THE CULTIVATOR: 
A M.ont\\\y Publication, devoted to Agriculture—eacb 16 \>ages. 
ALBANY, FEBRUARY, 1837.—(67 State-street.) No. 12. 
Vol. III. 
PUBLISHED BY THE N. Y. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
J. BUEL, Conductor. 
TERMS.— Fifty Cents per annum, to be paid in advance. 
Special Agents. — Judah Dobson, Philadelphia—Messrs. Hovey, Boston— 
George C. Thorburn and Alexander Smith, New-York. Alex. Walsh, 
Lansingburgh, gratuitous agent. Any gentlemen who will enclose us $5,free 
of postage, will be considered also a special agent, and will be entitled to e very 
eleventh copy, or its equivalent, as commission. 
O’ The Cultivator, according to the decision of the Post-master General, is 
subject only to newspaper postage, viz: one cent on each number within the 
stale, and within one hundred miles from Albany, out of the state—and one 
and a half cents on each number, to any other part of the Union. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
To improve the Soil anti the Mind. 
[UP The State Agricultural Convention meet on the 2d of Feb. at 4 P. M. at 
the Capitol. 
O’The New-York State Agricultural Society meet also on the 2d Febru¬ 
ary. The annual address will be delivered by J. McNaughton, M. D. 
Qty-An election for thirty directors-of the New-York State Agricultural 
School, will be held at the Capitol, in Albany, on the 15th day of February 
next, at 4 o'clock, P. M. 
J. BUEL, 1 f J. P. BEEKMAN, 
L. F. ALLEN, I ; J. CENTRE, 
II. YATES: f Commissioners A w CUNNINGHAM, 
J. DELAFIELD, J ( 
Subscriptions to the stock of the company will be received by the several 
Commissioners until the day of election. 
January 3, 1837. 
03° We omit sending subscription papers where the Cultivator has a re 
spectable circulation, from the belief that some gentleman w ill do us and the 
public the favor to collect and f irward to us subscriber’s names, and subscrip¬ 
tion monies, for the 4th volume. This No. completes our third volume. 
SEVEN REASONS 
WHY AGRICULTURE SHOULD RECEIVE THE PATRONAGE OF GOVERNMENT. 
1. Agriculture feeds all. Were agriculture to be neglected, popu¬ 
lation would diminish, because the necessaries of life would be want¬ 
ing. Did it not supply more than is necessary for its own wants, 
every other art would not only be at a stand, but every science, and 
every kind of mental improvement, would be neglected. Manufac¬ 
tures and commerce originally owed their existence to agriculture. 
Agriculture furnishes, in a great measure, raw materials and sub¬ 
sistence for the one, and commodities for barter and exchange for 
the other. In proportion as these raw materials and commodities 
are multiplied, by the intelligence and industry of the farmer, and 
the consequent improvement of the soil, in the same proportion are 
manufactures and commerce benefitted—not only in being furnish¬ 
ed with more abundant supplies, but in the increased demand for 
their fabrics and merchandize. The more agriculture produces, the 
more she sells—the more she buys; and the business and comfort 
of society are mainly influenced and controlled by the results of her 
labors. 
2. Agriculture, directly or indirectly, pays the burthens of our taxes 
and our tolls, —which support the government, and sustain our inter¬ 
nal improvements; and the more abundant her means, the greater 
will be her contributions. The farmer who manages his business 
ignorantly and slothfully, and who produces from it only just enough 
for the subsistence of his family, pays no tolls on the transit of his 
produce, and but a small tax upon the nominal value of his lands.— 
Instruct his mind, and awaken him to industry, by the hope of dis¬ 
tinction and reward, so that he triples the products of his labor, the 
value of his lands is increased in a corresponding ratio, his comforts 
are multiplied, his mind disenthralled, and two thirds of his products 
go to augment the business and tolls of our canals and roads. If 
such a change in the situation of one farm, would add one hundred 
dollars to the wealth, and one dollar to the tolls of the state, what 
an astonishing aggregate would be produced, both in capital and in 
revenue, by a similar improvement upon 250,000 farms, the assum- 
NO. 12—VOL. III. 
ed number in the state. The capital would be augmented two mil¬ 
lions, and the revenue two hundred and fifty thousand dollars per 
annum. 
3. Agriculture is the principal source of our loealth. It furnishes 
more productive labor, the legitimate source of wealth, than all the 
other employments in society combined. The more it is enlighten¬ 
ed by science, the more abundant will be its products; the more 
elevated its character, the stronger the incitements to pursue it.— 
Whatever, therefore, tends to enlighten and increase its labors, 
must proportion ably increase the wealth of the state, and the means 
for the successful prosecution of the other arts, and the sciences, 
now indispensable to their profitable management. 
4. Agriculturists are the guardians of our freedom. They are the 
fountains of political power. If the fountains become impure, the 
stream will be defiled. If the agriculturist is slothful, and ignorant, 
and poor, he will be spiritless, dependent and servile. If he is en¬ 
lightened, industrious and in prosperous circumstances, he will be 
independent in mind, jealous of his rights, and watchful for the pub¬ 
lic good. His welfare is identified with the welfare of the state.— 
He is virtually fixed to the soil; and has, therefore, a paramount in¬ 
terest, as well as a giant power, to defend it from the encroachments 
of foreign or domestic foes. If his country suffers he must suffer ; 
if she prospers, he too may expect to prosper. Hence whatever 
tends to improve the intellectual condition of the farmer, and to ele¬ 
vate him above venal temptation, essentially contributes to the good 
order of society at large, and to the perpetuity of our country’s 
freedom. 
5. Agriculture is the parent of physical and moral health to the state, 
—it is the salt which preserves us from moral corruption. Not only 
are her labors useful in administering to the wants, and in dispens¬ 
ing the blessings of abundance to others, but she is constantly exer¬ 
cising a salutary influence upon the moral and physical health of the 
state, and in perpetuating the republican habits and good order of 
society. While rural labor is the great source of physical health 
and constitutional vigor to our population, it interposes the most for¬ 
midable barrier to the demoralizing influence of luxury and vice.— 
We seldom hear of civil commotions, of crimes, or of hereditary 
disease, among those who are steadily engaged in the labors of agri¬ 
culture. Men who are satisfied with the certain and abundant re¬ 
sources of their own labor and their own farms, are not willing to 
jeopardize their enjoyments, by promoting popular tumult, or tolera¬ 
ting crime. The more we promote the influence of the agricultu¬ 
rist, by developing the powers of his mind, and elevating his moral 
views, the more we ghall promote the virtue and happiness of so¬ 
ciety. 
6. Legislative patronage will increase the products of agriculture, 
and consequently advance the prosperity, promote the moral im¬ 
provement, and elevate the character of the state. Look at the 
disparity, in the products and profits of labor, on the well managed 
and ill managed farm—or in the well cultivated and ill cultivated 
district. The one, we say, nets a profit of twelve or fourteen per 
cent per annum, on the nominal value of the land,—the other but 
two or three per cent—and abundant examples may be furnished of 
both extremes. The rural improvement of a country indicates, 
pretty correctly, besides, the intellectual and moral condition of its 
population. Now if by raising the standard of public instruction, 
by holding out rewards to successful competitors in improvement, 
and by establishing schools of practical and scientific agriculture, 
all of which come within the purview of legislative duties, we could 
render all our improved lands as productive as those of a like quali¬ 
ty, which are well managed, our agricultural products would be 
quintupled. This we do not expect; but after making due allow¬ 
ance for all drawbacks, it must be apparent to every reflecting mind, 
that the advantages to the state, from a judicious application of a por¬ 
tion of public monies to promote agricultural improvement, would 
be manifestly great. We have seen, from a combination of local 
causes, and in a short period, the agriculture of old settled counties, 
doubled and trebled. General causes, operating upon the whole 
state, cannot fad of producing results alike favorable. 
7. Agriculture is entitled to special patronage, as a matter of equal 
