, which God 
has provided most abundantly in the air, in water and in 
the soil, must ever be regarded as the most important 
branches of human industry. There are, however, mil¬ 
lions of competitors in the manufacture of all these arti¬ 
cles; and it is saying no more than the truth to remark 
that their numbers and their zeal are alike increasing 
with astonishing rapidity. Believe it who may, the time 
is close at hand when the entire profits of agricultural la¬ 
bor will depend on one’s knowledge of the unerring 
laws of nature, his working in unison therewith, and 
never in opposition thereto. 
Look at that locomotive. A knowledge of the 
laws of nature enables a man to make a little hot wa 
ter and steam, draw a load for 200 horses, and travel at 
the rate of 20 miles an hour. Tell me, gentle reader, 
have the laws of nature nothing to do with the fertilizing 
of the earth? Have we nothing to learn in relation to the 
multiplication of plants and animals? 
Exclusive of a small portion of earthy matter, all 
plants and all animals are nothing more than consolida¬ 
ted air. 
Four simple aeriform bodies, carbon, nitrogen, ox? 
gen and hydrogen—the two latter being water—make up 
the whole catalogue of organic life, including man him¬ 
self. Thanks to infinite benevolence, the air is full of 
bread, of meat, of clothing, and of fire! All gratitude 
is due to that Creator, who has made it impracticable for 
any selfish mortal to claim an exclusive title to any por¬ 
tion of the ever moving atmosphere, or to the rain and 
sunshine of heaven. The whole earth too, is full of 
silica, alumina, lime, potash, soda, magnesia, and the 
other minerals which enter into the composition of 
plants, and of animals. With all these materials fur¬ 
nished to our hands, with mental powers that derive 
their highest pleasure and dignity, from the investigation 
of the works of Providence, what is gold, what are 
deeded acres, to that knowledge which renders a ration¬ 
al being so nearly independent for every physical and 
intellectual comfort, if it do not also give him a higher, 
stronger hope of something better beyond the grave? 
The fact is worthy of consideration that scientific, ex¬ 
perimental farming has added more to the population of 
the island of Great Britain, within the last 44 years, than 
it had increased during the 423 years ending with the 
close of the 18th century. This wonderful and sudden 
increase of the human family has occurred in spite of 
the wars which desolated Europe for 15 years in this cen¬ 
tury, till the great battle of Waterloo; and in ‘spite of 
the tens and hundreds of thousands of native English¬ 
men, who have emigrated to British colonies, to dis¬ 
tant coasts and islands, and to foreign nations. As yet 
the prolific light of science has hardly begun to shine on 
the cultivated fields of “ old England.” It was but yes¬ 
terday that the governments of Europe saw the folly and 
madness of human butchery, and wisely resolved (( to 
beat their spears into pruning hooks, and their swords 
into plowshares.” This is now done, and with the in¬ 
creased means for the support of our race, the human fa¬ 
mily are multiplying on the continent with a rapidity that 
has no parallel in the history of the world. Labor sa¬ 
ving machinery in a thousand forms, serves to keep mil 
lions from mechanical pursuits. In all these operations* 
steam performs the labor of human hands. Hence, ru¬ 
ral industry is very cheap, and the price of all agricul¬ 
tural products is constantly on the decline. 
Soon to be excluded from all foreign markets, with our 
vast and fertile prairies under cultivation, can ire, the far¬ 
mers of New-York, safely neglect to cheapen, as far as 
