THE CULTIVATOR. 
43 
They are for sale at Wm, Thorburn’s Agricultural Warehouse, No. 317 
N. Market-street, Albany—price $10. C. N. BEMENT. 
THEORY OF AGRICULTURE. 
The theory of agriculture, which we lay down, is built upon the follow¬ 
ing fundamental principles; and with one or other of them every part of 
rural practice is more or less connected. First, That the soil ought to 
be kept dry; or, in other words, free of all superfluous moisture. Second¬ 
ly, That it ought to be kept clean; or, in other words, free of noxious 
w'eeds. Thirdly, That it ought to be kept rich; or, in other words, that 
every particle of manure, which can be collected, ought to be applied, so 
that the soil may be kept in a state capable of yielding good crops. . Eve¬ 
ry person, possessed of a sufficient capital stock, may act according to the 
first and second principles; but it is only where local circumstances are 
favorable, that the last can be carried completely into effect. No more, 
however, being required of the farmer, than that he shall make f the most 
of his situation, the principle applies equally to all; and, in: like manner, is 
equally correct and beneficial in all situations and circumstances. 
Holding these principles in view, and assuming' them as the basis of 
what is meant to be inculcated, we proceed to illustrate them in a more 
particular manner. 
In the first place, the utility,, nay, the necessity, of keeping land dry, 
and preserving it from being inundated, or flooded with water* is so obvi¬ 
ous, that few arguments will be required in support of this primary princi¬ 
ple. When land is allowed to remain in a state of wetness, which may ei¬ 
ther be occasioned by spouts, or springs, in fhe-urider, soil, orb'y rain-water 
stagnating on the; surface, the earth gets into a sour state,-wbich after¬ 
wards is detrimental to the'growth of plants; and. oftenl, in the first in¬ 
stance, prevents either ploughing or harrowing from, being successfully ef¬ 
fected. Under such circumstances, the young plants, either of corn or 
grass, get yellow or sickly, and never assume that vigorous thriving as¬ 
pect, which they maintain upon fields differently circumstanced. Be¬ 
sides, manure has not the same effect when the earth is drowned, or even 
injured with wetness, as when it is kept dry and free-from superfluous 
moisture. Under-draining is the only method of correcting the evils aris¬ 
ing from spouts, or springs, as will afterwards be more distinctly stated, 
and digging out the head-land, and what are' pr.ovincially called gau-fur- 
rows, the only-preventive against surface water, when heavy falls of rain 
or snow storms ensue. In fact, without attention to these important ope¬ 
rations, arable land can neither be perfectly managed, nor full crops reap¬ 
ed. Perhaps, the goodness or badness of farm-management may beas 
correctly estimated by the attention shown to drainage, as by any other 
mark whatever. Where drainage is neglected, assure proof is furnishedj 
that many other branches of the art are imperfectly executed. Unless 
this branch of rural economy is assidulously attended to, the advantages 
arising from ploughing and’ manuring are only partially obtained. 
In the second place, the benefit arising from keeping the land clean, is 
sufficiently discernible. Weeds, whether of the annual or perennial sorts, 
may be regarded as preferable creditors of the soil, who w'ill reap 'the first 
advantage of manure, if allowed to remain in possession: their removal, 
therefore, forms an important object of the husbandmatr’s - attention.— 
Without detailing in this place, the most Suitable means of, removing 
them, it may be stated, that, according to the degree of success that fol¬ 
lows the means employed, so will the goodness or badness of the hjis- 
bandman’s crops be regulated. If the strength, or nutritive-'.pdwers, of 
the soil be exhausted' or drawn forth by weeds, or such plahts as the soil 
naturally produced, it is impossible that artificial plants can prosper. It 
rarely happens, to be sure, that the. aborigines are altogether extirpated; 
but upon the smallness of the number depends- the returns which'the' soil, 
can make to man, for the labor bestowed upon its cultivation. 
In the third place, the necessity of restoriDg-to the soil, in the shape of 
manure, the powers, drawn from it by artificial crops, is acknowledged by 
almost every person. No doubt, some .heretical opinions have, at differ¬ 
ent times'been broached-, concerning .the utility of feeding land by gene¬ 
rous manures; ,but these never had many votaries, and are now become' 
so obsolete, that it would only be a waste of time to notice them. Ma¬ 
nure, in fact, is the most powerful-agent in the hands of the farmer, and 
the attention bestowed upon collecting, preparing, and applying it, con¬ 
stitutes an important branch of the art, which he practices. Perhaips ag- 
rigulturists are more behind, in the points.connected with this third gene¬ 
ral principle, than in the others; and here the utility of chemical know¬ 
ledge may, in some respects, be estimated and recognised. • 
These three fundamental principles hang;or fall together. Without lay¬ 
ing land dry, neither the advantages of good ploughing, nor the benefits 
arising from manure, can be fully obtained. When any of the other prin¬ 
ciples are neglected, similar edects will necessarily ensue. But when 
they are all acted upon; when the land is kept dry,- clean, and in good 
heart, the husbandman may. expect a suitable reward for the trouble and 
expense bestowed on its cultivation. An agricultural code of this kind is 
not only a true one, but has the particular merit of being simple and dis¬ 
tinct; nay, it has an advantage which few creeds possess; it may be un¬ 
derstood by the dullest capacity. Were'it carried into execution; were 
the operations of farmers regulated by its tenets; were their endeavors 
constantly directed to keep the lands in their possession dry and clean, 
and as rich as possible, then the country would be progressively improved. 
In a word, these are the fundamental principles of agriculture, though se¬ 
veral other things, such as rotation of crops and the like, may be regarded 
as minor or inferior ones) All of them, however, are dependent upon the 
principles already noticed; because, were the fundamental principles re¬ 
jected, the minor or inferior ones could never be successfully carried into 
execution.— Brewster's Encyclopedia. 
Young - Ladies 1 Department. 
IMPORTANT REQUISITES IN A WIFE. 
A knowledge of domestic duties is beyond all price to a woman. Eve¬ 
ry one of our sex ought to know how to sew, and knit, and mend, and 
cook, and superintend a household. In every situation of life, high or low, 
this sort of knowledge is of great advantage. There is no necessity that 
the gaining of such information should interfere with intellectual acquire¬ 
ment, or even .elegant-accomplishment. A well regulated mind can find 
time to attend'to all. When a girl is nine or ten years old, she should be 
accustomed to take some regular share in household duties, and to feel re¬ 
sponsible for the manner in which her part is performed—such as her own 
mending, washing the'cups and putting them in place, cleaning silver, or 
dusting and arranging the parlour. This should nbfc.be done occasionally, 
and neglected when ever she finds it convenient—she should consider it 
her department. AVhen older than twelve, girls should begin to take turns 
in-superintending the household—making puddings, pies, cake, &c. To 
learn effectually—they-should actually do these tilings themselves, and 
stand by, and see others do them.— Mrs. Child. 
Many a husband-has-been ruined for want of these domestic qualities in 
a wife—and many a husband has been saved from ruin by his wife being 
ahle to manage well the household concerns'. 
A HEALTHFUL KECREATION. 
Among the pleasant employments which seem peculiarly congenial to 
our sex, the culture of flowers stands conspicuous. The general superin¬ 
tendence of a garden -has been- repeatedly? found; favorable to health, by 
leading to frequent exercise in the open air, and that communing with 
nature which is equally refreshing to the heart. It was laboring with her 
own hands in her garden, that the mother of Washington was found by-the 
youthful-Marquis La Fayette, when he sought her blessing as he was 
about to commit himselfto the ocean, and return tohis native clime. • The 
tending of flowers has ever.appeared to nje a fitting care for the young and 
beautiful. They then dwell, as it were, among their own emblems, and 
many a voice of wisdom breathes on the ear from those brief blossoms, to 
which they apportion the dew and the sun-beam— Mrs. Sig. urney. 
INTEMPERANCE IN DRESS. 
Greater numbers, annually diefimong the female sex, in consequence of 
tight lacing, than are destroyed among the other sex by the use of spiritu¬ 
ous liquors, in the same time.—Ur. Mussey on Intemperance. 
Whatever tends to diminish the capacity of the chest, tends also topro- 
dnee organic disease of the heart andjwwgs. Tight lacing is ever a dan¬ 
gerous practice, for if the heart does not suffer, the lungs and liver very 
frequently do.-— The Influence of Mental Culture , Sfc. 
Mrs. Sigourney lays down the following rules as to dress: 
1. Not to permit fashion to impair health. 
2. Dress should- never infringe on delicacy- 
3. Dress ought not to involve unnecessary expense. 
A fundamental error in domestic life, of very serious extent, involving 
no less the comfdrt 'than the health of the family , arises from the ignorance 
or mistaken notions of the mistress of the house, upon the subjects of diet 
and,cooking— Housekeeper’s Register. 
PRICE-CURRENT. 
ARTICLES. 
N. York. 
March 24. 
j Boston. 
March ,20. 
Philadel’a. 
March 20. 
Baltimore. 
March 18. 
Beans white-, bush... 
1 25.. 1 50 
2 50. 
. 3 00 
1 80..2 00 
1 75 
Beef, bpst. cwt.. 
Pork, per cwt.. 
7 ,00.. 9 00 
f 7 50. 
.9 00 
7 00..9 50 
6 50..8 50 
9 00..11 00 
2fc.. 28 
|10 00., 
.13 00 
11 50 
3 50..8 77 
Butter, fresh, pound, ..... 
21.. 
. 25 
16.. 18 
25.. 37 
Cheese, pound, ......... 
8..: 10 
10., 
. 12 
10.. 12 
13.. 14 
Flour, best, bbl....,. .... 
11 00..11 75 
12 25. .12-.50 
10 50 
10 0..13 0 
Grain —Wheat, bushel, ,. 
1 75.. 2 00 
2 12. - 
. 2 25 
1 80..2 10 
2 Q0..2 25 
Rye, do. .. 
1 13 
1 15., 
. 1 20 
1 40..1 50 
I 35..1 40 
Oats, do; 
50.. 02 
• 65., 
. 70 
49.. 53 
62., 65 
Corn, do. 
1 04 
1 18.. 
. 2 07 
90.. 97 
85.. 91 
Seeds —Red Clover, lb. .'. 
14.. 15 
16.. 17 
9.. 11 
13.. 14 
Timothy', bushel,. 
2 50.. 2 75 
3 25.. 3 '37 
2 50..3 25 
3 25..4 00 
Wool —Saxony," fleece, lb. 
70.. 75 
70.. 
. 75 
66.. 73 
55.. 60 
Merino, lb..... . 
55.. 68 
60.. 
. 70 
'58.. 62 
45.. 50 
1-4 and com. lb... 
Sheep, ... 
45.. 50 
45., 
6 00.. 
. 50 
. 7 00 
40.. 44 
36.. 40 
Cows and Calves,;... .... 
18 00..45 6(f! 
25-60, .42.50 
25 O'. .50 0 
