I Know

AYhat

SERIES

BRIEF

EXPOSITIONS

Agriculture

ART

AN

Faeming:

OF

PLAm

AND

Practical
AS

of

SCIENCE:

UPON

BASED

HOSr^CJEr^PtEELEY.

By

"/

]K
That

where
The

best

the

spade

fruits

is despest driven,

grow."
John

W.
[sold

Carleto7i
by

the

G. Whittier.

YORK:

NEW

G.

know

"

tribune

mdccglxxi.

Co., Publishers.
association.]

according

Entered,

to

HORACE

at

the

Office

of

the

Act

of

in

Congress,

1870,

the
year

GREELEY,

Librarian

of

Congress,

at

Washington.

by

TO

MAN

THE

WHO

SHALL

MAKE

OUR

OF

FIRST

THE

AGE,

PROPELLED

PLOW

BY

STEAM,

OR

MECHANICAL

OTHER

TEN

SHALL

BE

ACRES

COST

OF

THIS

NOT

WORK

PER

THOROUGHLY

DEPTH

AT

WHEREBY

POWER,

MORE

TWO

THAN

ADMIRINGLY

LESS

THAN

DAY

PULVERIZED

OF

IS

NOT

TO

FEET,

TWO

DOLLARS

DEDICATED

PER

BY

THE

AUTHOR.

ACRE,

CONTENTS

BY

CHAPTERS.

PAGE

I. Will
II.

Farming
and

Good

Bad

III.

Where

IV.

Preparing

23

Farm

to

34

VI.

Laying

off

Trees

Woodlands

Farm

Growing

Timber

IX.

Planting

and

X.

Draining

XI.

XIII.

Possibilities

XIV.

Plowing, Deep

Thorough

XVII.

Commercial

XX.
XXI.

XXIL

How

Fruit-Trees"

XXVIII.
XXIX.
XXX.

91
96

Gypsum

"

to

112
118

Guano

Utilize

129
134

and

Apple

139

Apple-Trees

145

The

about

Peaches,

150

Hay-Making
Pears,

Cherries,
and

Grain-Growing"

East

Esculent

Potatoes

Roots"

124

It

Tree-Planting

More

102

107

Lime

Birds

Insects;

XXIV.

XXVII.

Bad

and

Phosphates,

Muck"

Hay

85

Fertilizers

About

XXVI.

Shallow

Salt, Ashes,

and

Bones,

79

Irrigation

Fertilizers

Alkalis^
Soils

74

Ends

Tillage

XXIII.

XXV.

69
and

or

Good

Plowing,

XVI.

XIX.

62

Means
of

49
56

Trees

Own

XVIII.

Tree-Planting

Draining Generally
Irrigation

89

44

; Forests
;

My

Pasturing

Growing

XII.

XV.

29

Farm

Buying

VIII.

18

Farm

to

13

Husbandry

V.

VII.

Pay

Roots"

Turnips, Beets,

Grapes

156

West

162
170

Carrots

178

CONTENTS.

VI

The

XXXI.
XXXII.

Farmers'
of

Lesson

XXXIII.

Intellect

XXXIV.

Sheep

and

XXXVI.

Stone

195

Wool-Growing

200

Farming

207

and

Farm

XL.

Steam

XLI.
XLII.

225

Exhibitions

231

Agriculture

in

Science

XXXIX.

219

Fencing

Agricultural

XXXVIII.

212

Farm

Fences

XXXVII.

Agriculture

in

on

189

To-day

in

Accounts

XXXV.

183

Calling

237

Implements
in

Agriculture

241

in

248

Co-operation

Farming

XLIII.

Farmers'

Clubs

254

XLIV.

Western

Irrigation

260

XLV.

XL

266

Sewage
VI.

More

Undeveloped

XLVII.

Rural

XLVIII.

XLIX.

Large
L.
LI.

LII.

Summing

Sources

and

Small
and

of

Power

280

286

Depopulation

Exchange
Winter

274

Irrigation

of

Farms
Distribution

292

297
303

Work

up

308

PREFACE.

Men
of

aid

written

have

Agriculture,
with

so

the

laws

of

equally good

vegetable
those

and

that

farmers

little of

adepts

in

practical agriculture, according

usages

of

those

farmer's

the

classes.
and

mainly

but

have

agriculture
I

wiser

to-day

"

with
would

live

of

to

by

an

was

soil.
its

invincible

is meager,
;

that.

yesterday,

willingness
and
the

know

tillage feed

that

it too

lively

urgent

great improvements
I

honored

while, of

They

are

qualifications for writmg

my

feasibility,

the

and

indeed.

slender

of very
the

that

these

bygone

even

were

dignified

and

of

but

maxims

agriculture

if

smattering,

the

followed

long

hended
appre-

written,

science,

to

neither

with

childhood

urge

than

nay,

"

imminence

are

who

claim

only lay

possibility

rank

in

acquired

successfully

practical knowledge

right, therefore,
on

calling.

My

science,

have

who

life,they

have

Others

knew

quainted
Ac-

science.

pure

growth

laws

them.

who

purpose,

of

platform

profitably obeyed

and

usefully, in illustration

and

elucidated

and

and
to

from

the

expounded

wisely

in

our

to

be

faith

made
in

the

necessity,
ordinary

majority

of

sparingly

and

ings
deal-

those
stir
1

the

who
it

too

PKEFACE.

VIU

slightlyand
and

expect it,thereupon,

that

is

is

exception

an

prove

deficient

be, indeed,

good farming,

but

that

morally

which

is

in

of

sure

see

that

reason

no

the

the

us.

thoroughly

this stern

to

little for

too

for

but

largest

know

well

done

why

ing
farm-

constitutes

farming is

best

very

it,

salutary law.

of what

knowledge

faith

in

not

work

and

do

we

much

too

only

liberallycompensated;

should
I may

do

to

pursuits,it

other

that, m

that

I know

grudgingly,

and

certain

most

reward.
I

generally accorded

hope

to be

the

little I

forth

fail to understand.
of terms

and

to

myself;
to

of

of oxygen,
whatever

then

lucid

Many

say

failed

I have
as

average

an

to

the

that

make

kept

be

elementary

truths

If there

others.

will not

less
use-

is

readily

be

school-'boy oi" fifteen

paragraph

simple

as

I intended.

farmers

They

by

use

The

I have

would

set
can

general ear.

of them

to

few

could, the

as

the

which

following jDages

in the

of writers

on

urge

from

dissuaded

are

the

agriculture by
that, though

(perhaps) profitablydo
are

might

only perplexing

and

far

having

that

hydrogen, nitrogen, "c.,

fully understood

years,

to

already acquainted with

Chemistry,

and

and

since

those

paragraph

unfamiliar

of

language

avoided,so

I have

distinctions

little I know

in

know

j^retend to

merit

the

utterly inadequate

what

is

men

following the
consideration
of

large

recommended,

they might

as

tions
sugges-

well

be

of

wealth
their

urged

pense.
ex-

may
means

to work

TREFACE.

their

in

oxen

with

yoke

if not

mainly,

commend
on

silver

IX

uniformly,

grandfathers'husbandry

our

adopt

farmer
but

gradually,

may

year

to

that

draining, irrigation,deep plowing, heavy

"c.,

are

year.

and

readily presumed
I should

or

plant, "c., "c,,

of

better

have

and

earth's

seen

have

observe.

the

and

had

profitis

And, whatever
I Icnow

that, if

my

have

father's
been

of

or

no

far

given

features

the

of the

stay-at-home

many

opportunity

them

are

heedlessly,

not

broader

of

the

On

them.

to

of

sow

details,and

topics with

treating some

to

study

which
to

the

or

deal,

average

increased.
may

I could

century ago, when

in

certain

tillage which

little

to

been

mainly

regard

the
By restricting

probability

farmer's

and

too

vaguely,

time

proper

extensively,and

pondered

have

little

of these

I do
with

am

traveled

improvement

cultivators
even

fertilizing,

many

that

have

days

than

than

I have

hand,

so

from

farmers

some

explanation. By

no

whose

more

authority

other

need

can

and

them.

and
little,

very

those

know

farming,

as

power,

raisingof animals,the

and

breeding

to

convince

thus

pronounced

say

the

larger number

shall

their

beyond

not

That

hope

to

$1,000, or

worth

over,

"

aimed

improvements only

such

as

all at once,

not

I have

gold bows.

was

humble

less anxious

his

be
have
a

judgment

perused

one

patient worker

home,
and

my

my

on

this

of
and

like tenor
an

subsequent

labors

less

slightwork,
half

eager reader
career

would

exhausting

than

PKEFACE.

Could

been.

tlieyhave

of
possibilities

beneficent

the

realized

with

that

is

he

Nature's

noblest

efforts

and

devoted,

of the

soil.

pages

would

nobler

though
the

have

conception
and

might
realize

should

others, and

and

fancied

for

use

that

sufficed

to

of

the

what

that

man

that

it all.

had

good

has

boys,

who

had

have

been
this

eveiy

since

I then

hundred

in

had.
of

this

larger, truer,

If I

and

in

and

could

class,and

to

mental

his

pursuit
much
afford

not

farm, because

I had

not

farmer's

yet

as

calling;

of it than

more

are

still thousands

conceited

and

needed

And, though great

then, there
age

means

acquired so

the

much

ensuing

moderate

the

was

adequate

more

the

exigencies will

understand.

enlightened

enthusiastic

in

of

abandoned

there

to

fortunate,tiller

have

can

really learned

made

scarcely a

agriculturethan
one

not

plow-horse ought

progress
of

all

or

fur

already perceived, if

clearly comprehended,
whereas,

an

serviceable

as

since

have

attained.

farmer's

science, the

reflection,study

and

edge
knowl-

of

farmer
then

and

no

of

is unfolded
me

I have

amplest

command

give

essential

general knowledge
scope

little that

of

blindly) dealing

the

eminent

glimpse

could

"

round

an

be, than

as

intellect, I should

not

observation

that

are
acquisition,

in

fullest

human

the

even

Even

life

reward

peaceful,unobtrusive

the

pursued

as

require and

laws, the
of

farmer's

but

caught

habitually (even though

problems which
of

have

I then

generation,

just conception of

hope
induce

to reach

him

even

to pon-

PREFACE.

the
der, impartially,

contents

of this

have

written

it in vain.

I shall not

that

need

We

mingle

to

till their heads

ache

backs

are

crooked

the

but

classes ;

whereas, they

should

or

fairly

be

shall be.

In

educated

if he

from

gathered

the

ditch-

the

; but

of Russia

comparatively

if not
no

qualifiedfor

I look

But

back,

life,which

achieve

must

ends

been

any

I forbear
on

this
now

whereof

transitoiy

That

is

useful

many
and

vicious

its
seem

better

are

selves
them-

not

how

than

the

defective

and

its

though

subject

he

were

this ever-fruitful theme.

to pursue

near

the

States,our

leaves

callingthan

day completing
be

cent
magnifi-

acre

United

training which

radically false mental

better

have

wanting.

fruit

more

employ

jDer

the

may

untaught peasantry

wheat
of

it

always

son

they knew

If the

farmers

it

rejoice in

schools

though

more

grow

otherwise

no

than

be

my

close,of
in

the

distinct

justify the

to

hoop

that

that

should

common

can

iron

laborer's

every

its bloom.

our

till their

Admit

follows

when

enough.

educated

is found

unlettered.

of

an

same.

means

knowledge

they

Hungary

or

education

of

is not

the

know

Some

apt to be

are

will, there

advantage,

that

no

age

graduates

to better

be

foliage and

diggers, when

to read

an

tree

its

of

promise
belief that

should

work

of half

thinkers

thus, it by

been

always

semblance

work.

our

others

intensely;

the

and

workers

the

has

to

slightvolume,

thought with

more

think

XI

sixtieth year,
constant

over

efl'ort to

long retrospect

unimportant, however

to

they may

PREFACE.

XU

have

loomed

upon

banishment

of human
been

have

to

only of

achievement

One

it

instant
from

hard

insists that

and

heels,and

plane of drudgery

the

and

well-being

servilityto

genuine independence, so

human

worker

mere

motion

he

can

neither

which
entei'prise
in

sharer

the

involves.
the

end

to live for other

To

that

their

are

wisely

ends

that

no

combined

the

future

and

continuous

of American

to

us

than

York,

I'eb.S, ISIl.

of

race,
it

accord
of Labor

self-respect,
the

of

its

in the

promote,

the

it

gain, which

observe

achievement

trainingof
reflect,

and

present sensual
is

beyond

the

ably self-directed efforts.

have

on

manity,
hu-

our

partner
to

and

those

just coming

the

upon

resolved
intelligently

agriculture

improvement

respectfullycommended.

through

part of the generation of farmers

that

Mw

loss

and

stage of responsible action,who

other
an-

to render

as

freelycontributed

to succeed

to feel

of

one

arrest,but

nor

risk,the

higher

But

vast, revolving wheel, whose

be attained

can

and

and
gratification,
of

toil is

outlay, the

generationwho

reach

modify

his

This

in

cog

and

agony

shall

we

self-guidance,and
no

now

seems

It is the elevation

consideration.

earnest

the

"

by justice and

to the

its

"

accomplished.

was

yet equally conducive

on

ence.
pres-

countiy

soil

our

demanded

palpably

so

and

age

from

immediate

the
requisite efforts,

all the

bloody sweat, through which

presses

our

chattelhood

worth

reform, not

in their

vision when

my

shall

evince

decided

past, this little book

h.

g.

is

WHAT

I KNOW

OF

FARMING.

I.

coMMEN"CE

when

mj

often

am

the

urge

question, because,

superior advantages

of

serious

life,I

rural

objection that Fanning

the

if true, is

That,

j^dy.

this

with

essays

by

met

PAY?

FARMING-

WILL

Let

matter.

fCt

does

sider
con-

us

I. do
who

understand

not

stocked,
cannot

with

live

good

is,that he who

has

effective

by farming.

make

that

farmer

the

estate, well-fenced, well-

little but

cannot

urged

of

store

thrive

and

upon

be

large, fertile

owns

it to

implements,

"What
hands

brown

two

or

money,

is meant

make

can

pend
de-

to

very

little,
by farming.
1 think

those

who

of

conception
every

life,no
when

poor
matter
not

fair common-school
and

in what

quite

the

of

point

securing

pursuit.

age,

have

with

came

good

good
to

"

by

start

in

New-York

constitution,

education, good health, good

pretty fair trade

adequate
in-

very

difficultyencountered

in

man

young

this

urge

(that of printer.)
(13)

its,
hab-

I think

14

WHAT

outfit for

mj

decidedlybetter
make

and

the average

than

yet

decided

used no tobacco,attended
liquors,
expensiye entertainments, worked
I

ten

find work

could

to

did

many

lawyers and

the young

less

as

the first ten

doctors

years

long

of their

little in

very
that

quite as

better ; and

that,of

who

try

establish

to

professions,
quiteas
board

their bare

than

more

earn

did

as

in their

here

themselves
earn

than

worse

other

or

less than

do, lost

month
the

I drank

and

hard

altogetherby sickness,and did

I judge
of helping others.
way

here

remain

balls

no

was

long years

Meantime,

headway.

no

whenever

fortune

settled that I could

it was

any

FARMING.

OF

campaign againstadverse

elapsedbefore

KNOW

many

during

struggle.

gent,
long,dilihe amassed
a large
career, wherein
prosperous
to
that,if he were
fortune,is said to have remarked
begin life again,and had to choose between making
dollars with nothingto start on, or
his first thousand
with that thousand
making all that he had actually
Jacob

John

accumulated,

Depend

task.
hard

work

to

the

Astor,near

he

w^ould

close of

it,young men,
honestly your

upon
earn

latter the

the

deem

it is and

easier
be

must

first thousand

lars.
dol-

the blackleg(whether
burglar,the forger,
play with cards,with dice,or with stocks),
may
to have
a
quick and easy way of making a
The

he
seem

with
as

may

makes

dollars ; but whoever

thousand

nothing

does
capital,

deem

himself

but
a

fortunate

sum

estly,
hon-

and energies
capacities
work, and
good five-years'

his

very

that

own

if he finishes it

so

soon.

"I tia/ceknown

PAY?

FARMING

WILL

15

better,even at farming. I
recollect one
who, with no capitalbut a good wife
and four or "fivehundred
bought (nearBoston)
dollars,
of two hundred
a farm
mainly rough acres, for $2,500,
paid for

and

years,
I lost

do

men

it out of its

during which he
sightof him then

products within
I have

; but

fifteen years

if he lived

nearlydoubled

had

not

longer and

luck,he was worth, as the

at least $100,000.
effort,

net

But

doubt

had

its value.

no

man

that,

very

result of twenty
this

five

the next

would

bad

years'
rise at

morning, harness his span of

horses and
hitch them
to his largemarket-wagon
drive ten miles into Boston,unload
(loadedover
night),
and load back
again,be home at fair breakfasttime, and, hastilyswallowinghis meal, be fresh as a
daisyfor his day's work, in which he would lead his
clear of the least danger of
hired men, keeping them
are
ist,
falHngasleep. Such men
rare, but they stillexdomitab
proving scarcelyanything impossibleto an infour o'clock of

winter

I would

will.

unmercifully
; I

seek

ago,

all his land

that stock
so

within

any

enforce
the

the

reach

to work

so

truth that
of whoever

farmer bought,some
twenty-five
energetic
years
sisting
largegrazingfarm in Northern Vermont, conof some
150 acres, and
costinghim about

$3,000. He

to

advise

only to

are
great achievements
will pay their price.

An

not

had

improve

small

stock

carry ; but he

would

by

at

least ten

his

land

of

cattle,which

resolved

per cent,

was

to increase

per annum,

and

fertilizing,
by cultivation,

16

WHAT

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

clover,"c., that it would amply

he sold out
Fifteen
years later,

carry that increase.

farm

stock

and

for

stand
$45,000,and migratedto the "West. I did not underhard worker, but only
that he was
a
specially
a

good

manager,

nothing

to

go

and

kept his eyes wide

waste, and steadilydevoted
who

to

means

the

improvement

open,
his

let

gies
ener-

of his stock and

his farm.

"Walking one day

me
Mapes, he showed
ago

crop

of

last

with

cabbaoce

enough to
The

when

it,fertilized
;

and. when

pay

for

field

from

months

it

field that

light

took

and

Fall,plowed

and planted it
liberally,

these matured, I sold them

gether."
altoland,labor,and fertilizers,

was

worth

now

he

bought it,and

he

then

was

seller reserved

the

I underdrained
sub-soiled

There

September.
it,which the

on

and

for

ten

"

corn

away.

field of rather less than

said, I bought that field for $2,400,a

acres, and
year

of the late Prof.

the farm

over

had

cleared

date of its

the

far

than

more

it within

purchase.

teen
fifsider
con-

good operation. Another year, the crop

er,
might have been poor, or might have sold much lowas
so
hardly to pay for the labor ; but there are
risks in other pursuitsas well as in farming.
the Hudson
above
A
on
fruit-farmer,
N^ewburg,
showed
me, three years since,a field of eight or ten
he had
which
acres
nicelyset with Grapes, in rows
that

ten

feet

rows,
acre

apart,with beds of Strawberries

from

which

exceeded

he

assured

$Y00 per

annum.

me

that

between

the

his sales per

I presume

his out-

WILL

lay

for

PAY

FARMING

labor,includingpicking,was
it had

but

per annum;
field what

it then

17
less than

something

cost

to make

$300
this

Say that he had spent $1,000

in under-draining,
this
enrichingand tilling
per acre
to bring it to this condition,includingthe cost
field,
of his plants,and still there must
have been a clear
here cf at least $300 per acre.
profit
I might multiplyillustrations ; but let the foregoing
suffice. I readily admit
that shiftless farming
doesn't
hard

pay

work

"

to

"

his best

insist
DOES

make

as

that

"

full

an

pay

Other

and

many
and

the

farmer's

hopes, after

achieve

and

few

pursuitsafford

assurance,

vocations
them
But

others.

of reward

are

has

; but

success

Farming
as
good a prospect,
for intelligent,

It is the first and

most

useful

should

and

be

necessary,

selves
advantage to themthose pursuitsare
apt to

with

by time, and some

entirelydispensed with, which

be modified

be.

he

Good
general proposition,

pursue
to

it is

by farming without son^e

hail, or drouth, or floods,
or

this does.
as
effort,
energetic,
persistent
I am
not
arguing that every man
farmer.

that

"

money

deserve

to

don't

crops

frost,or

that,as

pay

poor

blast

insects,
may
done

that

that

capital

was.

of them

Farming

essential

may
never

of human

yet be
can

suits
pur-

calling
If not adequately
and prosperous.
should be honored
recompensed, I judge that is because it is not wisely
followed.
and
My aim is to show
energetically
how
it may
be pursued with satisfaction and profit.
; it is every

one's

interest

that

this

n.

Necessity
be

for

strenuous

as

the

that

believe
and

is the

according
is

muster

crop

yoke

of

acquaintance
heartily
manure,

able

to

and

great
the

best

he

Again
the

with

and

know^

it ;

if

partially

thickly
green,

any

have

dotted
tenacious
(i8)

to

field
"

divested
with

it

sometimes
the

obstinate

roots, which

So

?
of

is not

forbear

do

secure

await

must

thorough
a

does

that

for

ing
sow-

If he

all.

of

use

cannot

at

he

yard
barn-

not, and

he

of

speaking

good

to

fields

fit them

of

he

can

do

can

span

loads

afibrd

crops

better

farmers

has

because

so,

of ]^ature
is

he

always

and

what

Many

if

he

make

to

or

even

shall

he

team

thousand

how

can't

can,

the

not

what

had

but,

without

Here

still

he

do

pleasure

which,

wish

planting,

crops,

have

grain,

it,he

buy

which

up

thirty inches,

to

all

firmly

broken

thoroughly

if

may

may

"

thin, light steers,

with

of

ounce

every

farmer

am

fifteen

of

but,

as

be

depth

horses,

old, spavined

may

to

should

all.

us

deep plowing

the

to

of

master

soil

pulverized

HUSBANDEY.

BAD

AUB

GOOD

whole

vation.
culti-

farm

"

primitive forest, is
stumps
could

and

only

filled
be

re-

AJ^B

GOOD

heavy, perhaps ruinous, cost. A rich

might order them all dug out in a month, and
his order fullyobeyed ; but, except to clear a spot
under very pecuKar circumstances,it
a garden or

moved
man
see

for

19

HUSBAI^DKY.

BAD

at

would
a

not

pay ; and

heavy

to make

expense

theatrical

poor

afford to incur

cannot

man

merely for appearance'ssake,or

displayof

In the great

energy.

ford
livingcan't afput his newlystumps, but must
cleared land into grass at the earliest day, mow
the
smoother, pastm'e the rougherportionsof it,and wait

majorityof cases,
to pull green

for rain and

until

they can

he who

drouth, heat

farms

and

for

frost,to

easilybe pulledor

rot his

burned

out

stumps
as

they

stand.
as
regard to a process I detest,known
Pasturing. I do firmly believe that the time is at
hand
when
nearly all the food of cattle will,in our
Eastern
and Middle
be cut and fed to them
States,
can't afford much
that we
longer,even if we can at
hill and dale,
at will over
roam
present,to let them
and
forest,bitingoff the better
through meadow
the worse
plantsand letting
ing
go to seed ; often poachin Spring,so that
wet
soil,especially
up the soft,
their hoofs destroyas much
as they eat ; nipping and
often killing
in their infancythe finest trees,such as
the Sugar Maple, and leavingonly such as Hemlock,
Red
Oak, Beech, "c., to attain maturity. Our race
generallyemerged from savageism and squalorinto
industry,comfort and thrift,
through the Pastoral
condition
the herding,taming,rearingand training

So

with

"

"

20

WHAT

of animals
which

being

barbarians

that

of

department

husbandry

easilyattracted

most

are

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

to

hence,

for it has
Pasturinglong after the reason
vanished.
The radical,
incurable vice of Pasturing"
that of devouring the better plants and leavingthe
be wholly
to ripenand diffuse seed
never
worse
can

cHng

we

to

"

obviated

I deem

will carry

farm

any
be

; and

mainly

cut

it safe to

twice
fed

and

requiredto pick it up

them

to

stock if their food

much

as

where

that almost

estimate

as

and

it will if
it grows

as

they are
or

grew.

generaladoptionof Soilinginstead
of Pasturingwill add immensely to the annual
duct,
proto the wealth, and
to the population,of our
And
older States.
yet, I know rightwell that many
farms are now
otherwise
to
so rough and
so unsuited
Soilingas to preclude its adoptionthereon for many
I

am

that the

siu'e

to

years
Let

an

over

what

indicate

me

through
All

come.

illustration drawn
the

settled

shelter.

no

The

protectionof
chance

may

to leave

them

prey

north-westers,their

Many
out

farmers

but
to

owners

far above

fields of Corn
that will not

young

enjoy;

to

be

that

lea of
a

and
one

from

Farming,

the Great

West

portionsof the Yalley of the

the Missouri,there are large

and
Upper Mississippi
and gmallherds of cattle
or

Good

by

mean

providedwith little
fence or stack,the partial
leafless wood, they
and
are

that it is

rainous

biting frosts
not

seem

want

will

stacks of

pound

to

and

piercing
comprehend.

this Winter

Hay

heavier

waste

to herds
on

feed
of cattle

the 1st of

AlHD

GOOD

BAD

21'

HUSBANDEY.

tlie 1st of last December

on
were
tliej
who
will have requiredthat fodder merely to preserve
It
and escape freezing
their vitality
to death.
has mainly been
employed as fuel rather than as
but
nourishment, and has served,not to put on flesh,
to keep out frost.
than

May

next

"

Now
but

do

they

the

familiar with

am

built for his

mio^ht have

The

me.
satisfy

not

for this waste

excuses

one

poorest pioneer
a

cow

shelter

rude

of

if he
poles,and straw or prairie-grass,
had realized its importance,simply in the lightof
cattle is rarely
without
He who has many
economy.
and timber, and might shelter his stock
both straw

stakes,and

]^ay, he could not

imderhave
neglectedor omitted it if he had clearly
somehow
be supplied with
stood that his beasts must
them
from
far cheaper warm
heat, and that he can
if he

abundantly

without

than

only

from

would.

within.

truths,on which
unquestionable
broad,general,
insist in behalf of Good
Farming are these ; and I
The

do not

admit

that

I. It is very
crops, if you
land
not

you

is too

yet

are

poor

they are subjectto exception:

rarely impracticableto grow good

coax

and,

work

the

by

it,sow

it to grow

let it alone ;
out

Wheat

to grow

able to enrich

cannot

work

willingto

if you

day

or

If your

for them.

or

Corn,

and

you

are

Hye or Buckwheat
; if
good crop of anything,

cannot

month

neighbors. The time and

trying to grow crops where

run

av/ay

for your
means

more

from

it,

nate
fortu-

squandered in

only half

or

quarter

22

WHAT

be

can

crops

made,

side of

the wrong
them

than

more

KNOW

FAJBMING.

OF

constitute

our

their

item

tlie heaviest

farmers'

on

balance-sheets ; taxing

National, estate,and

local governments

togetherdo.
to the
II. Good
crops rarelyfail to yield a profit
but they are
I know
there are exceptions,
grower.
Jveryfew. Keep your eye on the farmer who almost
mniformly has great G-rass,good Wheat, heavy
other
iCorn,"c., and, unless he drinks,or has some
ibad habit, you wiU find him growing rich. I am
ant
blackbirds
confident that white
are
nearly as abundhave
become
farmers who
as
poor while usually
growing good crops.
III. The fairest single
test of good farming is the
That
farm
of the soil.
increasingproductiveness
which
averaged twenty bushels of grain to the acre
bushels ten years ago,
twenty years ago, twenty-five
from
and will measure
up thirtybushels to the acre
I
this year'scrop, has been and is in good hands.
of Farming so unerringas
other touchstone
know
no
that

of the

increase

from

decrease

or

that

aggregate product. If you would

X. is a good farmer, do not tell me

crop

he has

of its

has

just grown,
increased
regularly

but
from

show
year

me

year

to

year

convince
of

some

me

great

that his crop

to year,

and

am

satisfied.
"

I shall have

more

to say

It suffices for the

what

Farming.

mean

on

these

present if

by

Good

and

pointsas I proceed.
have clearly
indicated
what
by Bad

III.

WHERE

"When
lived

father

mj

he

said

again

ward

sold

at

I to

remove

and

I shall

whatever

it

side

one

may

be

of

the

primitive

than

his

forty-fifthyear,
reconciled

more

wonld

advise
with

undertake,
the
and

where

dense
cut

forest

no

up,

they

rolled
grew.

into

to
trees

half

be

bnt,

it for

give

plunged

must

the

rather

have
he

burned
timber
(23)

did.
age

farm
be

come
be-

ever

of

years
a

were

West."

father

dig

log-heaps, and

Where

cannot

the

life than

easily 1

is

doubtless

forty

means,

by

twenty-fifth

would

over

great

here

toward

my

his

pioneer

one

forest, where

be

Had

he

to

scanty

sometimes

to-

the;'

that

me

crop

truth, and

in

be

counterbalanced

right

moved,
re-

never

would

are

not
a

I shall

taught

any

had

times

has

die

worth.

into

it

so,

and

and

it would

again,
is but

low,

live

do

and

vania,
Pennsyl-

several

West

where

that,

it sells

there

all.

This

section

every

disadvantages,
produced,

I to

were

County,

have

the

Experience

of

advantages

toward

but,

East.

the

me

old,

years

Erie

in
''

to

sixty

over

years

always

and
remove

was

twenty

some

FAiiM.

TO

out

to

of

down

cut
to
can

ashes
be

24

WHAT

sold for

KNOW

enonglito

the cost of

pay

rigLowell

different ; but I know

high woods is,to

slow,hard task. Making

five to ten
He

much.
on

who

rich

himself

with

health

the pioneer's
life is a rugged
Still,
and

women

who
^'

is worth

$2,000
"

improvement

and

has

(which,

within

in

surround
ten

years.

for
especially

one,

I should

; and

children

good timber
is fortunate,

spared,to

comfort

needed

every

he has

be

wealth,

prairie,
but not
difficult,

the other

prairieon

of

man

of naked

timber, is less

if his

hope,

may

out

one

locate where

can

side and

one

and

from

miles

tlie case is
cutting,
tliat digging a farm

any but

of the

out

FAKMING.

OF

advise

any

man

family,to buy out an

most
cases, badly needs
a

rather than
improving)on the outskirt of civilization,
plunge into the pathlessforest or push out upon the
unbroken
prairie.I rejoicethat our Public Lands
free

are

to

settlers ; I believe

actual

thereby enabled

to

otherwise

have

would

yet I much

for themselves

make

nothingto
home

prefer a

that many
homes

are

who

leave their children

within

the boundaries

of

There
is a
clearlybeyond them.
class of drinking,hunting,frolicking,
rarelyworking,
been created on
to have
frontiersmen,who seem
pose
purcivilization to

to erect

of
to

one

log cabins

different class of

buy

years.

them

out

I should

If

and
here

shall
Co-operation
the improvement of
otherwise.

break

and

who
settlers,
start

them

preferto
ever

wild

paths in

advance

regularlycome
along after a

in
few

follow rather than lead.

aj)pliedto
successfully
lands, I trust it may be

be

TO

WHERE

who

He
has

no

has

to

reason

already,and

farm

25

FARM.

ask,

"

is content

with

shall I go ?" and

Whither

it,
he

thoroughlygood farming will

nesota.
England as in Kansas or in Minpay as well in ^ew
who
has a good farm
I advise no man
where,
anyand is able to keep it,to sell and migrate. I
who make
know men
by growing food within
money
twenty miles of this cityquite as fast as they could
If you have money
in the West.
to buy and work
it,and know how to make the most of it,I believe
find land really
all thingsconsidered,
as cheajD,
you may
rest assured

may

that

in Vermont
And

yet I

believe in

thousands

are

in Wisconsin

as

in

the

or

migration

Eastern

"

and

Arkansas.

^believe that there

the

Middle

States

would

who

improve their circumstances and prospects

by migratingto the cheaperlands and broader opportunities
South.
of the West
and
For, in the first
ergetic
enby migration rendered more
and aspiring
strangers,they
among
; thrown
of exertion as they never
felt it before.
feel the necessity
and obliged to
Needing almost everything,
relywholly on themselves, they work in their new
did in their old ; and the consehomes
as
quences
they never

place,most

are

soon

visible all around

them.

long chase,"say the sailors ;

and he who buys a farm mainly on
credit,intending
to pay for it out of its proceeds,finds interest,
taxes,
sickness,bad seasons, hail,frost,drouth,tornadoes,
peding
"c., "c., deranginghis calculations and imfloods,
his progress, until he is often impelledto
"

are

men

stern

chase

is

26

WHAT

obstacle

every
these need

advice

no

FAKMING.

OF

KNOW

despair.'There

in

give "up

are

who

men

can

mount
sur-

and

defy discouragement
but there are
thousands
who,
largefamilies,can grow into
"

and
having httle means
more
a good farm
easilyand far more
surely than
they can pay for it ; and these may wiselyseek homes
where
populationis yet sparse and land is consequently
ter
cheap. Doubtless,some
migrate who might bethave

forborne

race

toward

sunset

East

will not

be

more

rapidlyin

than

ever

brought
and

is nevertheless

the

course

and

draws

true

our

The

one.

the West

will grow

twenty

years

Railroads

which

have

within

three

days,

Minnesota

within

of the next

past. The

Kansas

California

instinct which

depopulated; but

the

in

the

; yet

week

of us, have

rendered

this inevitable.
But

the South

did till now.

better

lands

call

It is absurd
not

I do not

unopened

loudlyfor
of it has

mines

and

; her
unused

enterprise,labor

and

soil is exhausted

needs

ever

schools, mills, roads, bridges,

the

solitary
immigrant

provide nor well do without

that he, if obligedto work

bread, would
to pay

the West

is

yet been plowed.

advise solitarymigration to the South, because

churches,"c., "c., which

assurance

than

to insist that her

one-third

she

neither

are

immigrationas she never

stillvery cheap ; she

the average,

attracts; her

water-power
when

Her

timbered,in

climate

skill.

also invites

find those

liim ; but

let

ready

hundred

to

and
out

employ

I have

can
no

for present
and

willing

^N^orthern farmers

and

WHERE

meclianics worth

$1,000

2T

FAR]Nr.

TO

$3,000

to

each

combine

to

(throughchosen agents)and buy ten or twenty

in some
Southern
thousand acres
State,embracinghill
als,
and vale,timber and tillage,
water-power and minerand divide it equitablyamong
themselves, after
sites
laying it out with roads,a park, a village-plat,
confident that
for churches, schools,"c., and I am
cheaplyand
they can thus make pleasanthomes more
speedilythere than almost anywhere else.
Good
farming land, improved or unimproved, is
this day cheaper in the United
States,all thingsconsidered,
than in any other country
cheaper than it
So many
intent on short cuts
can
are
long remain.
to riches that the soil is generally
and may
neglected,
be bought amazingly cheap in parts of Connecticut
select

"

well

as

as

in Iowa

I rode
Illinois,

or

for

Wlien

]^ebraska.
hours

some

beside

I
a

was

last in

gray-coated
"

I
sixtyyears, who told me this :
here thirtyyears ago, and took up, at $1|- per
came
of land,mainly in timber.
I am
acre, a good tract
now
ing
sellingoff the timber at $100 per acre, reservThat seems
the land."
to me
a good operation
in the stock-market,but
not
so
quick as a corner
farmer

of

some

"

"

far safer.

debt,I
*'

Look

and

your

Do

earnestlyto

say most
out

die;

choose

And, while I would

the

placewhere

take

it with

time

and,
expectations,
not

imagine

suit

to

reference

you

to your

if you

that land

is

advise

no

all who
would

to incur

man

have

means,

preferto

live

yourself thoroughly;
means,
can

pay

cheap in

calling,
it.
it,lyv/y

your
for
the

West

or

28

WHAT

the

Soutli

State
how

to

only ;
those

by

it is to

who

colonies

in
settling

by

and

cheap
and

own

in

^aery

who

know

to

are

advantagesof
proved
widely and rapidlyimobvious

the

that

be

people,nearly as

our

follows

of families unite to form

$500 each

to

found

be

able to

are

earnestlytrust

$100

FARMING.

OF

it.''

use

heads

KNOW

three of the most

and
thous-

colony,contribute

capableand trustworthyof their

purchase it ; and

to find and

One

defray the cost of seekingout

location,and send out two or

to

suitable

securinga

now

ber
num-

let their lands be

or
citylots
surveyed and divided into village
the center, largerallotments (formechanics'

at

near

or

and

chants'
mer-

homes) surroimdingthat center, and far larger

(forfarms)outside of these ; and let each member, on
after his arrival,select a village-lot,
or
soon
out-lot,
farm, or

of

one

each

if he

chooses

and

can

pay

for

ample reservations of the best sites for

a town
hall,publicpark, etc.,
churches,school-houses,
Let

them.

be

made
of

in
a

laying out

lot

or

farm

and let each purvillage,

chaser
requiredto plantshade-trees

the

be

along the highways which skirt or traverse it. If

effort be deemed
irrigation
by common
necessary, let
provisionbe made for that. Run up a large,roomy
for a family hotel or boarding-house
structure
; and
now

invite each stockholder

to

on, select his

come

land,

sort of a dwelling,
leaving
it,and get up some
this shall have been rendered
his familyto follow when
habitable ; but, if they insist on coming on with him

pay

and

for

takingtheir chances,so

be

it.

IV.

PEEPAEma

1
and
as

not

some

chapter,

henceforth

To

to

are

be

efficient

from

great

undertaking

they

of

to

in

while

speedy

failure

best

that

have

daily

and

duties, purpose

the

has

Our

!"

They

men.

personally
from

fresh
or

want

the

well-meaning

youth

rude,

less

usual

subsequent

known

farm

or

and

recall

succeeded

simple

debts

matter,
has

(^9)

quiring
re-

buried

which
will

years

The

result.

experience,
under

now

has

to

school

hiring

attempt

been
is

haste

'No

I cannot

it ; and

farming

many

to be

buying

and

of

'"

men,

little intellect

efforts

and

having

not

the

this

qualified themselves

which

instance

assumption

who,

say,

have

young

work

single

many

hurry

city vocation,

some

In

gained.

with

cares

journeymen.

instances

several

be

be

to

are

years

men,

earnestly

before

bosses

be

is to

farming

to

by farming.

I would

in too

future

contact

farmer's

persons,

young

looking

young

personal

live

to

these

boys

of

counsel

for
"

are

living

their

in

round

yearly

who

vrliicli their

to

I would

reared

beginners

young,

which

given, by

been

so

vocation

the

for

mainly

WEiTE

FA^M.

TO

the

barely

30

WHAT

him

enable

to

KNOW

say, if

longer before buying

waited

have

better

might

ers
opinion,half our farmquestioned,that they

off. In my

pay

livingwould

now

FAKMING.

OF

or

farm.

hiring a

When

ten

was

job of
rotten
partially

father

old,my

years

took

clearingoff the mainly fallen and

from
Black Ash
White
Pine
and
timber
^largely
land ; and he
then
of level and
acres
fifty
swampy
of the two ensuing years
and his two boys gave most
it was
finished,
(1821-2)to the rugged task. When
could have^ken
1
justsuch
a boy of twelve
years
of half-burned
tract
a
primitive for^* as that was
took hold of it,and cleared it by an expenwhen
we
diture
of seventy to eightyper cent, of the labor we
ing
actuallybestowed upon that. I had learned,in clear"

"

"

"

kind

of the

have

must

been

bushels

of

To

every
or

his

very

grainmuch

he could

than

at

good

man

young
very

best

like the value

learns

one

every

at the

cannot

by

perience
ex-

reflects. He

and

farmer

taking
under-

grow

start,or
a

thousand

cheaperat thirtyyears

of age

twenty.
who

little,
yet

vocation,I

to the very

so

afterward,who

one

poor

very

; and

steadilyobserves

who

future

labor in any

to economize

this,how

has
who

say. Hire

farmer

of your

had

no

perience,
farming ex-

to make

means

ing
farm-

out, for the

who

will

labor.

Buy

coming year,
give you anything
a

very

few

choice

which
treat
books, (ifyou have them not already,)
of Geology,Chemistry, Botany, and the application
o^ their truths in Practical Agriculture
; giveto these

PKEPARING

the close and

hours ;

of your

attention
thoiiglitful

keep

note-book

31

FARM.

TO

your

wide

eyes

pocket-diaryeach

or

done

and

open,

leisure

set down

night

the farm

few

in

minute

of

that

day, making
of each storm, shower, frost,hail,etc.,and
note
a
each planted crop requires
also of the date at which
is ripe enough to harvest,and ascertaining,
or
tillage

whatever

far

so

farm

has been

as

what
possible,

has cost,and

profitand
again to the
a

the

same

on

at
or

; and

course

At

loss.

another
so

produced

crop

of them

which

which
same

each

all
the

good

the

produced at
year'send, hire

are

farmer

do till you

on

and

pursue

shall be twenty-

is young
twenty-fiveyears of age, which
enough to marry, and quite young enough to uudertake the management
of a farm.
By this time, if
carefullysaved and wisely invested your
you have
dollars ; and,
earnings,you will have several hundred
if you do not choose to migrate to some
region where
land is very
one
cheap,you will have found some
willing to sell you a small farm on credit,takinga
long mortgage as security. Your money
assuming
earned
will
that you have only what you will have
all be wanted
to fix up your building,
buy a team and
the few
implements needed, and supply
cow, with
If you
till you can
some.
grow
you with provisions
start thus experiencedand full-handed,
can
you may,
with good fortune,begin to
combined
by diligence,
four

or

"

"

make
your

payments
second

on

your

mortgage

at

the

close of

year.

I hate debt

as

profoundlyas

any

one

can, but

I do

32

WHAT

not

consider

more

land

FAKMING.

OF

KNOW

One

this

reallyrunning into debt.

he needs, and does not need

than

for it forthwith

; another

land, but

wants

has

his pay
lacks

the

of present

They two enter into an

payment.
agreement mutually advantageous,whereby the poorer
has the present use
and ultimate
fee-simpleof the

means

farm

question,in consideration of the payment of

the
as
sums
duly stipulated. Technically,

in

certain

buyer becomes
him

debtor

I do
practically,
fall due

such, until payments

as

promptly to
all other debt,and

Let

meet.

he

need

him

which

regard

he is

able
un-

rigorouslyavoid

shrink

not

not

from

be

nor

of this.

ashamed
I have

for scientific attainments

high regard

; I

thoroughlyinstructed in
underlie the art of farming. But
the sciences which
all the learning on
earth,though it may powerfully
help to make a good farmer, would not of itself make
wish

When

one.

and

him, he
him
"

order
"

four

would

If he has

tenth
courses

Science

and

all that seminaries

cabinets, can

practiceand

n't you

of his

money,

means

have

become

Yes.

five thousand

of

learned

experienceto

teach
make

farmer.

that he may

or

has

man

young

still needs

''But

were

books
lectures,

good

man

young

every

study in

good farmer?"
I believe a youth

dollars
in

man

young

may

worth

wisely spend

attending lectures,and even

good seminary where J^atural

study,at any
is taught and applied to Agriculture. But

life is short at best ; and

he

who

has

no

means,

or

PREPAKING

83

FAKM.

TO

cannot
little,

reallyafford to attend even

an
Agricultural
College. He can acquireso mucli of
Science as is indispensable
in tlie'clieajDer
way I have
indicated,
fle cannot
wiselyconsent to spend tlie
best years of his lifein gettingready to live.
He who
has alreadymastered
the art of farming,
and has adequatemeans,
of course
buy a farm
may
to-morrow, though he be barelyor not quiteof age.
very

He
such

has

little to

have

often

learn

from

Yet

me.

I think

even

concluded,in

after years, that they

land
that they might

hasty in buying
have waited,and deliberated,
and garnered
profitably
the treasures
of experience,
before theytook the grave
step of buying their future home; with regard to
which
I shall make
in my
next
some
suggestions
chapter.
man's
But I protest against
a
decliningor
young
postponingthe purchaseof a farm merely because he
is not able to buy a great one.
ble
Twenty acres of arasoil near
a
cityor manufacturingvillage,
forty
in a rm-al district of any old State,or eighty
aci'es
in a regionjust beginning to be peopled by
acres
.White men, is an ample area for any one who is worth
his business,
less than $2,000. If he understands
he
will find profitable
employment hereon for every
farming,
working hour : if he does not understand
he will buy his experiencedear enough on
this,yet
Until
more
cheaplythan he would on a wider area.
were

too

"

"

he shall have
of

more

bu}^ng more

2*

money
land

than

than

he

he

needs, let

him

ware
be-

wants.
absolutely

Y.

BUYING

"No

need

one

than

cheaper
less

at

truth

that

SOME

its

strip or

belt

abundance

at

that

of

and

grows

the

of

countries,

and

them

of

forests

but, defying the

with

trees

that
and
(34)

the

they

will

not

an

sterile, stony

thriftily. Even
maintain

(abundantly

regions

can

of

sterile

human

wholly

never

crags

wood

covering

spade, they
be

tility
great fer-

that

in

left to

be

their

and

foliage.

have

advantage

their

plow

have

hilly, rocky

over

mainly
of

should

use

broken,

greed

strip them

may

denuded

must

It

obvious

should

prejudice, I

that

"

this, like

less

farm

facihty,

mole-eyed

steep acclivities

so

uniform

bonght

advantageous

trees

all

doubt)

no

nearly

most

and

the

; and

trees

decided

counterbalanced,

stupidity

of

is

emphasis.

larger

Western

arousing

have

and

; the

if not

]N^ew-England,

make
smallest

variety

Yet

of

light

be

may

undue

land

good

made.

may

forest

many

risk

Avarice

the

The

land.

jpoor

former

given
in

that

day

be

can

be

may

the

Every farmer

of

land

it

considered

be

tliis

at

that

"

than

cost

should

told

poor

truths,

most

be

FABM.

vest
diand

forever.
of

to-day;

cannot

speedily

be

reclothed

BUYING

not

am
"

Acres
made
do

believer

suffice for

on

even

tliat

farm.

fewer

than

few, and

35

FAKM.

"

Five

I know

^ve

"

Acres
where

is

money

; but

acres

Ten

"

or

they who

of

exceptionalcapacityand
are
diligence. Their achievements
necessarilyconhned
of cities or manufacturingvillages.
to the vicinage
The great majorityof all who
live by Agriculture
it

are

want

and

to turn

room

stock

keep

"

potato-patchwill
Yet, go where
hear
much
be

upon

for

and,

land," even

such,no
in

may

you

reciprocated.We

to grow

garden or
genuine farms.

want

this

country, you

will

He

too

neighbor,

the

criticism

has

might justly

all be mistaken

cannot

grass

mere

"

his

where

want

"

They

answer.

sayingof

farmer

men

on

this

head.
There
of

are

men

who

each

can

of

there

just as
tillage,
wield an army of
skillfully
l^apoleon said there were
Europe of his day. There
acres

handle

hundred

acres

so

those who

are

hundred

others

are

that

thousand

of this

two

thousands

manage

can
men*,

class

in th^

who

cannot

nothingis lost through

be adapted to
must

neglector oversight.Rules
He who excapacitiesand circumstances.
pects
average
to Kve by cattle-rearing
needs many
more
acres
than
he who
is intent on
grain-growing; while he
who
contemplatesvegetable,root, and fruit culture,
needs

fewer

each
eiforts,
If I

ing, to

were

acres
one

still. As
will be

asked,by

indicate

the

to

law

unto

young

proper

the

area

man

direction

of his

himself
intent

for

him,

on

farm

would

36

WHAT

KNOW

FARMING.

OF

Buy just so large a farm as half your means

will ^ay
for. In other words, If you are worth
$20,000, invest half of it in land, the residue in
say,

"

stock,tools,etc.

; and

whether
If

$1,000.
would

In other

in land

words,

on

I would

capitalto
who

has

stock

till I found

and

the

be

to

to

land

hands

to

the

thousand
and

has

acres

land

more

has

talents wherewith

have
as

able to

doubt

said that

that I urge

who

cannot

than

theyhave
advantage. He

much

too

much

if he lets

whether

has

the best of it all.

consider

the soil of JSTew

years, than

dairymen

for farms

land
Eng-

who
or

is
kansas
Ar-

only upon
I

in the old States.

of any

other

section

have,

done

the
of

the West

means

to make

the farmers

in the average,

part

of team

if he has the

migrationto

pay

costs

popular

cheap,all things considered,for him

buy and work it,as that of Minnesota

"

those

too

none

or

having unduly enlarged

as

unproductivefor lack
he who
efficiently
; while

till it

more.

that

of his land lie idle and

or

only
all,I

$500

earn

gist of

till to the hest

acres
fifty

but

$1,000,000 or

either wait

have

They

rule of proportion,

same

just nothing at
half of that,and no

farmers

our

their borders

worth

the

practically
nothing.
This, then, I take
criticism

the

worth

are

push Westward

or

over,

be

you

you

invest

observe

better,throughoutthe last ten

batter-makers
of Vermont, the cheese-

this State.

And

ridgy,ror'-ky,
patchy character
farms,an insuperablebarrier

yet there
of most
to the

of
most

our

is,in

the

Eastern

economic,

BUYING

If

further
ridges were
in
not
apart if each rocky or gravellyknoll were
it would
close proximity to a stripof bog or morass
the genius of our
be different. But
mistakably
age points unother meto cultivation by steam
or
some
chanical
applicationof power ; and this requires
with few or no obstacles to the equaspaciousfields,
ble
progress of the plow. I apprehend that,for this
of the
eastward
the growth of bread-corn
reason,
Hudson
be considerably
never
more
extended,
can
the boundless,fertile prairies
can
so
so long as
easily
their exhaustless
us.
Fruits,
supplies upon
pour
Koots
and
continue
must
to
Grass, we
Vegetables,
abundance
probably in ever-increasing
; but
grow,
of the East w411 buy our
bread-corn
we
largelyif not
mainly from the West.
He, therefore,who buys land in the Eastern States
should regard primarilyits capacityto produce those
the East can
be supplanted
never
crops in which
If a farm
will
Grass,Fruits,Yegetables,Timber.
also produce good Corn or Wheat, that is a recommendation
; but let him placea higher value on those
which
will be more
capacities
generallyrequiredand
effective

cultivation.

37

FARM.

the

"

"

"

drawn
In

upon.
the

West,

Wheat-culture

the

case

still recedes

is different ;
before

the

for, though

footstepsof

advancingpopulation,and Minnesota may soon cease

for others',
diana,
to grow
as Western
]^ew-York, Ohio, Inand Northern
have
Illinois,
alreadydone, yet
Indian Corn, being the basis of both Beef and Pork,

38

WHAT

will
in

hold

long
that

of

its
the

KNOW

in

own

the

Upper
Clover

Cheese,

closely

Good

neighbors,

mechanics
will

at

whereon

forget

not

happiness
prospect

that

land

prices,

so

but

fear

sickness

he

escape
of

home.

let

him

he
he
that

can

will

whatever

be
fail

to

always

almost

buy

the

exorbitant

at

to

selves
our-

all

be

himself
able

but

for

that

may

embarrass

hardly
worst

held

let

beautiful

only

fancy

farm

wealth
a

not

are

all, and

only
and

and

up

not

may

farmers

for

not

not

reach,

buys

location

of

not

good

few

once

money

worth

schools,
within

enjoyment

that

need

that
and

to-morrow,

believe

that

is

gobbled

money's

through

thus

be

soon

command

of

friends

our

will

health

elements

are

and

whoever

buy

to

eligible

an

"

but

resolve

good

sought
Let

recedes

it

Butter

church

good

them.

that

As

and

footsteps.

roads,

and

Ohio

the

Timothy,
its

on

valued

live

to

him

and

disregard

to

and

good

hand,
be

always

likely

and

press

of

Yalley

Mississippi.

slowly Westward,
will

FARMING.

OF

find

ed,
need-

to-day
sellers

judiciously

species of home-sickness

"

"

YI.

LATmG

"Whoever
and

finds
of

occupant

beyond
well

thoughtful

amid

prairie
this

be

to

the

acquaintance

will

section

means

"

by

house

no

and

I will
made

covered

of

skirting bog

an

and

"

hill

and
other

vale
low

or

to

ridge,
poses
sup-

"

better

level

by
"

Northern

(39)

siderable
con-

swales,"
But

both.

or

glade, rocky
with

as

water-courses,

elevated

brush,

land,

]^ew-

of

sometimes

"

especially

more

year

prairie quarter-

by

or

or

ture
fu-

European

meadow,

"

barrens

negroes.

unbroken

timber,

average

acclivities

with

or

the

his

Allegheny

as

all

gentle

contemplate
up

show

and

soil

scenery

the

diversified

ravines

thinly

of

with

self
him-

it in

least

at

alike, just
case

of

most

rugged

the

study

way,

study.

but

-floor,"

sloughs,"

and

much

capacities, make

devote

slope

look

farms

ordinary

the

observation

owner

doing

peculiaritiesof

make

either

on

or

before

the

its

would

installed

newly

its

with
to

reared

one

England,

in

crop

intent

operations.

all

tlie

farm, slionld,

acquainted

surface, with

PASTUEING.

"

character, determine

well

To

FAEM

himself

growing

its

this

OFF

farm,

ridge

wood-lot

and
on

40

WHAT

the

rear

far

not

or

FAKMING.

OF

KNOW

clumps or belts of
ing
and ravine,or lurk-

distant,and

lining brook
irregularly
in the angles and sinuosities of walls and wooden
fences,and a ragged,mossy orchard sheltered in some
hill-side.
gravelly
quiet nook, or sprawlingover some
the
A
brook,nearly dry in August, gurgles down
hill-side or winds
through the swamp ; while fields,
terpose
moderately sloping here and nearlylevel there, inbeen devoted,
as they can
be, have severally
and
for a generationor more,
to Grain
alternately
Grass" the latter largelypreponderating."We will
timber

suppose

this farm

to

measure

from

50

to 150

acres.

bought or inherited
this farm
be wholly and
consciouslyunable to
may
enter
expensive system of improvement
npon
any
for the next ten years
may fullyrealize that four or
five days of each week
meantime
mnst
be given to
the growing or
earning of present bread
yet he
should
the less study well the capacities
and
none
a
adaptationsof each acre, and mature
sive
comprehenplan for the ultimate bringingof each field into
Now,

the young

who

man

has

"

"

the best and

most

before

useful condition

he cuts

whereof

it is

ceptible,
sus-

livingtree or digs a solitary

He
is morally certain of doing something
drain.
done,
things that he will sadlywish unperhaps many
if he fails to study peculiarities
and
mature
a
plan before he begins to improve or to fit his several
fields for profitable
cultivation.
a

"

"

And

the first selection to be made

since

am

compelled

to

use

is that of
an

ture,
pas-

old,familiar

LAYING

for what

name

This
as

be, and

that
no

should

pasture should

may

very

smaller

of

lane,this
shall

never

the

barns

the

to

have

be

and

and

rolHng,with

be, the

better I shall like

fence it very

connect
stoutly,

lane if

not

The

living water.

purest

they are

yard
barn-

shade,but

some

dry

thing.

of the farm

the center

near

pasture-lot
may

barn-yardby
and

as

a
new
essentially

trees;should

young

it,provided you
the

be

4:1

PASTURING.

It should

to be.

are

this

be

FARM

convenient

abundance

an

OFF

it with

in close proximity,

firmlyresolve that,outside of this lot,this

cattle
yard and the adjacent stable,
your
be

seen, unless

the

on

road

to

market.

the day may

wherein
come
Yery possibly,
you will
decide to dispense with pasturing altogether;but
that is,for the present,improbable. One j^astureyou
will have ; if you live in the broad West, and purpose
it will doubtless be a largeone
to graze extensively,
;
stock to ramble
in Spring and
but permittingyour
Fall all over
fields (and perhaps your
own
your
neighbors'
also) in quest of their needful food,biting
off the tops of the finer young trees,trampling down
that are
or
older,rubbing the
breaking off some
and doing damage
bark off of your growing fruit-trees,
that years
will be requiredto repair,I most
vehemently protestagainst.
"

"

The

great

error

that

misleads

and

corrupts

presumption that something may he

for nothing. The average farmer imagines that

mankind

had

one

whatever

is the

of flesh

or

of milk

the food his cattle obtain

may

accrue

by browsing over

to him

from

his fields

42

WHAT

KNOW

OF

FARMING.

clear gain that

through his woods, is so much
they do the needful work, while he pockets the net
framed
on
a
proceeds. But the universe was
plan
which
requiresso much for so much ; and this law
or

"

will not

defiance

Under

the

which
conditions
environ
exceptional
unnatural,
lone squatter on
vast
a
prairie,
something may

the

made

submit

to

by turning cattle

for themselves

loose

or

evasion.

and

; but this is at best

be

lettingthem shift
and
at
transitory,

Whoever
exigenciesof civihzation.
lives within
ing
sightof a school-house,or within hearof a church-bell,
is under
the dominion
of a law
with

war

the

alike inexorable and beneficent

each

to

has

pay

for

all he

"

gets,and

the law that

reap

requires

only where

he

sown.

You

hardlyhave a pasture so small that

afford hospitality
and
weeds
not
to
a
prove
The
of multiform
infestations.
plants that
and be diffused will be kept down
mature
can

earth ; those which

should

will flourish
diffuse it far and

be warred

upon

and

it will
source

should
to

the

cated
eradi-

untouched, ripen their seed,and

wide.

White
Thistles,

Daisy,and

and diminishes crops,

plant that impedes tillage
and diffused by means
of pastures.
nourished
a
hold,therefore,that the good farmer will run

every
are

his pasture twice each Summer

mowing-machine over
then late in July or,
say earlyin June, and
jifhis lot be too rough for this,"wdll have it clipped
iat least once
with a scythe. Cutting all manner
of
Worthless if not noxious plants in the blossom,will
"

"

LAYING

OFF

FAEM

benefit the

soil whicli

will render

the eradication

nuisance

to

who

one

no

their

far easier task ; and

has

I think

cattle may

in

resort

or

man"

merciful

to his

of

that

keeping down
it.

(thoughmine, as

or

other

inclemency.

sufiferfrom

as

; but

the

am

one
sure

cold,
that

who

(asthe Scripturesays) is
beast,"finds his humanity a good paying
I

investment.
in Texas

being

other shelter whereto

much

the merciful

age
till-

your

confident

am

have

of storm

case

tax; it

from

abandon

ever

they shrink as well

pelting rain,few fullyrealize
"

the habit

pasture should

each

would

it will prevent your

formed

yet, has not) a rude shed

How

of weeds

in his pasture will

the weeds

seeding

neighbors.

your

43

PASTURING.

doubt
I

"

that

the

rule

would

fail,

bandry,
contemplatingcivilized husthe rude conditions of tropical
semi-barbarism.
not
of stakes and straw, give
If only by means
when
cattle a chance
to keep dry and
warm
they
otherwise
shiver through a rainy,windy day
must
and
sure
night on the cold,wet ground, and I am
they will pay for it.
In confining
of cattle to such narrow
a herd
Kmits,
I do not intend
that they shall be stinted to what
even

Winter

on

am

contrary,I expect them

Rye, on Cut Grass,on Sowed

On

there.

grows
fed

; but

the

to

Corn,

Sorghum, Stalks,Roots, etc.,etc.,as each shall

With
it is a Hght hour's
a good mower,
season.
before breakfast
head

day.

as

much
But

to cut

grass

let that

or

and
corn

cart
as

pointstand

to

dozen

theywill
over

eat

for the

or

be

be in
work

twenty

during the
present.

YII.

TREES

not

AM

the

trees
no

for

three

exist

for

and

''

mawkish
and

bit

of
the

planting

jpay^

and

lent

trees,
force

of

I have

should

it

mainly

to

by woods,

of

insensible
and

groves,

landscape

Emerson's
(44)

forest

than

is

they

averment,

son
rea-

hickory's

considered
the

most

language,

our

the

sibilities
sen-

then, that
I believe

urge

it

and

will

sion,
exten-

reason.

the

and

the

touch

because

the

in

preservation, improvement,

not

have

always

prose

that

to

of

that

and

tree," just about

forests, for precisely

am

"

gaged
en-

realize

Utility

Understand,

one.

myself

in

growth

how

guess

trees

timber

versified

badly

any

the

of
Yet

of

could

never

vegetable

paternal

ornament,

meadow.

from

my

164:0),and

for

cutting

that

spare

(for

land-clearing,
than

"

Descended

trees.

in

cornstalk's.

Woodman,

in

all

of

than

less

no

to

grass

end

in

rather
as

less mawkish

timber-cutters

years

scruple

much
"

of

America

use

cutting

to

of

to

came

more

as

destruction

generations

ancestors

FOEESTS.

all sentimental

at

regarding
several

^WOODLAIJD

and

beauty
clumps

diversify.
that

or

rows

feel

"Beauty

grace
of
the
is

its

WOODLAND

TREES

own

for

excuse

embowered

being,"and

in, belted
and

maples,
meadow.

I consider

balance

Eastern

Our

swales

and
prairies

winds

less

are

than
whether

it

there

surface whereon

so

it will

of

of the

equal
kinds

many

the

as

rich,

Yalley may

tornadoes

Great

in all

never,

forests

of the Great

is another

field and

rocky, hilly,

our

our
piercing,

those

homestead

positiveadvantage (to

one

denuded

so

naked

were

country, that

be
probability,
facile

that

of
disadvantages)

many

rugged

if it

than

more,

know

graceful elms,
by, stately,
is really worth more, and

evergreens,

will sell for

45

FORESTS.

less destructi

West.

I doubt

of the

area

of valuable

be.

earth's

trees

grow

and

rapidly,defying eradication,as
throughout I^ew-England and on either slopeof the
of timber and foliage
Alleghenies
; and this profusion
spontaneously

well

may

for,or maybe

atone

deficiencies and

many

has been

accustomed

wherever

plow,
half

or

they
scythe, and

mile

of

fairlyweighed against,
The Yankee, who
drawbacks.

to
were

to

Summer

spring up ously
spontanekept down
by ax, or

trees

see

not

running

cross

day's journey,may

made

homesick, by two thousand

dusty,wind-swept Plains,whereon
for

to
fifty

to cut
course
ever

of

hundred

miles,and

ax-helve, much

an
a

and

the

blessedness

water

boyhood'shome.

miles

knows

No

it

no

be

naked,
water

impossible

in the
axle-tree,
Eastern

of abundant

until he had

every
well

of

he finds

an

more

wearying journey.

realized
wood

his

water

wandered

farmer

and

lent
excel-

far from

40

WHAT

'No

one

fullyto explainthe intermains.

these two blessings
; but the fact rethat
the Plains,"there is evidence
flourished where
found,
are
now
none
"

All

and

over

and

grew
that

springsand

abidingwhere
of ITevada, who
the

streams

days in the bed of

river,but in which

of

I have

from

been

once

that

heard

are

constant

water

no

that,since

considerable

over

Summer

considerable

no

had
the
tions
sec-

longer rare,

though
the

of waters, that

ate
moder-

rium
equilib-

evaporation in the Great

or
rather, that the
fullyrestored

been

rain-fall is

in

evinces,by

rain-fall

has

Basin

for

I have

of her volume

increase

that his party traveled

evident

was

And

rains

Utah,

Salt Lake

and

it

citizen
to

planted trees

have

of

prominent

Austin

had

what

for years.

Mormons

exploredsouthward
me

frequent and

then

were

exist.

now

none

Colorado,assured

flowed

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

be able

yet

may

depeudence of
trees

with

"

taking the

now

lead.

firm faith that all the great deserts of the

Torrid

and

Temperate

Zones

will yet be

reclaimed

gress
ConThe bill which
and tree-planting.
by irrigation
did not pass, nor
reallyconsider,whereby it
was
proposed,some
years since,to give a section of
the woodless
one

every
and

ought

to

have

in

remote

from

settlement

to

separate township,would

plant
forest-trees,

of choice
quarter-section
been
passed with modifications,
perhaps,
"

the central idea. Had

and
ten thouspreserving
in so many
difterent townships
quarter-sections,
thus
ten
the Plains, been
to
planted to timber
but

of

who,

cherish

Lands

Public

TREES

ago, and

twenty years

the

till now,

A
some

of

who

has

have

the

tation
devas-

for settlement

been

hundred

that

he

He

lose in

Summer

will be

to

not

dried

year to year, if

consider

coal he needs" for

how

fuel,

his soil will

much

his

how" the

nor

breeze

springs and

nels
run-

of harsh

sweep

farm
far

of

utterly. In

so

hundred

one

twenty

and

acres

will

yield

of its ridge-crests,
ravine-

acres

thicklycovered

if it be swept clean of trees

Hence,

ate
deliber-

my

of product from
greateruniformity

sides,and rocky places,are

off his wood

grow

gain of the time he has

Winter
to cuttingand hauling

up,

and

sun

feed,with

grass.

may

and
intensified,
by baring his hill-tops

judgment, a

than

that he

net

moisture,how

will be

ravines

grass

for all the

each

does

One

State.

own

our

whereof
good soil,
twenty
oiF his timber entirely,
culating
cal-

additional

the

devoted

of

by

of

cuts

will make

wood.

winds

acres

thirtyare wooded,

hitherto

to

Plains

of those

value

in its stead will pay

more

fire and

protectedfrom

dairy farmers

that

so

47

FORESTS.

nearly or quitedoubled.
to me, is being made
capitalmistake,it seems
would

or

WOODLAND

"

and

I insist that the farmer

resolves

to

depend

on

with

ber,
tim-

all devoted
who

sweeps

coal for

fuel,

hoping to increase permanently the product of his

dairy,makes a sad miscalculation.
fering
sufSpain,Italy,and portionsof France,are now
from the improvidence that devoured
ests,
their forleavingthe future to take care of itself. I presume
the great empires of antiquitysuffered from the
The
same
folly,though to a much greater extent.

4:8

WHAT

remains

of

tilled

the

especially

the

and

similar

by

fathers'

and

forests

century

covered

ago,

abundantly
day

she

at

sold

is

for

to

that

close

of

preserve

forest

will

every

tree,

of

the

for

obtained

tvjo

hetter

cut

down.

trees

be

for

done,

in

chapter.

one

this

will

they
in

may,

try

their

to

lands
the

that
and

^but,

rear

may
at

least

impelled
be

average,

indicate

primitive
land

he

may

the

faiToera

"

order

plant

to

fore
be-

indifierent,

or

wherein

away

every

on

she

rates

our

bad,

ada
Can-

price

higher

of

my

from
the

Pine

within

entreat

good,

districts
cut

growing

cultivation,

How

judiciously

be

limited

still

must

to

still

soil

White

times

paying

century.

the

wants

own

the

barely

Canada

five

than

be

of

of

portion
sold

her

this

happen

may

outside

be

she

through

less

not

and

the
not

of

paralleled

is

which,

Vermont

supplying

now

cost

large

so

England

to

which

Pine

and
bear

probably

extermination

White

of

peopled

continent,

Arizona,

own

onr

States.

]^orthern

this

recklessness,

magnificent

our

of

formerly

of

valleys

Territory

to

wlio

races

central

witness
our

extinct

now

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

in

the

to

most

ceeding
suc-

YIII.

TIMBER

GROWING

In
that

should

fruit)is

should

as

in

good

slopes

of the

of

continent,

our

to

in

timber

be

there

is

of the
but

"

side

scarcely

been

Too

much
a

and

forests

that

broad,

our

great

visable
it is adof

fertile
rivers

I doubt

it.

tervales
infor

And

outside

country,

which

which

third

proportion

whole
in

both

western

the

but

of

openings

have

tree-planting

some

required.

for
3

of

the

in

be

JSTew-England,

be

may

and

course

made,

often

thinking

am

the

smaller

in

ceeding
ex-

proportion

may

as

as

It

most

farm

land,"

reason

well

States

their
a

as

with

great primitive

urgently

as

of

farms

iN'ew-Jersey,with

in.

embosom

part

recently

is not

northern

Prairie

which
least

sterile, such

content

the

than

superficially rugged

part

abound

that

and

farm

(other

trees

area,

one-half.

Alleghenies,

small

Y/hile, of

one-third,

to

l^ew-York,

eastern

at

than

sand}''and

or

to

in

acres

increased

are

rocky,

less

not

devoted

one-fourth

hundred

be

profitably

than

less

not

of

proportion

constantly

be

one

such

the

judgment,

my

TREE-PLANTING.

"

you

poor

will

hear

farming

assigned
and

meager
(49)

on

every
crops.

60

WHAT

Ask

an

in

Kentuclcy, or

in

section

in the average

are

in

three times
land"

much

Kew-England, in Yirginia,
Alabama, why the crops of his
in

farmer

average

better,and the

no

four,will be, "Our

that

"

FARMLN-Q.

OF

KtrOW

is,not

have

farmers

too

but
absolutely,

much

too

answer,

to their capital,
stock,and genrelatively
eral
abilityto till effectively.The habitual grower
poor crops will profferthis explanationquite as

much

too

of

freelyand

frequentlyas

what

And

asserts

one

every

his

more

thriftyneighbor.

must

have

basis

of

truth.

[N^ow,I do
which

not

much

prompts my
land.
They

cheap

almost

in

of

view
in

quarrelwith
countrymen to buy

mean

feel,as

anywhere
the

to

income

do, that

in this country
derived

now

contemplationof

the

"

instinct

the

hold

and
land

too

is still

cheap,if not
from
tainly
it, cer-

price it

must

soon

might, nnder better

tion
this convicmanagement, be made to yield. Under
tent
is inimpression every one
or, if you please,
land than he can
on
ably
profitholding on to more
if not more
than he can
promptly pay for.
till,
"What I do objectto is simplythis" that thousands,
land than they have
have more
who
capitalto work
stead
will persistin half-tilling
acres, inprofitably,
many
third so
of thoroughlyfarming one-half or one
fast as may
and gettingthe rest into wood
so
many,
and

command

am

it

confident that two-thirds

of all

our

ers
farm-

improve their circumstances and increase

their
incomes
by concentratingtheir efforts,

would
their

income

"

"

be.

the

their

means,
the

residue back

half to

fertilizers,
upon

they

area

two-thirds

of

giving the

skin,and

and

skim

now

51

-PLANTING.

TREE

TIMBER

GROWING

timber-growing.
In my
own
rocky,often boggy, "Westchester
hilly,
tural
probably within six of being the oldest Agricul-

"

to

County

in the Union

"

that

confident

am

ten

be given back to
might to-morrow
and advantage to all
forest with profit
to the owners
It is a fruit-growing,
its inhabitants.
milk-producing,
truck-farmingcounty, closelyadjoiningthe greatest
cityof the E'ew "World ; hence, one wherein land can
be cultivated as profitably
as almost
anywhere else
thousand

acres

"

yet I

satisfied that half its surface

am

be

may

more

than to grass or
devoted
to timber
advantageously
tillage.Nay ; I doubt that one acre in a hundred
dotted with
that is, land ribbed
of rocky land
or
"

rocks

that the bar

their

beds, and

is

"

be

to

clear

fields will

time
pay

for

clearingof

to blast

yet pay

as

utterlyof

them

will doubtless

lift from

will be until it shall

ever

breakingthrough or risingwithin
The

cannot

it will not

or
profit,

advisable

found

the rock-hook

which

tilled to

now

or

two

stone

feet of the

arrive in which
stone

face.
sur-

many

that would

not

to-day; these,I urge, should be given up to wood

until the hour shall have struck
now, and kept wooded
of every impediment to the steady
for riddingthem
and the subsoil plow.
progi'ess of both the surface
"Were

rocky crests

and

County bounteouslywooded
fioods
for a generation,
our

this
so

all the

rugged

acclivities of

once

more,

would

be

and
less

kept

injiiri-

52

WHAT

and
and

equable ;

aid

and

destructive

birds to

vastlymore
in

us

not

our

of

seasons, the

our

visible and

; and
milk

more

what

is true

every

rural

I have
in

as

clean

county

you

the

was

grown

but, in

be thinned
every
or

tree

or

nine

our
nihilated
an-

make

devoted

now

to

of it. And
true

away,

cuttingtrees

of

not

in Westchester

proper

forest-covered

rather

do

well

cutting everything

once

out

as

said,and

not

let in

cases

culled out

taken

of

measurably

in

in

be

must

sun

caprices

and

cows

land

in

I believe

; it is still advisable

where

vouring
de-

all but

the whole

I have

That

go.

more

is

I believe

say, that

with

war

in the Union.

them

growing
as

from

of Westchester

said that

to

mean

keep

actuallydo

we

melody

devastations

of the

two-thirds

on

grass than

should

we

their

enemies, have

invisible insect

should

we

the violent

remorseless

bitter,

peaches, cherries,

grow

which
fruits,

delicate

other

and

stant
con-

less

fruit ;

to

successful

very

more

be

delightus by

should

insects;we

streams

our

blasts would

our

gales less

our

liave

FAEMING.

OF

and
springsunfailing,

our

ous,

KNOW

before

regions,
can

crops

of ten, timber
than

at least two

be

should

off; and, for

cut

should

be

planted

set out.

We
every
the
]^.

have

pretty well outgrown the follyof letting

apple-treebear such fruit as it will ; though in
of my

orchard

H., whereon

graftedwhen
none

father's little farm

was

I bade

has been

born, no
adieu
to this

tree

had

to it in 1820

day. By

in

this

Amherst,
e ver

; and

been
I presume

time, almost

GROWING

farmer

53

TREE-PLA:MTING.

TIMBER

realizes tliat he canH

tle,
affordto grow litsweet
or
sour
gnarly, villainously
detestablybitterapples,when, by duly settinga graftat a cost
of two
dimes, he may make that identical tree yield
Greeniugsor Pippins at least as bounteously. I presume
the cumulative
or
experienceof fifty
sixtygenei'ations of apple-growershas ripened this conclusiou.
Why do they not infer readilyand generallythat
growing indiiferent timber where the best and most
valued
would
as
rapidly,is a stupid,costly
grow
every

blunder
the

It

to

seems

conviction

that

that whoever

me

has

apple-treesshould

attained

grafted

be

ought to know that it is wasteful to grow Ked

Beech, White
Maple, and Alder, where White
Hickory,Locust, and White Pine, might be
rightseeds were
keep down, for
sent

by

up

North

planted,and
a

year

the wrong

of the

little

to

be

bouoht

Potomac,

money
lands

can

in the
done

be

covered

to

and

of the

east

Ohio,and
elsewhere,rocky,
acre

per

ing
accord-

to-daythe cheapestproperty
United

with

let the

pains taken

ones.

location,etc.,are

nothing were
and
cattle,

the

grown

two, the shoots spontaneously

or

districts
(I presume) in limited
sterile woodlands, costing$2 to $50

The

Oak,

in equalluxuriance,provided the
equal ficillty,

with

to

Oak,

States.

them

young

but

trees

Even

keep

grow

as

out

thouo-h
fire and

they will,

and safelyinvested in
profit-ably
by young timber than in anything else.
more

parent, who

would

benefit of children

invest
or

few

thousands

for

grandchildrenstillyoung.

54

WHAT

KNOW

OF

which

woodlands

will

may

buy

times

their present cost within

But

better

than

even

rocky,craggy,

naked

this

FARMING.

be

worth

the next

would

hill-sides and

twenty

twenty

it be

to

years.

buy

up

which

eminences

have

been

them

with Chestnut,Walnut, Hickory, White

thickly

tle
pastured to death, and, shutting out catscratch these over
with plow, mattock, |
inflexibly,
shall dictate,plant |
hoe, or pick, as circumstances

I
Pine.
Oak, and the seeds of Locust and White
say Locust,though not yet certain that this tree must
be started in garden or nursery-bedsand transnot
planted
when
three years old,so puny
two
and
or
feeble is it at the outset,and so likelyto be smothered
under
leaves or killed out by its more
favored
neighbors. I have experiments in progress not yet
matured, which may shed lighton this point before
I finish these essays.
Plant
the
with

and of
thickly,
ground promptly and
full purpose

diverse
choke

to thin and

kinds,so
out

prune

weeds
as

as

and

to

cover

shrubs,

circumstances

shall dictate.

Many

farmers

are

averse

to

cause
plantingtimber, be-

(theythink)nothing can be realized therefrom

for the next
is as long
twenty or thirtyyears, which
\ as they expect to live. But this is a
lation.
grave miscalcuLet us suppose a rocky,hillypasture-lot
of
ten or
rudely scratched over as I have
twenty acres
and thicklyseeded with hickory nuts
and
suggested,
white
oak
acorns
only : within five years, it will
yield abundantly of hoop-poles,
though the better,

GROWING-

should
of

half

promising

more

be ; two

thenceforth
from

land

that

and

of timber

crop

for,if

mature,

cut

the

at

they

as

larger crop

cut, still sparing the best

valuable

to

later,another

be

Loop-polesmay

left

be

years

55

^TREE-PLAITTmG.

TIMBER

; and

be taken

may

at

season,

proper

thriftysprouts will start from every stump ;

each
and so that wood
will yielda clear income
year
while
its best trees are
ing.
steadilygrowing and maturI do not advise restriction to those two
species
least two

of

forest- trees
every
As

but

timber;

insist that
and

may

"

Basin

dotting them

working

there

"

with

the richest

Whoever

is

in

Plains,the Parks, and

the

yielda

more

veins

to

money
of

groves

plantationof

young

clear income

should

year after its fourth.

the
to the Far West

Great

choice

of the

be

made

timber

than

w*ill

circuit of three

within

on

land

which

he

has

hundred
made

by

adjacentmountains.

promptly start, near a present

of choice
trees
railroad,forty acres
White
Oak, Locust, Chestnut, and White

"

by

miles
or

is

or

"

from

making

pective
prosory,
HickPine
ver,
Denvision
pro-

irrigate may begin to sell trees therefrom

two
hence, and
persist in sellingannually
years
henceforth
for a century
for transplanting;
at first,
to

"

"

very

"

soon,

But
to

young

for

varietyof

this paper
the

farmers

next

with

grows
my

more

uses

too

in addition

long,and

to that.

I must

pone
post-

especialsuggestionsto

regard to tree-planting.

IX.

AND

PLANTING

"Whoever

has

part

some

if

in

not

studies

best

are

I.
far

have

Land

else
trees

them

and

absent

be

fences

late

even

horses

be

let

and

alone

ten

fields

dozen
a

to

increased
(56)

close

cow

insure

Vvill

; but

your

that

their

during

your

at

You

be
both

hardly
woods
value
absence.

so

ture
expendimay

the

earth

while

your

overcro2:"ped
may

feeding

acres

and

years,

are

meadows

timber,

nothing.

over

twenty

that

fenced

accord.

wander

or

that

costs

labor

own

may

"

your

involves

their

your

and

till

of

for
and

mowing

season,

of

tion
devo-

suo:2:estions

cattle,

he

land

his

trees, and

out

grow

utterly

decay
;

you

grow

neglect

with

keep

to

of

locating

these

planted

be

In

use.

while

ultimate

the

to

this,

and

preserve,

portions

consider

wisely

Wliatever

those

t]iat

to

view

found

nsnallj

wood

to

mainly

just

him

need

as

of

will

has

farm,

wise
other-

inlieritecl,or

it devoted

with

plans

adapted

I would

of

he

excess,

timber

of

owner

parts

or

and

to

recently bought,

the

become

TEEES.

GROWING

to

by

out

run

of

ends
subsist
need
shall

haustion
ex-

the
span

only
have

They

to

cidedly
dewill

PLANTING

AND

GEOWING

reward
labor and
riclilj
and
transplanting yon
time

tliem any

in

thinning,
trimming,
profitably
employ in
bnt they
spare them

care

may

"

tliat you

can

"

will do very well if simplylet alone.

other

product with

which

am

take ci'op after crop of wood

the

soil will be

the last than

because

it

richer

their roots

their life and

diverse

reasons,

land

it

crop of almost

you
poor,

break

it in their

the soil

decay,or
land

"

by growing

timber,the

any

wholly

up

that

true
certainly

is enriched

"

unlike any

the first. Whether

enrich

it is

And,

acquainted,you may
from
the same
lot,and
more
productive after

permeate and

during

especially
jpoor

and

before

was

67

TKEES.

evergreens

excepted. So, should you ever have

till to profit,
whether
because
cannot

land

have

is

or

because

you should
II. Your

you

devote

at once

that
sufiiciency

for
and

upon
possibly
that

it is too

better,

it to wood.

springsand streams will be rendered more

the area
and the
equableand enduring by increasing
luxuriance of your timber.
They may have become
under a policyof reckless,
sale
wholescanty and capricious
destruction

they will be
reinvigoratedby doubling the area
while quadruplingthe number, and
of your trees.
average size,
III. All
devoted

of trees ;

ravines

to

trees.

cleared

and

steep

Every

of stone

acre

and

washed
"tf

away

by

of your

and

woods,

increasingthe

hill-sides should

be

oughly
rocky to be thorplowed should be set
too

apart for tree-growing.Wherever

or
gullied

reenforced

the

soil vail be

violent rains if under

till-

58

WHAT

it should

age,

given up

well

and

manuring;

tbej

by floodingrains
to

distant

some

only remain
it will

in crops, and

away

too

lY.

is applied

till it is carted

there

to
hardly be possible

be

may

ure
man-

posed
dis-

so

modify agreeablythe average temperature

farm, or at least of the most important parts

When

installment

lay at
of

bought

place

my

"

rather

or

"

the foot of

hill which

first

the

the best spot I could select for

of it

the south

sweep

off

floated

let all that

but

of

to

of your
of it.

heavy

swept away

and

highly for profit.

Trees, especially
evergreens,

as

on

soil

the

to

bay;

or

and

out

thaws

sudden

or

sea

of
tlie profit

if tliree-fourtbs

may,

soaked

the fertilizers appliedare

and

cultivation

from

often doubt

Men

trees.

to

excluded

be

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

den
gar-

half surrounded

it

east, leaving it exposed to the full

and

north

and

north-west

winds

that,

so

garden
though the soil was
gravellyand warm,
my
To remedy
was
likely to be cold and backward.
of evergreens
this,I planted four rows
(Balsam Fir,
Pine, Red
Cedar, and Hemlock), along a low ridge
it

bounding
of the
have

on

the

its west

ridge at
in

north,following an

sixteen

years

end
grown

inward

those

; and

into very

curve

evergreens
considerable

shady, cleanly,
invitingbower, or
sylvan retreat, daintilycarpeted with the fallen

trees, forming
leaves

of

average
southward

the

overhanging firs.

temperature

of

the

of this wind-break

judge

soil for

that

some

is at least five

higher,throughout the growing season,

than

the

yards

degrees
it for-

PLANTING

merly was

AND

would

or

the

and
diversified,

even

clump
Y.

with

more

than

were

aspect of the place is agreeably

beautified,
by

I believe it would
dollars

59

TREES.

be if these evergreens

now

; while

swept away

GROWING

sell for
without

their appearance.
hundreds

some

that

of

thrifty,
growing

of evergreens.
I

already urged, though

have

enough,

that

crops,

as

well

strongly

not

proved
springs,will be imof ridges thickly

as

by keeping the crests

in Winter
and
wooded, thus depositingmoisture
Spring,to be slowly yieldedto the adjacentslopes
heat

and

of Summer.

firmly
believe that the slopesof a hill whose
crest is heavily
wooded
will yield largeraverage
slope
crops than
and
bare of
crest
togetherwould do if both were
during the

drouth

trees.

YI.

The
often

may
shade

more

banks

of considerable

be

planted with trees that these

than
land, to the comfort

so

water

satisfaction of the
banks

from

fish,and

abrasion

Sycamore, Elm,

and

Grape-Yines are

set

some

of

them,
to

YII.
and
ten

he
an

man

ITever

the

by floods
Willow, do
beside

effect is

and

the

and

streams, ponds,etc.,
will
and

protection of those
and rapid currents.
here ; if choice

well

allowed

good,and

to

the

run

over

grapes

ceptable
ac-

bird.

forgetthat

surelyas a poor
of
to fortyacres

one.

good

tree

Many

grows
a

farmer

indifferent cord-wood

as

ily
thrifthas today
where

might, at a very slightcost, have had instead

equal quantityof choice timber,worth ten times

60

WHAT

much.

as

that

Birch, Hemlock,

it has

because

of

Locust
farm

within

while

sold,are

worth

bulk

of

Ten

has

excellent
Locust

dwellings.

Beech,

last few

the

found

been

Walnut,

Chestnut

moi'e

years,
for the

also

seems

of

large,thrifty
buy a pretty good

acres

City would now

it would, if
presume

as

equal

this

near

or

Oak.

value.

increasingin

to be

and

eaten

an

Red

or

wood-work

inside

than

in value

doubled

mainly

be

can

timber

as

more

than

FAKMING.

OF

Hickory, Cbestnut,

they yield nuts

far

ILNOW

located

near

any

of

great cities.

our

YIII.

blast

may

be

and

grow
IX.

leave

the

residue

alive

to

thinned

it is to be devoted

out,
to

ble,
valua-

nevermore

different

use.

destroyinga forest because we

smothering a hive of bees because

is like

Timber

shonld

be cnt with

to the future.

Locnst

it is desirable

should

stump, and
in

be

and

scarce

honey.

want

X.

to

that

me

timber

may

vigorousmaturity.

has become

shonld

off,unless

seems

want

timber

wood-lot

cleared

March

not

and

or

throw

April ;

should

sprout.

while

be cut in

There

reference
intelligent

other

rapidlyreproduce

to exterminate

may

are

atmospheric trouble

or

them, yet

rapidlyattain

Wherever

cut

varieties of Timber

some
hearty. And, if all continue thrifty,
and
cut
out
sold,leavingothers more
room

and

we

of

one

good

insect

some
together,

grown

It

several

Wliere

may

valuable

np

shoots

their
trees

kind,
that

trees

that

from

the

should
you

be

want

August, so that they

be exceptionsto this

PLANTDTG

rule

; but

do
in

cut

AND

do

not

and

sap

XI.

thus

Your

plantation

much

labor

the
trim

to

them

have

may

altitude
XII.

have

none

when

and

Springs

Plains

w^ith

the

yet bestowed
forest

three

with

will

begin

high,

feet,

fertile

so

it

as

foot

will

and

to

and
you
and

acre,

rapidity

soon

endured

and

to

they

they

will
now

are

generations,

nakedness

Rains
are

where

appear
for

the

forests.

when

season

fitable
pro-

I doubt

season.

are

on

reclothed

where

full

preconception.

and

adequate

be

and

thickly;

are

streams

have

frequent
to

all

appeared
shall

we

they

upward

outrunning

when

young

thriving

growth

Spring,

ever

they

as

soon

should

pleasant

seeds

when

thousands
their

pushing
an

so

on

your

trees

young

greens
Ever-

any.

these

any

has

country

Sow

in

not

almost

care

reward.

amply
thin

and

think

furnish

will

at

this

in

one

any

recollect

I'apid decaj^

to

prone

employment
that

all events,

at

61

TREES.

to

; and

sprout
"

of

happen

not

Winter

GEOWING

of

of

become

least

erately
mod-

and

rare,

use

the

fined
con-

to

the

husbandman.
I
rest

may

here

topic

can

have
for

more

the

hardly

to

say

present.
be

overrated.

of
The

trees

by-and-by,

but

of

the

importance

X.

DEAIOTNQ

My

farm

little

into

Railroad.
of

marsh

the

south

land
hill

between
which

and

of

which

covered

with

half

in

1853,

time

as

cottage

tract, which

is

other

beyond

now

the

consisted

adjacent farms,
mine

the

between

(62)

east

north

in

The

the

the

and

bits

and

ragged

they
south

lying

from

time
was

and

found

still

road,

to

tween
bepoor

on

of

edges

portions

part
than

more

cost

south,

good

small

one

rugged

acres,

in

bought

dry

the

on

and

western

while

elevated

rather

the

only building
of

fifteen

some

average
:

from

traverses

fifty

land,

acre

per

interposed,
the

here

this, I

it.

lem
Har-

the

on

south-easterly half

of

residue

Chap-

as

station

some

low
Of

$140

being

the

my

known

slightly

foot

own

afford

and

of

City Hall,

our

measuring

on

forest.
and

the

the

now

of

I could

$130
old

more

thence

rises

eastward

wholly

acres

and

railroad

part

it

from

by

my

"

five

with

acres,

the

chester
IN^ewcastle, "West-

hamlet

embraces

which

north

to

the

existence

It

of

miles

35

of

eastward

called

paqua,

OWN.

township

IS". Y.,

County,
and

the

in

is

MY

the
two

of which

adjoin

each

half

mile

DEAINING

the

from

on
railroad,

"

which

MY

63

OWN.

their

located
are
buildings
and which
forms
boundary. My stony,
my eastern
gravellyupland mainly slopes to the west ; but tM'o
acres

on

bounds

in that

me

south-east

descend

that

line,until

that

while
direction,

corner

enteringat
south

line incline toward

east

my

to

the road
two

which
on

more

the little brook

which,

near
keeps irregularly
it emerges,
swelled by a smaller

enters

corner,

lowland

my

it to meet

my

and

from

the north

pass off with

my
nel
run-

and

verses
tra-

the

let
largerbrookaforesaid. I have done some
draining,to no great
the more
level portionsof my
upland ;
purpose, on
but my lowland
has challengedmy best efforts in
this line,and I shall here explainthem, for the encouragemen
and
possibleguidance of novices in
draining. Let me speak first of
This
marsh
or
My Difficulties.
bog consisted,
when
I first grappled with it,of some
thirtyacres,
"

whereof
to

owned

advantage,one

different
it

I then

person
should

owners

alone,with

less than

no

other

should

third.
own

cooperate ; but
aid than

as
privilegeof straightening

well

To

drain

it

all,or

had

to

it

the
go

freely accorded

deepening the
brook which
wound
its way
dow
through the dryer meajust below me, forming here the boundary of
1 spent $100 on
this job,
two
adjacent farms.
which
is still imperfect
fall in
; but the first decided
the stream
occurs
nearly a mile below me ; and you
tire easilyof doing at your
which
cost work
own
benefits several others as much
as
yourself. My
as

64

WHAT

drainage will never

that ftirlarger one
below
a

further
This

was

bog
mainly

or

maples
fringingthe
rocks

grew

the

to

base

it,

frogs,muskrats
and

water-elms

small

few

into

bought

of

use

it,with

upon

western

I first

when

swamp,

dedicated

soft

it is

merged sixtyrods
been sunk three or four feet,at
at least $500.

A
snapping-turtles.

and

the

in which

of

expense

FARMING.

perfecttill this brook, with

be

shall have

me,

OF

KNOW

alder

swamp

it,where

of

of the hill east

partly

of years,
had, through thousands
with
hill,thicklycovered the surface,

v/hich

rolled from

the

springsbubbhng

imbedded

stumps and
that

and

up around

caying
De-

them.

among

fragmentsof

trees

gued
ar-

timber

this marsh
formerly covered
well as the encircling
hills. A tall,
dense growth
blackberrybriers,thoroughwort,and all manner
marsh-weeds

and

each

swamp

being

too

hassocks
matted

Summer
wet

the

; but

for

rising in

was

all

resting on

gravel,out

of which

up, in addition

of

composed

diversified by

sand,

wiry, worthless
hard

bunches

grass ; their
a

few

inches

to

from

the east,and

very

dry,hot

the half
a

streaks

substratum

two

or
a

three
dozen

tinyrivulet

time) added

bog
or

six

black, peaty, vegetable

occasional
a

of

of the

center

The
soft,bare, encirclingmud.
depth from a few inches to five

ranged in
feet, and
mold,

of

the

of

portionof it,
original
mainly addicted to

my

these, was

tussocks

or

roots

above

grasses, covered

as

the

of

of

clay

or

hard, coarse

spi'ingsbubbled
which

which
tribute

poured

(exceptin
of

three

in
a
or

DEAmiNG

four

shelf of the hill

Add

fiirm.
and

from

wliicli sprang

more,

that

to these

foamed

down

the

brook

the

hill-side

mj

of

base

of what

the middle

near

65

OWN.

MY

is

acres

gravelof which it had

of dryer lowland,had
it had

swale, whereon

chaimel,and

then

the bad

have

you

substantial

of

any

idea of the

some

resolved

and

habit of

to

its

improvements

the

pretty

one

devious

and

predecessors
"

One

was

live

filling
up

obstacles

overcome.

as

pebbles
my

up

cuttinganother,more

if possible,
than
eccentric,
and

built

thus

line

of

formed

mainly

mj

brawled

south

mj

had brought alongan immensity

aforesaid,
and

now

which

near

higher

tered
encoun-

first

of my

cutting

of

straightchannel for this current and, by wallingit

with large stones, compelling the brook
to respect
necessary

It

limitations.

of those stones
the brook

set

were

rather than

of the

not

was

my

fault that

nearlyupright,so

as

thoroughlyconstrain

to

it :

some

veneer

lience,

stones, undermined

by strong currents,
were
pitchedforward into the brook by high Spring
freshets,so as to requireresettingmore
carefully.
some

This

was

mistake, but

Blunders.

My
I had

no

results of inexperience
Not

only had

real

experience in drainingwiien

liire no

I did.

ample

and

which

natural

haste,were

it than

next

These, the

"

of

one

and

but I could

and

not

foreman

ought

down

I intended

grave.

who

knew

much

began,

more

of

to have

fall where

sure

cut

very

begun by securingan
the water
left my
land,

the brooklet
to drain

to

or

open

the lowest

ditch into

practicable

6Q

WHAT

low, at least,that

point

so

should

ever

"

be

can

OF

KNOW

be troubled

with

than

useless

more

no

FAEMING.

running into it
back-water.
Nothing
drain

drain

of Hemlock

bought hundreds
slit them

to

opened
and

width

of four

cheap boards,
five inches,and, having

drains,laid

the needed

have

other

or

or

water

I should

Then

stagnates,choking it with mud.

which

in

these

the tile thereupon,taking care

to

in the bottom

hreak

joint,

by coveringthe meeting ends of two boards with the

of a
of a tile. Laying tile in the soft mud
middle
bog, with nothing beneath to prevent their sinking,
simply throwing away labor
that tile-draining
wonder
seems

and

seeing that

laid

is

so

do any

never

many

tile

are

I cannot

money.

to many

that

so

humbug,

they

can

good.

of
become
owner
purchases,
and by repeated blunders
fullyhalf of this swamp,
discovered that making stone drains in a bog, while
of gettingrid of the stone, is no
it is a capitalmode
I closed my series of experiments
way at all to dry the soil,
two
relaying my
years since by carefully
generallyuseless tile on good stripsof board, sinking
them
justas deep as I could persuade the water to
charge
off freely,
and, instead of allowing them to disrun
into a brooklet or open ditch,connectingeach
successive

Having, by

with

farm

all my

it justwhere
thaw

of four to

discharging into

mains
drains

main

covered

or

it

heavy

runs

and

the
three

running
or

swiftlyoff

rain swells the

six-inch

tile ; these

brook

which

four of those above

from

brook

my

land.

(asit

If

sometimes

DRAINING

will)SO

that

strong

current

it rises above
formed

clear contents

muddy

of

so

be

may

For this and

outlet

the

will not

; and

back

to

into

mud

any

the
aforesaid,

concentration

drains

brook

or

of the

allow
it

so

clean

the

many

sediment

will be swept out

depositedthere

the brook

67

OWN.

my

by

many

of the

water

three feet at most

as

MY

"

that
ever
when-

fallen to the

shall have

similar excellent

drainagelevel.
devices,I am indebted

to the

capitalengineeringand thorough execution of

work
Messrs. Chickering" Gall, whose
on
my place
has

seldom

requiredmending,

and

called for

never

reconstruction.

Success.

My

than

circumstances,except

flowed
Had

judge that

difficult to drain

more

the

"

by

tides

I owned

or

the

there
mine

those

waters

the entire

swamp,

of

are

not

was,

which
some
or

had

many

tracts

consideringall
arc

frequently

lake

or

there

river.
been

justbelow me, had I had any prior

in draining,
had others equallyinterested
or
ex^Derience
cooperated in the good work, my task would
have
been
comparativelylight. As it was, I made
which
mistakes
increased the cost and postponed the
efforts ; but this is at lengthcomplete.
of my
success
I had seven
of Indian
der,
acres
Corn, one of Corn Fodof Oats, and seven
two
or
eightacres of Grass,
lowland
in 1869 ; and, though the Spring
on
my
months
were
quite rainy, and the latter part of
Summer
rather dry, my crops were
all good. I did
better in Westchester
not see
County ; and I shall be
Of my
seven
quitecontent with as good hereafter.
fall in the

brook

68

WHAT

hundred
thirds

would

Grass

my

some

from

reclaimed

decidedlythe
be exhausted
The

never

Grass

this year

Oats,

and

they

on

over

while

or

tun

per acre, because

which
Oats
810
acres

rowen

obstructions

and

of

of drained
I estimate

may

season

four

all
two

with

aftermath
of the

half

ears

of

swa"-mp

estimate
tuns

severityof

the

two

Corn

and

in
my

acre,

per

half

barely exceeded

sound,ripe Corn
and

and

Corn,

the residue

good.

and

of

acres

drouth,

began in July and lasted till October.

were
good, but not remarkably so ; and
bushels

are

Uplands

farm.

swamp,

my

were

first Hay-crop at
the

I have

acres

(1870) of protracted
pectations.
fullyjustified
my most sanguineex-

has

of

many

require

be.

can

of another

experience
I had

as

will

fifteen

part of my

best

first crop

drainage
the

; but

largecrop

average

uselessness

utter

; these

drouth

My

State.

henceforth

care

the

than

heavier
our

I judge that two(ears,)

fit for seed anywhere

twice, and yielded one

cut

was

throughout

accounted

be

another

and

of Corn

bushels

FAEMENG.

OF

KNOW

My
I had

fi'om
half of

four
land.
up-

(shelled)
bushels
bushels,and my lowland at fifty-five
(shelled)
Others, doubtless,had more, despitethe
per acre.
a fair one, and
unpropitiousseason
; but my
crop was
I am
with it. My upland Corn
content
was
heavily
lowland
manured
but moderately. There
are
; my
how
I lose by my
much
to tell you
farming*
many
I only say that,as yet, no one
else has lost a farthing
by it,and I do not complain.
my

upland

at

seventy

XI.

GENEKALLY.

DEAIJSTN'G

HAYDfa
with

narrated

entire

conclusions

of

that

water

which

to

While

I.

would

could

of

third

All

drained

lands
if

they

that

of
are

there

(unless

it

this
to

be

is

already

had

profit.

to

dry

gravelly

Perhaps
Middle

the

deal

or

one-

States,
mately
ulti-

may

of

exception, nearly

with
on

flat

the

gently

or

eventually

must

country,

garden

of

system

great

drained

without

majority

tilled

good

is

most

above

profi.t.

lands
a

by

Mississippi Yalley,

with

swamp

general

land

any

category.

half

of the

clay soils, and

and

this

the

there

be

present

in

is

that

draining

me

improved

sure

New-England,

be

II.

be

place

three-fourths

and

there

pastures,

tracts,

that

am

at

hill-side

Forests,
sandy

not

submit

led

not

here

it has

doubt

underdrains,

that

unreserve,

in

experience

own

my

the

been)

results.

best

earth

be

that

improved

ing
roll-

drained,
I doubt

would

by

all

not

be

thorough

underdraining.
III.

The
To

uses

carry

of

off

underdrains

surplus water,

are

many

though
(69)

and
the

verse.
dimost

70

WHAT

obvious,stands bj
laad
in

tlian undi-ained

Spring

fields

Drained

far

lose

considerablyearlier
of like quality. 2.

sowed

plowed and

be

may

1. TJnderdrained

alone.

means

no

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

soil

tlian

less

of

others

their

by washing. 3. They are not so liable to be

fertiUty
gulliedby sudden thaws or floodingrains. 4. "Where
I am
confident that
deeplysubsoiled,
a field has been
and permeable by roots longer
mellow
it will remain
than

if undrained.

from

drained

be

5. Less

land, the

undrained

from

than

being evaporated

water

throughout the growing

warmer

season

soil will

hence,

earlier. 6.
the crop will be heavier, and will mature
soil
Being more
porous and less compact, I think the
of

field retains

drained

drouth, and
than

if it

believe in

were

of

season

growing plants sufier less therefrom,

In short, I thoroughly
undrained.

underdraiuing.

Yet

IV.

its

in

moisture

more

I advise

no

to

man

into debt for drain-

run

ing,as I can imagine a mortgage on a farm so heavy

and
a
pressing as to be even
greater nuisance than
with

here

would

as

do is to drain

England

in

each

have

farmer

his wettest

his haying and

finishing

taldng
water

care

to

in time

secure

of

Having
fertilize

Labor

tile

and

expect that either will

; I do not

us

cheap

in its soil.

water

stagnant

in moderate

so

What

circumstances

fieldnext Fall that is,after

before cuttingup his corn
"

"

fall to carry

abundant

flood,and
done

be

ever

Belgium.

or

dear

are

doing

this,let

him

and
amply, till carefully,

oif the

his work
subsoil

watch

the

roughly.
tho-

deeply,
result.

I think

it will

71

GENEEALLT.

DRAINmG

that

him
satisfy

soon

such

draining

pays.
I do not

Y.

drain ;
The

no

of

use

other

drain

on

have

had

tile

stone, in

with

ordinary
the

twice

so

effective

boulders

carried

by

water

nor

so

into

To

other.

any

make

and

good

cobble-stones

or

and

involves

quires
re-

the

twice

tile-draining
; and

on

durable.

stone

only good

in them

abounds

of them.

excavation

neither

with

success

drained

necessarily
expended

labor

the

opinion,is only justified

be made

can

use

making

as

no

my

field to be

the

where

but

insist

Earth

drain ; rats

it is

will
and

be

other

in it and

dig (or enlarge)holes

the thing.
thence to the surface ; in short,it is not
where
Better drain with stone
they are a nuisance
than not at all ; but I predictthat you will dig them
fair trial and
a
replace them
up after giving them
will burrow

vermin

with

tile.

scarce

and

In

wooded

dear, I

should

cheap boards dressed

eightinches,and laid
or

of Y

sloped to

; the

togetherat
across
or

cover.

lower
the

country, where
try drainingwith

to

in

the

edge

bottom,

tile

uniform
ditch

bottom,

dug
so

of the two
and

width

third

as

with

were

slabs

or

of six

or

banks

to form

clined
insort

side-slabs

coming
being laid widely

edges,so as to form a perfectcap

an
firm, hard soil,this would
prove

their upper
In

efficient drain,and, if well

made,

would

last twenty

Uniformity of temperature and of moisture

would keep the slabs tolerably
sound
for at least so
feet
two
long; and, if the top of this drain were

years.

72

WHAT

below

the

would

harm

YI.

As

which

no
surface,

FAIIMI]!^G.

OF

KNOW

plowing

it

trampling over

or

it.
to

drainingby

simply makes

what

is called

Mole

Plow,

waterway through the subsoil

depth of three feet or thereabout,I have no

to.
acquaintancewith it but by hearsay. It seems
should
me
morally impossiblethat drains so made
at

lower

be

not

retain

their

off ; and

heavy

loads

at

points than

some

fill of water
I

am

instead
that

sure

them,

over

Yet
destroythem.
so
cheap, and

of

others,so

as

carrying it

plowing, or

this kind

of

with

drainingis

idly
rap-

and

tively
comparafected
be ef-

strong team,

to

carting

even

gradually choke

must

may,

at

that I can
for its popularaccount
rapidly,
ity,
in prairieregions. Where
the subsoil
especially
it is hard-pan,it
is rocky,it is impracticable
; where
it is loose sand, it canbe very difficult ; where
must
not
endure ; but in claysor heavy loams, it may, for
so

few

years,

render

excellent

heavy clays of Yermont,

well
Champlain basin,were
such

even

would
if

soon

by

gave
others

I shall not

making

; but

furrowed

both

soil and

the
the

piercedby
that they
crop ; and,

probably be

placed
re-

durable.

attempt

I urge

or

confident

out, they would

more

I wish

especiallyof

more

am

temporarilyimprove

they

"

drains ; for

service.

to

every

give instructions
novice

in drain-

in the art

to

cure
pro-

other work
the subject
and
or
some
on
aring's
obtain at a fair'
can
: then, if he
study it carefully
hire him
pricethe services of an experienceddrainer,
Yf

DRAINING

to
"

the work.
supervise
that is,draining*
into

ditch

brook

or

harsher

outlet tile

by

may
from
will
to

and

the

an

this

crumbhno;
Potomac

on

open
or

any

of your

or

the Arkansas,

be

not

the soil above

moisten

I believe it better to let your

climate

an

rather than

main

Below

frost.

I insist

apprehended ; and there it

be best to have your drains separately
discharge
roadside bank or into an open ditch,as they
a
thus inhale more
air,and so help (in Summer)

warm

into

pointonly do

prevent the

to

this may

One

it is difficult in

; for

chmate

73

GENERALLY.

covered

open

ditch

Tile and

or

so.

often laborers

mains

or

as

; but in

drains

our

discharge

than into
aforesaid,

brook.

labor

will remain

the Winter

main

them

are

dear with

But,

in

our

us

old

; I presume

States,there

; and

are

November

and

it is the wisest and

truest

lackingemployment in

months

labor

Some
will rethem
ject
charityto proffer
pay for work.
it unless the price be exorbitant ; but there are
of the deservingpoor in almost every rural
scores
dollar per day than
a
county, who would rather earn
waitingfor Spring. Get
hang around the grog-shops
but
you can, or do not get them at all,
your tileswhen
that you have work for those
let it be widely known
and you
who wiU do it for the wages you can
afford,
ing
Havhave somebody to earn
will soon
your money.
at digstaked out your drains,set these to work
ging them, even though you should not be able to
tile them for a year.
Cut your outlet deep,and your
land will profit
by a year of open drains.
4

"!

XII.

IRRIGATION

"While

part
I

few

the

that

growing
times'^"

has

always

not

his

soil
of

especially
accept

draining
a

short

Yet

provision

the

great plain

by
the

one

is

Europe

he

should

and

for
turn

that

provide

to

but
not

may

provided

ever
when-

plants

slow

apprehend.

to

and

counterpart

saw

there

hundred

Po, rising very

to

Venice,

effective

Lombardy,

(74)

solution.

plement
com-

other.

across

of

or

may

once

the

er's
farm-

superfluous,

of

is often

but

admirable,

own.

wide

the

sped

interest

of

it, he

the

to

my
aU

at

practical

fields

his

to

to

secure

itself

he

at

vegetation,

moisture

excessive,

begin

need

this

of

that, having
is

supplied

may

of

my

and

they

I had

but

can

free

water,

whatever

be

it

keep

stagnant

corner

shall

water

and

away

How

him

of

necessity;

as

"
"

important

of

presented

demanding

as

the

economy

sufficiency

mind
rid

question

ENDS.

realize

to

the

in

plants
"

To

"Water

played by

jndge

failed

have

can

AND

MEANS

"

and

irrigation

before

I could

region

perhaps

fiftyalong

gently

noted

and

thence

to

call

the
the

with
of

the
land

any

thirty'miles
east

foot

bank
of

the

IRRIGATION

AND

MEANS

75

ENDS.

Providence
have
to
seems
Alps, which
The
adapted to be improved by irrigation.
specially
of melted
which
in Spring leap and
torrents
snow
face of the Alps,bringing
adown
the southern
foam
of soil,
with
the finer particles
them
are
suddenly
lakes (Garda, Maggiore, Como,
arrested
and
form
the plain. These
etc.)just as they emerge
upon
often overflow their banks, with
lakes,slowlyrising,
Austrian

those of

the small rivers that

; and

this

overflow

To
abiding fertility.

of

source

Po

the

to

and

thus

control

and

obvious

begun by

their

one), whose

incited

success

natural

these

outlets,
,

was

and

ago,

simple

very

probably

was

than

individuals

few

very

long

ward
west-

was

dam

currents,

of

device

their waters

bear

(if by more
emulation, until the

ent
pres-

costlysystem of irrigatingdams
I traversed
and canals was
graduallydeveloped. "When
Lombardy in July,1851, the beds of streams
naturallyas large as the Pemigewasset, BattenkiU,
Canada
utterlydry; the
Creek, or Humboldt, were
w^hich would
water
naturallyhave flowed therein
canal (orto
being wholly transferred to an irrigating
and

extensive

canals)often
were

season
on

to

either

cover

the

If

it

drawn

any

depth

as

here

of

soon

an

the

richest,and

water

throughout the

failed to be
ofl*

their

voirs
reser-

Spring,when

leveled
carefully

side to the

time.
was

upon

and

The

distant.

filled in

were

fullest

graduallydrawn

miles

three

or

created

thus
streams

two

later

and
inch

growing
graded fields
or

absorbed

superfluous,and

two

at

the

soil,

added

to

by

7*6

WHAT

the

employed

current

enriched,to

and

profit.It

and

Lancashire

bear

Lombardy

are

field after field

so

heavier

gladesof English
of

crops ; but those

average

rarelyexcelled

freshed
re-

was

satisfaction

the husbandman's

be that the rich

may

fertilize tlie

and

moisten

to

it ; and

below

field next

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

the

globe.
slope have its

on

bardy?
Lom"Why should not our Atlantic
Utah, E"evada, and California,exhibit raw,
of such a system ; but why should
crude suggestions

is not ? I know

Old

leaving

American

an

it at will

to fiow

confined

be

to

when
that of the
indispensable,
for
whatever
no
good reason
where
water
field unirrigated

it is

regions where

World

New

the

irrio-ation of

the

be had

can

at

moderate

cost.

bought land (in1853) I fuUy purposed

at
to provide for irrigating
my nearly level acres
will,and I constructed two dams across
my upland
that view ; but
with
so
badly
stream
they were
I first

When

planned

that

of

one

off

went

the

rain

tremendous
rebuilt

they

next

in the flood caused

by
Spring; and, though

I submitted

them,

to

providedfor taking the water, by means

syphon,out of the pond at the top and over the
fifteen

rose

twenty

or

the water.

Of

after it had

carried

or

three

my

dam,

there

was

course, air would

days,and

I taken

Had

stream

then

it from

it would
water

feet above

the

the

of
bank

surface

into the

of

pipe

unexceptionablyfor two
would run
water
no
longer.

the bottom
have

work

miscalculation

which

that

run

coveringits

of the

pond through

forever,(or so
inlet in the

long

as

pond ;)but

MEANS

IRRIGATION

AND

77

ENDS.

since
engineeringflungme ; and I have never
the heart (or the means) to revise and correct
its

bad
had
errors.

Mj

next

and

of my

attempt

the

by

four

or

swale

or

hot

much

humbler

to form

scale,

the north
of my

east

terrace, which

end
land
low-

givesme

level upland, along

tolerably
five or six springs,
which
which

edge of
wholly fail,burst

unite

of

acres

upper

never

from

the

rocks

above

and

petty runnel,which dries up in verydry weather, but which

usuallypreserved a

or

tinystream
the

on

engineered it myself. Toward

farm, the hill-side which rises

is broken
three

was

to be lost in the swamp

gully cut
the

down

the lower

hill-side of

hill-side

three

some

l^orth of

below,

this streamlet,

by
is

acres

quite steep,

wooded, and wholly devoted to pasturpartially

age.
this runnel at the
Making a petty dam across
I turned
the stream
aside,
top of the lower acclivity,
henceforth
that it should
run
so
along the crest of
off graduallyso as to secure
this lower hill,falling
a
free current, and
at intervals
losing its contents
Dam
in its lower bank.
through variable depressions
and artificialwater-course
togethercost me $90,which
still

was

rude

about
and

what

twice

it should

petty contrivance

has

have

been.

been

now

ten

That
years
for

operation,and may have cost $5

oversightand repairs. Its effect has

per

the

gates,
constantlyirri-

in

grass

grown

for which
cost

of my

on

the

two

it

acres

paid $280, or
But more
irrigation.

than

more
:

been

my

^nnum

to double

thrice the

while
hill-side,

78

it

WHAT

well

was

grassed
first

the

after

needed

most

parched
by

and

up

yield

value

or

to

ten

prepared

use,

Shall
who
their

may

of

The

acre.

of

my
those

nothing

in

the

to

not
can

own

(or

500,000

will

while

too

do

them

have

these
so

farms
secured

to

things
at

of

tuns

be
be

moderate
the

in

replaced

for

considered
cost

advantages

by Irrigation %

at

being

good
for

beef,

further

heavy

Shall

?
resolve
and

realized

from

cattle

thin

of

pasturage)

thus

required

was

early

therefrom

Hay
of

cost

and

Spring

equivalent

head

of

one

its

at

similarly

been

increase

200,000

butcher

every
and

Hay

of
where-

farms,

irrigated

last

acres

each

suppose

had

farm,

average

saved

have

be

lose

But

thus

be

per

an

tun

one

while

product

New-England

those

with

would
sent

$100

flow

to

Summer,

per

ed
till refresh-

petty irrigating ditch

business.

might

acres

exceeding

barely

the

that

thousand

hundred

five
not

herbage being

remaining

likely to

are

as

is small

this

know

of the

long

so

; its

doubled

these

that, when

so

maintained.

fihall be
I

that

and

acres,

ly
direct-

out

gave

judge, thei^efore, that

than

none

thus

and

rains.
tyiotg

week

hot

or

it aiforded

dead,

generous

irrigation has
two

Spring, always

in

dry,

feed,

FARMING.

OF

ENOW

to

not
test

benefits

cost

all
on

that

XIII.

given

HAYE

farmer

every

his

narrow

domain

States
least

throughout
three
least

at

from
at

half

least

On
the

see

will

see

where
the

the

the

but

midst

of

there

vast

valley, expressly,

or

at

those
will

flowed

least

or

from
at

the

mainly,

own

our

different,

be
the

might

so

and

results
I

outlay.

living

now

be

dug
a

head
that
(79)

be

costing

must

the

wells

plain,

dam

but

long

might

dollars

plans

are

be

may

of

means

far

miles

farm

every

reward

Artesian

acres

thousand

greater,

bounteously

them

Alleghenies,

JSTew-England
the

probably

it, when
many

in

prairies,

day,

the

the
gation
Irri-

for

of

many

sume
pre-

in

facilities

hundred

one

farms

expense
would

not

the

to

by

homesteads

nearly

partially irrigated

State.

in

wide,

hundred

however

fortune.

of

least

at

almost

upon,

his

slope

district

improve

mine;

to

ment
experi-

which

one

natural

either

twenty-live

and

have

equal

Along

greater.

is

Million

little

poor,

slender

and

which

my

it

and

Half

are

at

by

imitate

can

there
United

because

Irrigation,

in

of

account

an

IRRIGATION.

OF

POSSIBILITIES

THE

at

gentle
of

its

tained
obshall
who

points
swell
fertile
waters

80

WHAT

be led

may

tLat

across

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

that

plain,adown

in
valley,

and ditches,until they have been

irrigatingstreams
wholly drank up by the soih I have seen singlewells
ently
sufficithat might be made
to irrigate
in Cahfornia
of acres,

hundreds

did

could

their waters

which

require them,

not

demanded

thirstyearth
An

affirms that Water

applied to
that

mean

applied,it

would

clearlytrue

that

be

can

that

by

of

and

there

the soil.

the

the soil

can

or

neighborhood
best fertilizer
understood

were

product of

to

profitably

be

Still,I

erroneous.

annual

think

it

farms

most

danger of failure averted,

than
of water
skillful application

other

any

in my

If this

is needed

be

the

into

retained until the

cheapest and

is the

increased,and

cheaplyby

more

reservoir

them.

other

no

dischargedwhen

be

successful farmer

old and

ever

the aid of

by

the

fertilizer

Plaster

whatever.

(Gypsum) possiblyexcepted.
I took a run
through Virginia last Summer, not far
ing
State was
then sufferfrom the 1st of August. That
intenselyfrom drouth, as she continued to do for
thereafter.
I am
weeks
some
quitesure that I saw
her thirstyplainsand hillsides not less than three
on
hundred
thousand
acres
planted with Indian Corn,
whereof
the average
product could not exceed ten
bushels
that

per acre, while

yield,and

would

there

most
were

of it would
thousands

of

produce one sound ear ! Every

it to
failure,correctlyattributing

not

the

fall far below

drouth.

And

yet, I

passed

that

acres
one

ed
deplor-

the

ing
prevail-

hundreds

if

not

of

thousands
would

places where

sufficed to dam

have

very
stream

81

IRRIGATION.

OF

POSSIBILITIES

THE

moderate
or

outlay

brooklet

ing
issu-

the Blue

Ridge,or the
current of the copious
AUeghenies,so that a refreshing
warmed
floods of AYinter and Spring,
and fertilizing
by the fervid suns of June and July,could have been
led over
broad fields lying below, so as to vanquish
harvests.
drouth
and insure generous
ISTay
; I feel
confident that I could in many
ted
placeshave construcrude works in a week, after that drouth began to
the Corn on
have saved and made
that would
be felt,
at least a portionof the planted acres
through which
and laughed idly
shrunken
brooks danced
the now
in the wider and equally
down
to the largerstreams
valleys. Of course, I know that this would
thirsty
have been imperfectirrigationa mere
stop-gap
of a parched Summer
that the cold springwater
not
canif
and Spring,
fertilize as the hill-wash of Winter
through and through
thriftily
garneredand warmed
do ; yet I believe that very
for sultryweeks, would
farmers might,even
then, have secured partial
many
had they,
stillpossible,
as was
crops by such irrigation
from

between

two

spurs of

"

"

at the eleventh

even

the

errors

hour, done

give his

land

only counsel
careful scrutinywith

rio:ationin the future.

faster than his
well

their best to retrieve

of the past.

For the present,I would

to

"

to have

be
ultimately

4*

means

clear
done

No

one

every farmer
to ira view

is obliged to do

anv

and yet it may be

justify;
comprehensionof all that may
to profit,
even
though much of
will

82

WHAT

nnattempted.

long remain

it must
stream

afford

for two

shall ajppear that this

not

is

use

subserve

but not

inconsistent

purposes

in other

pursuits;

with

one

crosses

its fall

measure

On

may

be

with

its

need

he

is attained

success

be in

farming.

study his

resources

own

of them.

the
in

on

or

can

stream

and

I think

done

that

If

his

able
manage-

land, he

must

thereon,study the lay of the land,

water

upon

quite independent

two

issues from

portionof

many,

hills,or

or

that

of at least

they shall

must

whether

determine

cost, make

it.

year, if it

quite consistent

it may

so

the most

intent to make
stream

and

and

yet, each farmer

As

it will

to

expense

making

which

the former
alone
when
irrigation,
the requisiteoutlay. It is by thus
justify

employment
would

cases,

of each

months

three

or

In many

for the power

be dammed

may

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

cannot,

available
his

able
toler-

in the

growing

tion
irrigawhen

crops

the skies decline

most, farms

at

to

supply

situated among

slopes of mountains, something

this way

"

done

at

once,

and

with

immediate

profit.But this is rudimentary,partial,

which
when
fragmentary,
compared with the irrigation
yet shall be.
the

am

confident

Carson, the Humboldt,

that there
the

Platte,the Cache-le-Poudre,and
which

streams

where
may

be

for the
with

are

Weber,
many

pointson
the

South

less noted

thrid the central

an

nent,
plateauof our contiexpenditure of $10,000 to $50,000

in a dam, locks and

made
canals,
judiciously
of irrigation
and millingcombined,
purposes
moral certainty
of realizingfifty
per cent, an-

nuallyon

POSSIBILITIES

OF

the

outlay,witli

the

of

value

THE

steady increase

If my

property.

83

IRRIGATION

did

eye

in tlie
deceive

not

point on the Carson where a dam

that need not cost $50,000 would
hundred
one
irrigate
I saw
it eleven
square miles of rich plainwhich, when
there

me,

is

one

nothing else

desert,simply because

of

intense,abiding drouth
Such palpableinvitations

rule rather
is not

crops

grain and
if its

he could

do

we

or

more

would

had

water

are

ever
for-

the

of

irrigation

secure

decent

is

there

fruit and

more

apply at pleasureand

remain

no

farm

yield considerably

not

grass,

owner

may

the

Summer.

rains

need

Yet

in its absence.

country that

our

more

the
exception,

the

endure

to thrift cannot

palpable,since

so

average

than

could

Summer

of the

shrubs

J^evada

each

unimproved.
regions like this,where

In

in

the worthless

nought but

years ago, grew

more

command

at

to any

vegetables,
which

he should

extent

requisite.Most men, thus empowered, would

firstirrigatetoo often and too copiously
perience
; but exwould
soon
temper their zeal, and teach

deem
at

them
"

and

they would

soil drink

Whoever
and
them

The

shall

drown

lives

whitened

windmills

thenceforth

yet^not

then

of Not

precious art

at

erected

the
our

intervals
over

much

"

careful to

give theii*

it.

beyond

traverse

be

too

close

of this

century,
prairieStates,will see

by the
wells,whence

broad
every

sails of

gale or

84

WHAT

breeze

will

ponds

or

reservoirs

streamlets

people

the

behind

thought

an

novelties.

comment

"

on

every

profitablydo

grandfathers did.
did

ancestors

it cannot
have
of

the

or

quite

to

the

our

though
may

our

our

means

any

Too

contempt

or

stereotyped

their

is

of

poverty

dislike

of

otherwise

something

that

assume

well

each

has

farm
of

hold
are

out

longer

grandfathers

did

profit by Irrigation.

almost

given

sweep

to

which

springs,

our

did.

Our

once

"

fiercer.

and

not,

stances
circum-

ance
disappear-

Summer,

they

as

fore,
where-

formerly

Our

strangers.

were

we

their

respected

the

The

that

winds

as

those

But

essential.

woods

than

Irrigation;

without

be

heated, parching

drouths

has

suggestion that they might wisely

surrounded

Summer

by

materially changed.

not

all

beginning.

!"

Humbug

dense, high

do

invigorate

when

not

conceal

affectation

now

ancestors

streams,

making

They

very

gentle

of irrigation.
possibilities

fain

would

farmers

many

and

in

in

faintly foreshadows,

paper

beneficent

difficulty is

The

be

may

to

And,

crops.

barely indicated,

have

will

exhausted,

for

this

that

done

been

growing

their

impel

and

fields

surrounding

the

over

water

diffused

and

will

at

the

into

water

that

located

so

therefrom

drawn

pumping

in

employed

be

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

do

need

Even
and

XIY.

PLOWING

Rules
who

they

deeply

are

plowed

life

nearly

that

ought

the

be

to

I have

land

this

tilled

farmers

labor

increase

could

had

seen

but

eight

fewer

deny

that

to

plow

deeply.

tract

inches

(sulphate

plow

in

and

West

judge

that

than

if devoted
I

sonally
per-

better

Jersey

the

it is
told
the

stratum

being

of

their

which

whereof
a

mon
com-

our

toil

do.

now

Mapes

on

into

of

on

the

over

majority

soils

are

Prof

with

half

far

residue

they

iron,) which,

mingled

that

tillage.

recompense

deep, resting
of

have

they spread
the

there

my

better

thrive

threw

acres

in

they do, bestowing

area

the

do

advisable

the

fertilizers

should

as

mean

to

would

and

not

lands

seen

mankind

the

they

have

which

half

all

land

ought

subjected

who

it there.

by cultivating
Nor

if

much

fact, I

serve

may

though
left

that

; and

rare

are

plowing

on

that

area

an

than

but

even

and

In

farmers

all the

whole,

all.

seen

know

they

hold

plowed, by

timber

to

if

at

large

as

for

wrong

exception

I insist

that

imagine

be

never

without

absolutely

SHALLOW.

OR

DEEP

me

soil
of

upturned

soil, poisoned
(85)

not

he
was

peras
cop-

by
the

86

WHAT

thereon.
pla^ited

crops

intervale

Old

Virginia,
many

and

luxuriant

River, in

Summer,

which

thrifty

were

until its

of the

that line.

few

mouths

were

but

rude

confined

that the

the miseries

whereof

harrow

lions
mil-

many

and

plowed

never

there

race, when

our

were

farming implements

when

all

was

patches,so
not apwas
deep tillage
parent.
stripsand

the

Imow

yet, we

often

crops

failed
into

nations

days, plunging whole

of famine.

primitiveplow
one

are

that would

facile

these

those

above

readilyas

as

that there

the need, of
utility,

utterlyin

helow

ran

cultivation
ineffective,

and

to

And

The

fill and

to

very

about

by a brush
infancy of

In the

all.

the corn-roots

land

sometimes

over

to

inundations,
so
twenty feet,was

erably,
produce tolbounteously, though simply

of such

and

at

two

doubt

do not

acres

scratched

furrow

had

semi-annual

permeable that

the bottom

of

from

depth ranged

invitingand

tense
in-

in

deposited by

been

on

part of

the western

of Corn

acres

last

I saw,

spite of shallow plowing and

drouth, because the rich,black loam which

there

prong

longer the beam;

coulter-prongwith
or

And

of 'New

the

FARMIXO.

OF

KXOW

McCormick

was

formed
and
a

of his

he

stone

day.

forked

the

tree-top,

or

coulter,the other and

first

who
hatchet
The

stick

was

plow

sharpened
the
in

the

Whitney

common

use

to-day in Spain or Turkey is an improvement on

it is a miserable
this,for it has an iron point; still,
tool. When, at five years old,I first rode the horse
which

drew

my

father's

plow

in

furrowingfor or

culti-

PLOWING

vating his

DEEP

corn, it had

share ; but it

coulter

iron

an

mainly composed

was

87

SHALLOW.

OR

and

iron

an

La the

of wood.

ders
I^ew-Hampshire,as full of bowland pebblesas a Christmas
pudding is of plums,
plowing with such an implement was a sorry business
and a horse
at best.
My father hitched eight oxen
he broke
to his plow when
up pebbly green-sward,
I
and found
of it a very long day'swork.
an
acre
out of the queswas
hardly need add that subsoiling
tion,
the average
and that six inches was
depth of his

hard, rocky soil

of

furrow.
I

that

judge

twice

the best

the execution
of power

twelve

inches

Ought

we

"

as

to do

that

Steel

Plows

his did with

now

in

use

do

like

expenditure
that we
equal power, plow
can, with
easilyand rapidlyas he plowed six.
it ?

Will

it pay ?

platof eight
the
then the open country skirting
was
acres, in what
East River
nearly abreast the lower point of Blackwell's Island,near
on
a little indentation
Fiftieth-st.,
Turtle
of the shore known
as
Bay. 'None of the
ThirAvenues
then opened above
east of Third
was
tieth-st.; and the neighborhood,though now
ated
perforby streets and covered with houses,was as rural
One
fine Spring
and secluded as heart could wish.
morning,a neighbor called and offered to plow for
of box and
not cut. up by rows
$5 my acre of tillage
I firstfarmed

other shrubs
home
which

next

for

; and

myselfin

I told

him

evening, justas

contemplatedmost

1845

to

on

go ahead.

came

the job,
finishing
ruefully.His plow was

he

was

88

WHAT

pocketedition

for

me

as

he

deep.

plainly that I would

for nothing. He
money
plowed

FARMING.

OF

; his team

five inches

at most

KNOW

have

singlehorse ; his furrows

paid him, but told him
preferred to give the

insisted that

for

others

he had

plowed
''

all around

me.

"
exacttyhow this will work.
rejoined,
Throughout the Spring and earlySummer, we shall
heat : thus far,my
have frequentrains and moderate
But
then will come
hot weeks,
crops will do well.
rain ; and
with little or no
they will dry up this
shallow soil and every thing planted thereon,"
The
result signallyjustified
my prediction. We
had frequentrains and cloudy,mild
weather, tillthe
1st of July, when
the clouds vanished,the sun
came
out intensely
hot, and we had scarcelya sprinkletill
the 1st of September, by which
time my
Corn and
Potatoes had about given up the ghost. Like the
seed which
fell on stony ground in the Parable
of the
Sower, that which I had planted had withered away

will tell you," I

*^

because

harvest
inches

was

root

no

;" and

my

prospect for

utterlyblighted,where, with
well pulverizedearth
loose,fertile,

was

of

roots, my
When

there

crops

I became

would
once

have
more

present place,I

had

at least

been
a

farmer

in

twelve
at their

respectable.
small

way

forgottenthe lesson,
I tried to have plowed deeply and thoroughly
and
land as I had plowed at all. My first Summer
so much
here (1853)was
a very
dry one, and crops failed
on

my

in consequence

yet

mine

were

around

me

not

and

at least fair ; and

all
I

over

was

the country ;

largelyindebt-

PLOWING

ed for them

DEEP

OR

89

SHALLOW.

relatively
deep plowing. I ha ve since
from the rotting
suffered from frost (on my low land),
of insects,
the ravages
of seed in the ground, from
etc. ; but

to

by

never

drouth

; and

confident
entirely

am

that

vice.
Deep Plowing has done me excellent serMy only trouble has been to get it done ; for
there are
(haste,lateness in the
apt to be reasons
for "just this
season, etc.) for plowing sliallowly
time," with full intent to do henceforth better.
"

"

I close this paper

with

British
intelligent
south of England. He
A

few

of twelve
trees

years ago
acres, which

(;ut down

said

there

; then

by
Maidstone,
to

me

into my

been

their

their roots

made

living at

came

had

in
hopelessly

were

statement

farmer

an

"

an

hands

orchard

field

; but

the

must

be

dotage. They

grubbed out ; so
I resolved to make
and give the field
a clean job of it,
time in Autumn
a thorough trenching. Choosing a
and cheap,
or
earlyWinter when labor was abundant
I had it turned over
three spits(27 inches)
deep ; the
lowest being merely reversed ; the next reversed
and
placed at the top ; the surface being reversed and
The
soil was
placed below the second.
strong and
deep, as that of an orchard should be ; I planted the
field to Garden
Peas, and my first pickingwas
very
About
the time that peas usuallybegin to
abundant.
wither and die,the roots of mine
struck the rich soil
which

had

second,and

been
at

the
once

must

be

first stratum, but

the

stalks

evinced

now

was
a

new

the
life
"

"

90

WHAT

threw

out

; and

pods
for

far

Thus

Peas

try

patch

of

for

depth

of at

by

fierceness

The

counteracted

Peas

well, but
yield

to

need

by

not

should
and

their

With

not

be

it

by

the

in which

of

such

The

well,

but

the

it is

Double

postponed
now

after

give

the

the
to

moistened

need

far

inaugurated.

and

not

blooming

over

attestation
and

soil

supply
a

this

that

richness

in the

enough

they begin

soil,kept

is ITature's

season,

after

etc., fruit

confident

to

and
ly
brief-

too

plump

there

inhering

water.

be

haste

ably
deplor-

blossom

to

am

rich

not

Yegetables

soon

water,

fruit

elements

sterilityshould

deep,

ened
moist-

when

shortens

weeks

too

any

geniality of

that

bearing

year

irrigation?

of

cease

three

treasures.

be.

the

mellow

frequently

many

and

this

and

suns,

bear

or

of

out

peas

paid

Paspberries, Blackberries,

are

of the
to

two

bearing.

the

of

up

periodical flow

rich

Summer

our

wither

Our

pick.

to

will

kind

rude

some

of

been

have

they

Who

feet, and

two

Strawberries

Our

our

than

made

plat

productiveness

Berries.

forming

more

by frequent showers,

the

far

friend.

on

least

Summer

in

and

by

cultivation."

and

English

my

followed

were

blossoming

on

this first crop

until

trenching

of

cost

kept

so

weeks,

wliicli

blossomsj

new

FARlMIIsG.

OF

KNOW

or

of
dance
abun-

supplied

of

these,

later

day

and

than

XV.

PLOWING

There
but

are

so

right

one

swallow

to

insist
hears

to
a

and

six

but

bury

to

clay, sand,

or

and

grain,

is

Hereupon,

Plowing
he

now

other
set

Here
w^alks

of

is

inches

gravel.

On

for

he

has

wdiich

in
with

he

this, he
he

regard

as

of

the

of

that

right

; but

several
in

order

one.

school,

his

who

respected

because
(90

crop.

Deep

along

over,

success,

sows

are

old

the

footsteps

all

There

hurry

other

or

half

neighbors

will

in

cold, sterile

of

realizes

it.

up

field hitherto

plants

suspected

inferior

it,resolves

in

foot

six inches

tried

farmer
without

and,

up
of

depth

farmer
the

turn

his

which

middling

but

as

to

great plow, makes

if

to

reports

carefully

grandfather,

under

that
a

to

its soil

ways,

forth

buys

proceeds

humbug,

knows,

wrong

he

upon
there-

and
:

faith

firm

or

contrive

instance

deep plowing,

lucky indeed

he

is

So

trial.

strong team,

words,

of

understanding

it

give

plowed

to

said

who

to

patience
im-

the

in

foremost,

For

thing

reason

those

end

do.

do

to

no

with

wrong

it won't

something
clear

any

truth

that

is

evinced

often

the

there

that

BAD.

ways

wrong

many

one

too

AND

GOOD

sixty

92

WHAT

harvests,thouglinot

annual
liave
the
to

of
to

of

the

exhausted
partially

He

he inherited.

acres

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

luxuriant,
particularly
productive capacityof

now

garners

from

fifteen

thirtybushels per acre of Corn, from ten to twenty

"Wheat, from fifteen to twenty of Rye, from twenty
and from a tun to a tun and a half
thirtyof Oats,*
less propitious,
or
Hay, as the season
proves more

just contrives

and

hundred

acres

plowing, as his
depth of five to
do for him
I

answer

every

True, the
at

one

for his

family;
grandfather did, to a
ing
: What
can
Deep Plow-

itself,nothing

whatever.

If

in

in doing just as
persist
and his grandfather
pediency
did,I doubt the exof doubling the
depth of his furrows.
be reeffects of the change would
alized
worst

other

his father

inches

sixty to

By

"

and

father
seven

his

subsistence

decent

from

draw

to

respect he

the

is to

outset, and

feel confident

that

his

to change
subsoil,
having been made
placeswith that which formerly rested upon it,must
gradually be wrought upon by air, and rain, and

six

inches

of

into
frost,until converted
through which the roots
soil,

tolerablyproductive
of most
plants would

the
their way
down
to
speedilymake
richer stratum
surface, has been
which, originally
tions
transposedinto subsoil. But this exchange of posisurface and subsoil is not
the original
between
I mean
what
by Deep Plowing, nor anything like it.

easilyand

What

1 do

mean

is this

Having thoroughly

underdrained

so
field,

that

PLOWING

wilJ not

water

hew

matter

mncli

step in order
this

stand

upon

there

may

the

deposited,the

be

the

depth

to it

To

of the most

strong team, and let

breaking-plowin

next

of the soil.

regular sub-soil plow

approved pattern,attach
it follow

93

BAD.

part of its surface,no

any

is to increase

end, procure

AND

GOOD

"

its

and
furrow, lifting

pulverizingthe sub-soil to a depth of not less than

six inches,but leavingit in positionexactlywhere
it
The

was.

this
thus

better

that
fertilize

there

as

twice

do not

good

that

believe

insured

that,in
other

soil

plowed

the

orchards.)

season

years

better, and

still

I do believe

the sort ; but

the

as

advantage

case

of the

of old.
and

this
markably
re-

prove

that you
to

will

come,
once

cluding
in-

more

plantingof

trees,they will grow

thrive

turned
re-

crop, for I

next

in

crops

be

considerablylarger for

be

resist disease

on

of your

will

you

outlaywill

; and

or

quently
conse-

crops.

grass, after that field shall

that field to fruit

were

for increased

wet

; and

laid down

and

manure,

to

acre

hence, that it

uncommonly

better

heavier
be

or

field is

soil per

if the
treatment, especially

dry
have

will

much

additional

anything of

this crop

generous

foundation

in the increase

to you

do not

as

much

as

all the

say that

tillthe whole

before ;

was

requirestAvice
laid

upon

have

you

furrow

depth of not less than twelve

fifteen. Now, please remember
still,

pulverized to

inches,or,

have

the next

surface-plowturns
loosened sub-soil,
and so on

faster,

longer,than if the
after
(I shall insist here-

importanceof subsoiling

94:

WHAT

Take
to

another

prevent
I have

"

by

water

yield Corn, Wheat

bountifully
addicted
to washing. I
are
the

south-east

plowed

and

plantednot

less than

To

say that

patch of ground, would

truth.
And, along with

portionof

finer and

the

soil have
lavished

has

hundred

one

been

times,

appliedto

it have

son.
brook,and hence into the Hud$1,000 have thus been squandered

thus

the

better

of the original

elements

swept into the brook, and

been

the

upon

keep far within

a
fertilizers,
large

be to

that

the

farm,

into the

washed

been

so

of my

of these

one

presume

corner

which

Oats, but

and

that at least half the fertilizers

and

on

gravellyhill-side,which

bits of warm,

bits,at

subsoilinghill-sides

that of

aspect

their abrasion

two

FAEMtNG.

OF

KNOW

of

waters

But,

bay.

our

since

thoroughlysubsoiled,all the water

sinks into the
when
in tillage
them
that falls upon
tion
there until drained
soil,and remains
by filtraaway
a
saw
particleof
or
evaporation; and I never
I had

those

lots

soil washed
or

one

from

either

and

sodden

virtue

of which

while

in cultivation
an

them

plow
so

too

away

few

bushels

surface,proving that

these fields

thaw

of

of

the law

the

by

formerly denuded
active, and that Deep

were

is still

efiective and

for the evil it tends

We

the

on

solidlyfrozen
pouring rain, washed

Plov/ingis

when

once,

leaving the ground

surface,
beneath, being quickly followed by a

inches

two

loosened

save

all but

antidote
unfailing

to incite.

many

thoroughlyas

acres
we

and do not plow

annually,
ought. In the good time

Steam

coming, wlien
a

of

gang

six to

AND

GOOD

PLOWING

shall have

95

BAD.

been

harnessed

so

ploAVS that,with

twelve

one

to
man

fast as a man
as
guiding and firing,it will move
izing
ought to walk, steaming on and thoroughlypulverfrom twelve to twenty-five
acres
per day, I beshall plow at least two feet deep, and plow
heve we
not

less than
Then

twice
we

before

puttingin

lay down

may

any

ever.
what-

crop

dent
confi-

field in the

yield from two and a half to

for the next
ten
three tuns of good hay per animm
and
or twelve
years ; while, by the help of irrigation
it may
be made
occasional
to average
top-dressing,
if not forever.
at least three tuns for a life-time,
When
it
Grass-land
as
requiresbreakingup
my
trust

that

it will

"

sometimes
laid

does

I understand

"

down,

or

has

not

that
been

it

been

was

not

well

erly
proptreated

insisted in my
good grazingfarmer once
should never
that
be plowed
hearingthat grass-land
the
the vegetable mold
forming the surface,when
first cut ofiP,
timber was
should remain
the surface
on
forever.
the stumps and
Consideringhow uneven
and cradle-knolls
of a primitiveforest are apt
roots
the ground, I judge that this is an extreme
to leave
But land once
statement.
thoroughlyplowed and
subsoiled
ought thereafter to be kept in grass by
liberal applications
of Gypsum, well-cured
Muck,
without
and barn-yardManure
to its surface,
needing
Put
back
in
to be
plowed again and reseeded.
Manure
is taken
off in Hay, and the Grass
what

since.

"

should

hold

its

own.

XYI.

TILLAGE.

THOKOrGH

of

who

to-day

last

which

oughness

this

in

fields

my

in

putting

their

land

for

efiective

heads
it

been

had

hundred

bar,
or

times, till I

(where

or

blew

them

will

interfere

that

this

will

not

trees

Land

thrown

and

and

plow,
ribbed

such

skulking
and
and
(96)

of

spotted

the

best

brass

kettle

perhaps

that

with

and

be

blast, turned
so

that

fast

they

insist

field

which

planted

with

conclusively.

rock

it

and

team

cultivation

below

just
over

away,

to

their

raising

and

"

ble
possistones

with

should

rock

did,

were

nevermore.

from

plowman

find

and

them

clearing
out

will

them

drill

profitable operation
for

they

of

them

cultivation

with
a

hauled

and

the

burrowing

at

with

necessary)
out,

pay

Dodging
team,

is

went

of

There

around

plowed

"

of

some

"

boys

farmers

into

that

surface, others

the

above
which

hay-cock

from

the

grandfathers

tillage.

in size

of tlior-

to

sure

am

their

varying

of

that

to

up

century.

the

than

especially
condition

be

to

better

profit in farming
and

gladly impart

destined

are

of

quarter

would

lessons

teaches

farm

little,hilly,rocky

Mt

can

rocks

is hard

upon

rarely
will

pay.

pay

if

97

TILLAGE.

TnOEOIJGH

possiblyif well set

planted with Timber
judiciously
less
but tilling
it from
in Fruit
year to year is a thanktask ; and its owner
may better work by the day
his bread
for his neighborsthan try to make
by such
tillage.
So with fields soaked
by springsor sodden with
"

"

stagnant
drain

If

water.

your

afford

cannot

you

land,I respond that

wet

afford to tillit without

afford

say

you

draining. If

you

not
reallycan-

fit it for cultivation,your

to

still less

can

you

to

next

best

severelyalone.
A poor man
who has a rough,rugged,sterile farm,
which
he is unable
to bring to its best possible
condition
live
must
he clings
to and
at once, yet which
from, should resolve that,if life and health be spared
him, he will reclaim one field each year until all that
is not devoted
shall have been broughtinto
to timber
harvest is over,
When
his Summer
high condition.
is to let it

course

and

his Fall

there will
months

which

Let him

take

every

received

have

crops

generallybe
he

devote

can

of it with

hold

available

If it has

dig them out;

thoroughly that
Spring so soon
soil and

subsoil

if
it
as

be

to two

mainly
resolute

to

Autumn

this work.
prove
to im-

purpose

by running over the

by dealingwith one field

need

duringa long
that the plow will reach,
stone
it needs
draining,drain it eo
hereafter
be plowed in
may

the
so

one

hour, not

possiblearea, but
largest
that it will
60 thoroughly
life-time.

from

tion,
their last cultiva-

no

more

frost leaves it ; and

loosened

and

now

let

pulverizedthat

98

WHAT

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

freelypenetrate them to a deptliof fifteen

all the way,
to twenty inches,
findingnourishment
ture
with incitement
to go further if ever
failingmoisDrouth
shall render this necessary.
habitually
Fall crops from ten to fifty
shortens our
per cent. ; it
is sure
to injureus
more
gravelyas our forests are
be
swept away by ax and fire ; and, while much
may
done to mitigate its ravages by enrichingthe soil so
uriant
as to give your
earlystart, and a rank, luxcrops an
growth,the farmer's chief reliance must still
weeks
of
be a depth of soil adequate to withstand
roots

may

the fiercest sunshine.

I have
roots

considered

to

moisture

seek
awaits

they mainly

course

there

the

at

heat

once

them

to

seek

close

it,even

Make

down,

and

the
you

inch

an

their

suns

lower

which

than

"

plow

the

; if

surface, of
the

heat

is

there,they must
cost of findingthe

the

increases

and

descends

rob the surface

and

mellow
the

of moisture.

ever

roots

so

will

far
scend
de-

deficient.

which

acres, for he

should

moisture

not

stand
They underthey should.
is your
sagacitythat may

I suspect that the

average

plowing by

to

fear that

not

business; it

possibly
prove

and

of

fails

at

soil rich

need

it does

there, because

run

"

the fervid

to the choice

surface,and

inadequate though heat

under

few

urged as

greatest. If moisture

descend

heat

is

justbeneath

run

signify.Roots
the

what

I mean,

often

oftener

farmer

plows
as

well

not

too
as

does far too little

that
many,

he

plows
but

deeper and

too

that he
more

THOEOtIGH

99

TILLAGE.

thorouglilj. I spent three or four of mj boyish

Summers
Corn and Potatoes on
plantingand tilling
fields broken up justbefore thej were
planted,nevei
cross-plowed,and of course
tough and intractable
The
dling,
throughout the season.
yieldof Corn was midthe season
more
considering
; that of Potatoes
than middling; yet, if those fields had
well
been
plowed in the previousAutumn, cross-plowedearly
in the Spring,and
thoroughlyharrowed
just before
I am
confident that the yieldwould
planting-time,
have
far greater,and the labor (save in harbeen
vesting)
rather

less
"

the

cost

of

the

Fall

plowing

by the saving of half the time

being over-balanced
necessarily
given to the plantingand hoeing.
Fall Plowing has this recommendation
it lightens
labor at the busier season, by transfering
it to one
of
sider
comparative dullness. I may have said that I conwho
knows
how to make
him a good farmer
a
rainyday equallyeffective Tvdth one that is dry and
I count
fair ; and, in the same
him my master
spirit,
in this art who
make
in Autumn
can
a day'swork
or
Winter
save
a
day's work in Spring or Summer.
Show
farmer who
has no
land plowed when
me
a
May opens, and is justwaking up to a consciousness
that his fences need
mending and his trees want
trimming,and I will guess that the sheriff will be
round
after him before May comes
again.
"

There

(or may

in the belief that land

superstition
be) enriched by Pall Plowing. The Autumn
is

no

is

100

WHAT

KNOW

OF

FAEMING.

volatile elements
with the more
galesare freighted
of decaying vegetation.These, taken
up wherever
posited
they are given off in excess, are wafted to and dein the soils best fitted for their reception.
I do not
Eegarded simply as a method of fertilizing,
the cheapest; I do say that
say that Fall Plowing is
if well plowed in the Fall,will be in
any poor field,
better heart the next
Spring,for w^hat wind and rain
have
will meantime
Frost,too,
deposited thereon.
the ground freezes,and
in any
pecially
esregion where
it freezes and thaws repeatedly,
where
plays
an
verizing
important and beneficial part in aeratingand pulthrown
a
one
freshlyplowed soil,especially
so as to be most
thoroughlyexposed to
up into ridges,
the action of the
who

has

running

volatile elements.

more

good

team

in Autumn

to tillnext

may
until

The

profitably
keep
every

rood

farmer

the

that he

plow

means

has been

thoroughlypulverized.
In this section,
minute
our
chequer-work of fences
operates to obstruct and impede Plowing. Our predecessors
wished
to clear their fields,
at least superficially,
of the loose,troublesome
of granite
bowlders
wherewith
enly
so
they were
thicklysown
; they mistakfancied
that they could lightentheir own
toil Wk
by sending their cattle to graze, browse, and gnaw,
wherever
the ground ; so
not actually
a crop was
on
they fenced their farms into patches of two or ten
thereby increased their
acres, and thought they had
value
briars

season

That

and

was

bushes

were

sad

miscalculation.

sheltered

and

Weeds,

nourished

by

tliese

walls

weasels,

found
wide

belt

while

inefficient,

and

burying

into

concrete

they

are

with

still

far

Plains,
be

must

which

fences,

by
and

has

walls,

other

useful

or

in

hauled

precluded

left

so

its

miles
for

of
soil

loosened,

wide

valley,
loose

half

and

permeated,

open

dealt

prairie,

on

where

stone

are

tion
dispensa-

spoiling

your

deforming

obstructing,

free

but
be

to

benignant

from

you

need

and

the

them

structures;

Pacific

broad

for
God

on

and

wiser,

building

or

every

slowly

and

squatter

multiplicity

pervaded,
Plow

these

plentiful,

too

thank

visible,

farm

of

worse

after

turning

growing

are

or

sternly.

bleak

rarely

We

barns

more

wood

part

of

or

difficult,

laborious,

necessity

steps.

useless

made

was

mals,
ani-

therein

impunity

rendered

the

destructive

other

and

side

was

by

hundred

the

either

Plowing

few

and

rats

protection
on

101

TILLAGE.

THOEOIJGH

to

by

be

the

where
everyvating
reno-

XYII.

FERTILIZERS

COMMERCIAL

Prices
fertilizer

best

worth

rood

of

over

acre

per

much

should

stock

of

freely

buy

should

it,alike

noisome

in

and

odors,
the

of

should

thus

be

with

sown

where

it is abundant

and

York,

I would

it

apply

should
a

As

to

good
the

it

each
me

year,
that

bought
but

one

his

stable

He

who

has

it,and

volatile
every

least
in

down
ments
eleture,
pas-

triennially ;
Central

unless

careful

longer

no

New-

servation
observed
sub-

purpose.

time
(102)

of

application, while

should

keep

to

the

it

one

acre

per
be

meadow,

as

say,

"

or

dust

yard,

at

$10

has

without

cheap,

satisfy

costs

day.

Every

manure.

be

to

it

who

retain

Paris) might

it, and

and

stable

is

of

may

man

be

never

there

bushels

it

it each

or

condition

three

poor

cheapest

sparingly

where

of

cleaning

cattle

use

the
barrel

it

judge

regions

Even

after

therewith

the

in

cheaper.

cow,

while

"

fit

Where

apply

no

that

(Plaster

profit.

would

much

too

none

tun,

doubt
in

Gypsum

with

applied

per

bushel

which

to

yet
surface

country's

our

be

; and

that

localities

everywhere

pronounced

buying

cultivated
not

be

can

different

in

widely

so

vary

GTPSUM.

"

judge

any

FERTILIZEE8

COJ^IMEECIAL

will

season

good

and

ground

the

present impressionis

do, mj

do most

if

103

GYPSUM.

that

the Summer

appliedwhen

it will

is hottest

If,for instance,you close

your haying in mid-Summer, having been hurried by
the rapid ripening of the grass, and find your meadows
baked
and cracked by the intense heat,I reckon
with
that you
proceed to dust those meadows
may
of it will
Gypsum with a moral certaintythat none
be wasted.

So if your

as

may

and

and

be

as

other

Fall crops

are

per hill ; and

or

so

to

plant it

in

the

quickestmode

stunted

be

bounteouslyas
I

to
apply it specially

and

and

likelyto

will allow.

means

Corn

by drouth, I
of Gypsum broadcast,as evenly
application

from
suffering
advise the

driest.

do

not

its

price and

believe

it

so

your

well

to

the
I

growing stalks,a spoon-full

that it is ever
doubt
judicious

hill with
of

the

seed.

The

readiest

is also,I believe,
application

the best.

impels and invigoratesvegetable

growth,I do not pretend to know ; but that it does
demonstrated
was
so
by ^N^ature long before Man
The cityof Paris
took the hint that she freely
gave.
and a considerable
adjacentdistrict rest on a bed of
Gypsum, ranging from five to twenty feet below the
surface,and considerablydecomposed in its upper
This regionproduces
portionby the action of water.
Wheat
has done so
and I presume
most
luxuriantly,
At lengthit crawled through
from time immemorial.
How

Gypsum

the hair of the

which

did

so

tillers of this soil that

much

the substance

and (asit were)

good fortuitously,

104

WHAT

it could

because
if

its value

as

Lime

so

"

has been

chemical

much

is

deliberate
The

fertilizer.

is

Gypsum

with
soil,

the

appliedto

stillmore

agreed ;

and

intent

result

the

pass

to

test

all understand.

we

of

Sulphur and
theoryof chemists

compound

the winds

that,as

FARMING.

otherwise,might do

do

not

OF

KNOW

over

surface

sown

exhaled
which
has been
by a
it,the Ammonia
thousand
barn-yards,bogs, "c., having a stronger
Lime
for Sulphur than
has, dissolves the
affinity

with

Gypsum, combines
phate of Ammonia,

with

the

and

Sulphur,forming

leaves

the Lime

I accept this

it may.
it ;

theory,having no
and, knowing that Sulphateof

to

Sal-

get

on

as

trust
to dis-

reason

Ammonia

is

powerfulstimulant of vegetablegrowth (asany one

be assured
by buying a little of it from some
may
I can
druggistand making the necessary application),
readilysee how the desired result mAght in this way
fice
be produced. For our
purpose, however, let it sufalmost any one
that it is produced, of which
may
be convinced
by sowing with Gypsum and passingby
clover-field.
I
alternate stripsor belts of the same
a

suspect that

not

many

fertilizers repay

of the first crop ; but I account

and

I submit

that

no

farmer

Gypsum
can

afford

their cost out

one

of them

not

to

try it.

quent
by many and fregood effect is diminished
is highly probable; but there is no
applications,
hill or slope to which
Gypsum has never
yet been
its acquaintance
applied which ought not to make
That

its

this very

year.

am

confident

that there

are

pastures

co:m:mercial

fertilizers

"

105

o-ypsilvi.

which

might be made to increase their yieldof

one-third by a moderate
dressingof it.
I have

heard

County, and
farmers

Andrew

B,

of the

one

best

produced by

ever

Dickinson,hite

our

Grass

of Stenbeni

unlearned
unscientific,
State,maintain that he

farm but impoverishhio

only enrich his own
neighbors'by the free use of Gypsum on his woodless
chemist's explanation of this eifect i?
hills. The
The
above
indicated.
plasteredland attracts and
fair proportion
absorbs not only its own
of the breezeborne Ammonia, but much
that,if the equilibrium
had not been disturbed
would
by such application,
have been depositedon the adjacenthills. As Mr.
D. makes
not the smallest pretensions
the
to science,
not

can

coincidence

his dictum

between

and

the

chemist's

theoryis noteworthy.
Now
with

that
Canals

mercantile
that
Five

six

and
value

no

dollars

anywhere
acres.

our

near

very

one's

every

door,I

gest
sug-

township should go without Gypsum.

will buy at least two barrels of it almost

; and

two

Let

effect)
may

be

and

the

await

country is completelygridironed
whatever
has a
liaih'oads,
brino-ins:

barrels may

it be

so

sown

be

If

over

live

or

that its eflect

palpable
; give it
result.

sown

it

seem

(ornonfair,careful trial,
to

subserve

no

good purpose, be not too swift to enter up judgment;

barrels
and
but buy two
time
more,
vary
your
method
of application,
and try again. If the result
be stillnull,let it be given up that Gypsum is not
the fertilizerneeded
iU-underjustthere that some
"

5*

106

WHAT

stood

and

of

proved

one

tihzers

known

never

the

tried,

but

in

the

calcined

of

clay

showed

plowed
with

fires
sods

of

the

nearly

was

combustible
burned

crops.
deficient

moral

had,

he

fer-

to

clay

and

Whoever

has

to

certainty

decided

may

manure,

of

ashes,
into

clay

liberal

then

all

repeat
returns.

to

this

piled

on

the

fire

smoked
of

when
cart

it

plow

and
that

was

ashes
and

and
strewn

of

improvement
sod

started

till

heap
till

son
Dickin-

farm,

grass-roots

coal-pit

and

each

when

little

the

his

sticks,

or

means

Autumn

dry

mony
testi-

by
B.

during

through

shoveled

were

fields,

in

Andrew

reduced

was

clay
his

over

Mr.

smothered,
like

smouldered

of

roots

upturned

soils

improvement

road-sides

few

fully

others'

of

strength

earth.

or

the

up

been

commercial

cheapest

the

on

where

me

has

mankind.

to

believe

localities

many

Gypsum

and

best

in

that,

true

there

it
abandoned

there

be

use

instances,

countless

in

remain

still

it will

but

renders

climate

or

its

let

Then

ineffective.

soil

of

peculiarity

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

up,

experiment

their
and

is
with

XYIII.

ALKALIS

SALT
.

know

not

DO

the

ricli in

all

of

the

which

believe
would

that

advise

there

and

Cotton,

such,

acres

Indian

more

of

more

farms

fields

or

increase

not

half-dozen

crops

bounteously
their

will
of

which

thereby

or

and

river-bottoms

gradual
must

be
has

equivalent

impoverished

fertile

in

that

Nor

that

sold

meat,

farm,

the

conceit

out

yield
of

or

elements
their

(107)

of
so

sures
inof

product
bushels

his

unless

first

ever

growth

thousand
from

be

would

that

certain

replaced

propriate
ap-

If there

may

of

their

manure

that

they

Hemp,

be

may

do

that

more

luxuriance

exhanstion

Whoever
its

taken

very

needs

so

confident

have

that

sell.

Corn,

good

am

of

application

fertilized.

will

but

dwindle.

grain,

yield, I

their

Prairies

them.

crops,

originally so

cultivation,

to

whatever

staple, if judiciously

tion
produc-

heartily congratulate

not

many

the

so

Yegetables,

of

by

them

are

produce

not

more

be

and

rewards

improved

there

and

owners,

and

surface

the

into

enter

Grasses, Fruits,

be

not

LIME.

"

country's

our

wliicli

objects

; if

fertilizers
the

materials

Grains,

it could

that

of

rood

the

are

^ASHES

"

he

farm,

has

has

ap-

108

WHAT

plied something
the

and

of his

hem

farmer

merciless

who

its annual

of the

(asgood

unless
soil,

the

perceive
Saviour,

by

;
a

tion
abstrac-

of fertilizer.
is the most

he balances

his

rarelyfail to do) by at
the productivecapacity

farmers
of

equalreenforcements

least

loss

kind
by some
the largestcrops

grows

exhauster

drafts

annual

observed

balanced

been

has not

me,"

"

garment had been touched

been cropped might make

report whenever

similar

The

of

out

field that had

every

its loss.

that balances

that virtue has gone

because

FAKMTN'G.

OF

KIN'OW

of his fields.
The

good

begins by inquiring, Wherein

"

farmer

deficient ? and of what

has it
originally
exhausted
been
by subsequent crops ?" I judge that
hill-sides would
reward
the application
my gravelly
loads (ortuns)of pure clayper acre,
of two hundred
the clay flats which
Lake
Chamborder
as I think
plainwould pay for a like applicationof sand or fine
gravel where that material is found in convenient
well that, on
at
proximity; and yet I know
very
of our
least three-fourths
country'sarea, such application
was

Every
and

soil

my

would

cost

farmer

must

its

far

act

on

pecuhar needs,and

of another.

Yet

than

more

his
not

I know

it would

be

knowledge of
blindlyfollow
few

farms

worth.
his soil
tlie dictum

which,

were

in value
they mine, I would not consider enhanced
of some
alkaline substance
by a vigorous application
of the cheaper Nitrates.
Lime, Salt,Ashes, or some
thousand
I should be very glad to apply one
bushels
of good house-made, hard-wood
Ashes to my twenty
-

"

ALKALIS

of arable

acres

at

twenty- five

ASHES

SALT

109

LIME.

upland,if I could buj them, delivered,

to
cents
not
per bushel ; but thej are

I doubt

be had.

that there

hundred

are

acres

of

sandy soil east of the Allea similar apghanies that would not amply reward
plicati
But
Ashes
in quantityare
unattainable,
since no good farmer sells them, and Coal is the chief
dry,gravelly or

warm,

villages.The Marls of New-Jersey

I judge fullyequal in average
value to Ashes
which
ing,
have been nearly deprivedof their potash by leachfor bushel, to
but not quite half equal,bushel
I judge that average
Marl
Ashes.
-w^leached
is
fuel of cities and

worth

10

But

for 25.
and

cents

per
Marl

material

where

bushel
is found

worth

but

Ashes

only in
10

cents

few

per

bear

cheaplybought, good
for

it,if

the

tun

from

their
of

farmers

all resemble

lands at
Potash

will

ordered

Syracuse, paying $50

had

localities,
bushel

beyond 40 miles by
transportation
Salt is only found or made
200 by water.
points,ar.d is too dear for generaluse as a
Where
the refuse product of Salt- Works
not

be

may

wagon
at

will
or

few

fertilizer.
can

be

eagerlycompete
I judge
mine.

fifteen

years

ago

and

was
transportation,
pregnate
imthe cheapest fertilizer I ever
so
bought. It was
Salt (from the boilingover
of the
with
salt-kettles into the ashes)as to be worthless for other
than agricultural
it ^'ith a
purposes ; but I mixed
that I had recently
large pileof Muck
dug, and, six
or
thereafter,
appliedthe product to a
eightmonths

very

poorj

hill-side w^hich
gravelly

I had

justbroken

110

WHAT

If I should

"

IS

assured

yet

I think

in

will

and
been

cases

some

observers

most

and

probably fail ;

liming has

that

noble

try to explainjusthow

I should
fertilizer,

was

of

crop

cation.
yet forgottenthe appli-

hill-side has not

That

Corn.

result

immediate

the

up ; and

FAKMING.

OF

KNOW

why
I

am

well

overdone

in my

concur

Lime

ment
state-

regionwhich has 'been limed year after

I cite as
noticeable excellence.
year producescrops of
Counties,Pennsylvania,
examples Chester and Lancaster
and
Stark
with
adjacent counties of Ohio.
might be secured
Possibly,results equallygratifying
that
other substance ; I only hnow
by applying some
lands are
limed
generallygood lands,as
frequently
wish
that the flat
their crops do testify.I heartily
could
have
Vermont
a
clay intervales of Western
fair trial of the virtues of liming. I should
expect
to see them
thereby rendered friable and arable ; no
of tar
longerchanging speedilyfrom the semblance
and
to that of brick,but
readilyplowed and tilled,
I am
yieldingliberallyof Grain as well as Grass.
that cmy

confident
for

liming

where

the

cents

per

from

the

for

the

to

farms

most

cost

of

bushel

kiln,the

attention

to

his

fiftybushels

of

refuse

work

careful tests

country will pay

our

per

acre

quick-lime does not exceed ten

and most
farmers,by taking,hot
lime
obtain

can

farmer

some

in

extent

buildingpurposes,

I wish

some

that

who
"

as

of the

that

is deemed

it cheaperthan

cannot

"

would

value
practical

that.

personjsl

gives constant
I

unfit

make

of alkalis.

ALKALIS

For

instance:

the

sorrel is

common

rods

with

ASHES

supposed to
all who

to kill

is troubled

whoever

SALT

abundance

of the soil ; and

sorrel is hard

by

with

bushel

and
indicate
have

LIME.

Ill

tenacityof

our

an

acid condition

tried it know

cultivation.
it should

cover

that

suggest
two

that

square

of

ing
quick-hme justafter plowand harrowing this Spring; then apply another
bushel io four square rods adjacent; then make
lar
simiof ashes to two
and four square rods
applications
taking careful note of the boundaries of
respectively,
each patch,and leavingthe rest of the field destitute
of either apphcation. I will not anticipate
the result
than one
be requiredto evolve
: more
year may
confident that a few such experiments
it ; but I am
would
supply data whereof I am in need ; and there
doubtless
otiiers whose
are
ignoranceis nearlyequal
one

to mine.

Many have apphed Lime to their fields without

In some
realizingany advantage therefrom.
cases,
of this ingredientin
there was
alreadya sufficiency
of more
the soil,
and the application
of those
was
one
wasteful blunders induced
by our ignoranceof
many
Lime
is naturallyadulterated
Chemistry. But much
with other minerals,especially
with
Manganese,
if not to all soils subto most
serves
so that its application
In the absence of exact, scientific
no
good end.
bushels of quickknowledge, I would buy fifty
hme, applythem to one acre running through a field,
and
a

bad

watch

the efiect.

or
article,

your

If it does n't pay,

soil is not

you

have

deficient in Lime.

XIX.

is

FARMER

mankind
soil
or

His

capacity.

to

the

invigorating,
I

enough

cerniug

of
Lake

whereof

bottom

made

to

the

and

from

strongly
City

good

and

do

rich,

alkaline

grain

per
I

a)

to
acre.

for

Wheat,
I

soil

the

never

the

yet

portions

which

on

time

yielded ninety
saw,

top

statements

that

first

fully

was

from

the

swale

dis-

Illinois

seen

observation
or

rich]

so

alluvium

black

sometimes
mind.

have

that

plain

grateful

perchance

or

even

naturally

were

question

not

personal

sown

that

Yet

built, being

is

(I

and

and
the

to

tivation
cul-

by

substances

body,

assured

was

and

me

the

lucky

so

them.

deep,
;

irrigated,
of

was

never

find

feet

sixteen

lands

of

to

as

bottoms

'to

into

strengthening,

even

heard

have

to

productive'

its

wortliless,

materials

nourishing

therewith]

transforming

in

the

are

mingles

increase

to

comparatively

offensive

senses,

he

consists

art

crude,
noxious,

order

materials

raw

substances

in

thereto

adds

; his

clad

various

the

and

and

wlierefrora

articles

of

manufacturer

fed

are

FEETILIZEES.

AlfD

SOILS

on

Salt

plowed,
bushels

evidence

AJH)

SOILS

113

FERTILIZEES.

believe,that pioneer settlers of the Miami

wishing,some

Yalley,

after

there,to sell their

settling
them
as
farms, advertised
peculiarlydesirable in
that the barns
stood
creek
a
or
over
branch,"
"which swept away the manure
each Winter
or
Spring
without
trouble to the owner
myself
; and I have
years

"

both Wheat

grown

heavy

Oats

and

straw, yet which

in

that the heads

that

fell

scarcelybore

and

wind

kernel.

make

it do its

say, lest I

here

me

thinks

one

it necessary

to

per acre, I tell him

Oats

and

manure

I been

known

how

to

in spiteof
office,

forgetit in

confi.dent
place,that I am
grain too thicklyfor any but

sow

dead

lay so

Had

have

and

storm.

let

[And

and

rank

very

flat and

so

wiser,better farmer,I should

stiifen the straw

were

less seed

of seed is not

might

better concentrate
save

I do not
instanced

that the

land.

If

bushels

of

poor

he should

apply more
requiresthree

rich enouo;h to bear

his

farmei's

most

three

scatter

that

manure

of his

two-thirds

hold

very

that land which

"

bushels

land, and

that

its appropriate

Oats.

half

on

so

He
much

seed.]

remarkably

rich soils I have

when
first plowed ; I
fertilizing
will presume
that they did not.
Yet, having never
in manuring a corn-field so high that
yet succeeded
loads more
would
not
a few
(I judge)have increased
the

needed

crop, I doubt

bottoms

would

reenforced

And,

when

with
the

whether

not

yieldmore

the

contents

first

heavy

the

even

richest

Illinois

Corn, year by year, if

of a good barn-yard.
crop

of

Corn

has

been

114

WHAT

from

taken

deep and
corn-forming elements

is less rich in
Just

before.

was

how

matter

^no

"

"

it

FAEMING.

OF

that field
field,

fertile its soil

than

KNOW

so

is

that there

as

sure

no

nothing is taken from

depletionor shrinkagewhen
nothing,so sure is it that something cannot be taken
from
something without diminishingits capacityto

yieldsomethingat the
excellent plan ;
is an
which

E"ature's

inflexible

Hence, if

much.

from

fresh

ago,

Club

whereon

Corn

had

of

it,which

claimed

that

bear
over-

for

much

fleld

so

rich that

so

increase

its productive

thereafter
rendered

and
capacity,

exhibited

of the

so

that

fertilizer desirable.
man

been

was

of

crops

on

not

ex^-ctingcrop

that

soil of his

rich, taken

very

apparent exhaustion.
made

first

Western

justlydeemed

was

this does

that would

some

specimen

was

of

flourish

may

ever

it diminished

of
application

Years

one

Rotation

exaction

there

nothing could be added

capacity,the
taken

for

rejected
; but

has

another

call.

next

at

ers'
Farm-

our

region which
from

field

without
repeatedlygrown
chemical
analysishad been
submitted

with

the

soil.

It

could

improve its capacity

for producing the great Illinois staple. Prof. Mapes
dissented from this conclusion.
"This soil,"
said he,
was

"while

very

of

bushels
it does
annum

rich

in

nearly

every

element

which

into the

enters
trace

nothing

composition of Corn, gives barely a

Chlorine,the base of Salt. Hence, if five
of Salt be

and
appliedto that field,
not
thereupon yield ^ve bushels more
per
of Corn, I will agree to eat the field."
per

acre

AND

SOILS

Many

fertilize their poor lands

men

that the better

My

mistake.
such

choice

do without.

can

rule would

trees

plain that

of two

the

of

the

it is

hopeful and

the

more

former

supply to

than

has

elements
but

of

less thankless

If you

the latter.

soil

taining
con-

desired

task to enrich

requiredto

are

nearly everythingthat
withdraw
from it,I do not

crop will

me

three-tenths,

field

the

to

one

to

seems

of which

shows

other

It

better.

the

crop, while
a

plant the poorest with

and pile
without
manure,

one
fields,

nine-tenths

only,supposing
judge that to be a

be to

thrive

as

fertilizers upon

the

115

FERTILIZEES.

your
see

posed
pro-

where

in ; but if you are requiredto supply

comes
profit
the soil as you
found
but a tenth,because
it stood
ready to contribute the remaining nine-tenths,it
that the margin for profitis here deto me
cidedly
seems
the

the
How

to

therefrom

he

can

it

were

turn

the Corn

better to do

though

other

weU

to

endeavor

from

the smaller

It

from
than

so

fullyshare
barn-yardmanure

to

to

farmer

to

Two

? Fiwe

thousand

doubt

hundred

employ

tuns

be

obtain

Corn?

will

one

clear

seems

conditions

of

one

in ordfer to

over

thousand

things being equal,no

make

ought

bushels
? A

hundred

five thousand.

or

earth
and

over

hundred

? Five

of

tuns

many

obliged

Other

greater.

dred
hun?

that,if
of

soil,

five hundred

to my

mind

that,

be

-w^equal,it is generally
produce the requiredquantity

rather

than

the

largerarea.
the average
farmer's partiality
for
in preferenceto most, if not all,

116

WHAT

commercial
farmer

fertilizers.

FARMEsG.

In my

judgment,almost
fit shelter

with
cattle,

has

who

OF

KNOW

fertilizers far

make

buy them.

paid $100

or

have

considerablyenriched

more

judge that

from

muck

for

over

barn-yardin August
to

muck

within

farmer

every

Guano

or

can

who

has

his farm

Fall.

that

or

and

carting it

If he

at

barn-yard,and there convert them

In Autumn, replace the hay-rack

they
him,
into

once

no

are
pecially
es-

his

fertilizers.

into
the

on

get

can

near

grow
them

cart
by the road-side,

ing
by drawpond into his

cut, when

mile, let him

blossom, all the weeds

he

(forinstance),
might

bog
September

his fields the next

thence

in

almost

convenient

some

Winter

and

cheaper than

fodder,can

any

wagon

or

leaves
pileload after load of freshly-fallen
the
into your yard ; taking them, if you may, from
sides of roads and fences,and from any place where
they may have been lodged or heaped by the winds,

cart, and

own

your
auy

wood-lot

scurvy

lot

or

excepted.
road-side,and

dig a hundred
place it there,if you can get
; nay,

soil is

your

average

who

is unable
should

or

it at

apply his

to

whole

can

obtain

most

sandy.

the

good

work.

Some

izers
fertil-

Autumn

may

to

which

trampling of
A
too
seem

and

farmer

The

that material

readilyconvert into manure.

months
would
two
be
not
little,
to this

clay,and

commercial

cattle may
too

the barnyard

small expense,

force every

easilywhich

ofi* of

turf

of pure

buy

his barn-yard with

replenishing
he

the

pileit into

loads

gravellyor

reluctant

Plow

month

much,

his
is

vote
to de-

obliged to

BOILS

it to Winter

postpone

embarrassment

quality,or

not

ensuing
All

"

ought

so

know

; how

the

but
to

attempts

inferior

be

apply

in

grain-crops

to

lands

substitute
where

Scientific

do

it

by

not

As

be

to

that

doubt

will

Agriculture that

yet, however,

and

fragments ;

and

naked

assertions

and

mislead

and

suggestions

complete

serve
nearly subis not

Gypsum

requirements.

in

applicationin

most

claim, and

are

cation
appli-

common

such

can

by

these

why

profitof

the

enriched

are

not

are

We

instruction.

is not

not, by

are

all you

your

exists

the

"encounter

will
to

if any,

ends

yet be

fullyanswer
it

say,

what

same

shall

there

may

great is

I admit

had.

fitted

those

; and

case

material

well

what,

fertilized,
why

any

and

snow,

exactly what

and

Gypsum,

or

the risk of

run

Fall.

this,you

to

is to

that

; but

your

117

FERTILIZEKS.

frost

by

certainty that
the

AND

tend
sweeping generalizations

rather

disgustthe

reallyto enlightenand

guide
as

true

young
At

him.
no

more

farmer

than

all events, I
I

than

shall

know,

or

to

aim
with

to

set

good

forth

reason

confidentlybelieve.
I close

by reiterating
my

yet impoverished himself

or

by applying
I cannot

too

speak

so

fertilizers;but
next

chapter.

belief

that

by making
much

of

his

no

too
own

farmer

ever

much

nure
ma-

ture.
manufac-

mercial
confidentlyof huyi/agcom-

tliese I

will

discuss

in

my

XX.

BONES

1
Faith

check

to

HATE

yet

^PHOSPHATES

"

improvement

do

squandering

are

growers,

that

it should

though

even

make

my

live

position
in

more

than

great

city

two

has

to

twelve
of

and

exhausted

heart

and,
which

proximity

it

incessantly,

of

structure,

of

crop
its

except

been

("8)

original

vegetable

mold

Beef,

and

they

culture

that

animal

and

subtle
but

have

gradually

of

Corn
"

have

chester
"West-

of

kept

been

in

fertilizing;
Phosphorus,

element.

and

haustively.
ex-

; then

liberal

necessarily

posed
com-

gentler slopes

where

to

(mainly

Apples

and

for

soil

surface

forest-leaves)remained

every
has

to

while

minutely

enters

can.

its

here,

even

me

while

judicious

by

Let

unheeded.

centuries,

hill-sides

County,

warning,

cultivated

length, Milk,

the

of

tilizers,
Fer-

been

tempted

at

cotton-

has

inches

as

of

many

which

decayed

Oats

that

note

my

wholly

clear

as

Wheat
six

ntter

pass

section

to

of

glow

Commercial

on

money

bound

am

the

Southern

the

people, espe"cially among

our

chill

or

apprehend

keenly

so

GTJANO.

"

into

nearly

every

drawn

away

the

position
com-

vegetable
in

Grain,

PHOSPHATES

BONES

Milk, in Bones, and

in

restored

not

to the soil

of ordinarymanures.
application
that
of
a

field may

be

manured

so

Hay per acre, yet so

sound, healthyanimal

For

the

convinced

am

give three tuns

Phosphorus that

to

as

destitute of
be

cannot

by

therefrom.

grown

centuries,the tillers of Westchester

two

knew

119

GUANO.

County
lowed
Phosphorus,and al-

nothing of Chemistry or
the unvalued

of their

bones

animals

to be

ported
ex-

to fatten British

meadows,without an effort to
retain them.
tial
Hence, it has become
absolutelyessenthat we
buy and apply Phosphates,even
though
land can
the prioe be high ; for our
no
longer do
without

Wherever

them.

steer

be

caught gnawing
bone, there Phosphates

old

at what

matter

dressingof
than

try

But
lands
have

where

South

will

casionally
oc-

mumbling over an
no
indispensable,

or
are

$100 per

pay

Bone

of

pounds

recentlybrought into

the

of

bones

allowed, for

mingle with
Phosphates ;

can

for

tun

acre

per

without.

lands

been

hundred

one

to do

no

Better

cost.

heifer

or

the

soil

I doubt

and

ever

return

animals

unnumbered
can

"

the

cultivation

an

be

fed
years

^no

"

thereon

past, to
for

equally hungry

cotton-field in the

that any

outlayof

even

$50 per

tun

That
Phosphatic fertilizer whatever.
any
preparationof Bone, or whereof Bone is a principal
doubted
element, will increase the succeeding crops, is un-

for any

decent
my

; but

that

margin

of

satisfaction.

it will

ever

return

is yet to
profit,

be

its cost

and

demonstrated

to

120

WHAT

Ko

doubt, there
even

advisable.

of

tun

Guano

of

Muck,

Guano,
six

otherwise

would

that Clover

to

$90 per

at

is

tun

Lime, "c., equally

be far

cheaper; but months would

and perfectit,and meantime

lose his

give him

will

of Peruvian

prepare

would

farmer

in whicli tlie applicatio

specialcases

are

compost

might
efficient,
requiredto

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

of

or
or

the

the
If

one.

expensive Phosphate,

some

of Clover

eight acres

have
feed

fail to make

or

crop,

be

little
team

or

and

none,

w^herewith

where
he

ho

needs

he is breaking

his farm to grow

next
a good crop
fitting
the purchase and application,
wisely make
year, he may
be able to compost for]
even
though he may
next
year'suse twice the value of fertilizers for the*
so
precisecost of this. But I am
thorough in my
home
devotion to
skillful
industry,"that I hold him an unup

and

"

farmer

who

cannot, nine

mainly from materials

farm, a pile of compost

found

be

to

times

the

of
enduring fertility

his farm

he

can

bring from

at

Understand
like

all

distance

that this is

general rules, to

think

every

needs

it ;

farmer

should

on

or

near

for $100 that w^illadd

to

in ten,

cost

than

make,
his
more

anything

of $150.

generalrule,and subject,
exceptions. Gypsum, I
buy ; Lime also,if his soil

Phosphates in some
shape,if past ignorance
or
follyhas allowed that soil to be despoiledof
them ; "Wood
be found
can
Ashes, if any one
so
brainless as to sell them ; Marl, of course, where
it is
within
found
ten
miles ; Guano
rarely,and
very
mainly when somethingis needed to make a crop be-

BONES

fore
a

condition of fitness for

is this

insist on

twenty

fertilizersfor every
unless
dealer,

; but

use

be

broughtinto
generalrule I

the

good farmer will,in

thirtyyears,

or

121

GUANO.

colder fertilizers can

and

coarser

PHOSPHATES

"

make

at

dollar's worth

the

course

least $10 worth

he

buys

from

of
of
any

it be the

sweepingsor other excretions

of some
not distant city.
I have used Guano
and, though it has
frequently,
generallymade its mark, I never
yet felt sure that it
returned me
its cost.
a profit
over
Phosphateshave
where
done better,especially
applied to Corn in the
either at the time of plantingor later ; yet my
hill,
strong impression is that Flour of Bone, applied
broadcast
and freely,
when "Wheat or Oats
especially
are

sown

on

and

Grass,

to

surelythan anything else I

order from
the City,Gypsum, and possiblyOysterShell Lime, excepted.
My experience can be no safe guide for others,
since it is not proved that the anterior condition and
needs of their soils are
like those of mine.
precisely
has not had a fair trial on
I apprehend that Guano
in apor
my place that carelessness in pulverizing
plicatio

pays

better

field that is to be laid down

more

"

has caused

it to

'^

waste

its sweetness

on

the

that a drouth following

its application
or
air,''
has prevented the due development of its virtues.
And stillmy impressionthat Guano
is the brandy of
vegetation,
supplyingto plantsstimulus rather than
is so clear and strong that it may
not easily
nutrition,
desert

be effaced.

It
6

seems

to

me

plainlyabsurd

to

send

122

WHAT

other

any

half the

than

character

and

or

phere
atmos-

which

value,and

which

to

of like elements

cost

this

excretions

combine

Capitalmight

and

Science

with

adjacentwaters

similar

of very

this

for

miles

the

and
are

FARMING.

OF

stimulant,when
great city annuallypoisons its own

thousand

ten

KPTOW

utilize at less

in the

form

of

Guano.

My objectin
careful
trust

assured

once

his

but

that he

me

which

of Soda

cost

therefrom
worth
cost
so

four

$15 per
of

making

fortunate
four

another

fair

to

Hold

and

more

the

second

Islander
of

thin,

N^itrate
ed
obtain-

of

so

more

for

well ;

And

me.

not

surface

what

see

good."

"

I
a

hope

to conform

Apostolic precept,

Prove
No

be

where

but, should

to

mean

be induced

is

there may

earth's

the
do

will do

tuns

and
trial,

of

would

fast that which

failure in
with

Khode

good Hay,
: Net
profit(afterallowingfor the
Hay), say $30. He might not be
additional

opportunity,I

of that Nitrate
may

the

him

acres

of Soda

Nitrate
have

on

tun

absolutely

appliedto four acres

pounds per acre of
$4 per hundred, and

hundred

slatygravelone

senses.

own

experiment and

should

JSTo farmer

observation.

aught

is to incite

this paper

ever

little

farmers
in practice

all

one's

things:

success

or

particularinstance should be conclusive

of antecedent
others,because of the infinite diversity
a

and

attendant

circumstances

; but

if every

thriftyfarmer would give to each of the commercial

fertilizers Lime, Gypsum, Guano, Raw
phates,
Bone, PhosAshes, Salt,Marl, etc. such a careful trial
"

"

BONES

PHOSPHATES

"

123

GUANO.

"

he

as

miglit,observingcloselyand recordingcarefully
have
of facts and
results,we should soon
a mass

the

results,wherefrom

deductions

signal practicalvalue

the

to

drawn

be

might

present and

of

future

to

generations.
I

firmly believe
the

of

household

Closet,and
sive

and
on

is

the

that

muck,

its odor

ashes, and

or

truth
this

to

estimate

material

$1

at

which

waste

is

per

annum

the

productive capacity of

must
or

our

loss

in
whoever

extensive
can

do

and

better

difi'use the Earth

the

We

Closet.

to

the
of

waste

all

in

to

meantime

cannot,
devise

must

applying

that

which

daily expanding

; but

daily

removal

This

soil.

securing and
defer

or

steadily diminishing

of

it be

$40,000,000

or

mode

fertilizer ; and

for

by

continue.

some

with

It is far within

to

adopt

the

on

that

not, be allowed

powerful

and

head,

per

poison

suppressed by earth,

soil.

J^ational

our

it to

dealt

be

to

prepared

the

That

senses

counsels

thus

incorporation with

the

or

the Earth-

fertilizer produced

leaves

noisome

absorbed

means

household.

which

refinement

by

rendering inofien-

every

oflend

it is too

true

covered, and
and

in

and

and

atmosphere
A

cence
signalbenefi-

as

powerful

most

vulgar squeamishness

utilized.

or

farm

every

for

devices

utilizingthe

assumption

known

convenience

kindred

by

of

slowly but surely achieved

be

to

are

great results

that

let

use.
us

this

is already
Let

welcome

XXI.

muck:

can

us

of

Muck

for

pay

than
do

that

of

loads
the

effect

have

has

Wherever

valley, plain,

in

plants

which

caught

are

in

to

all

that
in

dying
their
(124)

ridges

or

may

are

seldom
and

descent

the

by

are

the

upland

; and

of

my

late

in

up

own

perience.
ex-

The

winds

of
be

or

in

Autumn,

falling.
harsh

me

to

ponds
dry

not

Let

surface

is apt

forming

dry

sand
thou-

the

to

water

may

leaves

my

'pay.

three

least

light

tilizer,
fer-

it does

expected.

come

slope,

by them,

pools, which
but

swamp

gentle

or

retained

or

my

generally,

valuable

composting
at

been

rocks

is

transferred

it from

Muck

of

speak

and

far

worth

now

exactly nothing.

Muck

that

digging

that

judge

is worth

chemists

be

is

will

another

may

affords

pond

of

points

mine

since

however,

and

There

of

value

that

or

product

these

on

mine,

know,

the

cbemists

relative

or

swamp

digging.

judgment

more

this

how

when

doubt,

positive

article, while

hardly
whose

I cannot

exact

IT.

UTILIZE

TO

"

choice

be,

the

tell

cord
a

will

time

The

HOW

lected
collower
shalmer,
Sum-

when

latter,
of

the

MUCK

strike

they
and

will often
five to ten

There
of

acres

in

Swamps

T presume

whereof

until

the

weeds

filled them

longer retained

are

so

so

and

the

increase
varies

from

feet.

In

littleor

the

the
the

leaves

covered

was

of

And

their rank

swept

in

to

County

but

are
a

uses

of

few

still,
they

is
vegetation
from the adjacent
aid

to

which

hundreds

acres

have

yet

of
been

of cultivation.

his fields

immediate

no

is

thirty
twenty and even
Westchester,I roughly

Muck

digs a quantityof Swamp

directlyto

and

water

at least five thousand

very

with

leaves

level at which

surface.

and

next, for

fiftymillions of
(including
Maine);

contributions

inches

few

to the

it

the

old

bog, whereof
Whoever

largerarea

on

that there

subdued

the

foliageof

gladesare firmlyretained and

depth of their vegetable mold,

my

estimate

old States

boggy,

retentive,that
hills and

our

above

no

moist

less than

face
sur-

Fall will render

next

the next, and

slow

water

of watery

acre

an

retain the dead

be

cannot

till

tlieir progress

arrests

of forest ; and

tribute,and

125

IT.

bare, dry ground,

Thus

collect and

acres

its kindred
ever.

the

water, which

the

engulfsthem.

soon

UTILIZE

TO

swept along

are

season,

HOW

or

and

garden, will

benefit therefrom.

plies
ap-

derive

It is green,

thickly
and persistently
with Sorrel,Eye-smart,Rag-weed,
than to add a bushel
Pursley,and other infestations,
sour,

per

acre

to

more

his

crop

likelyto

cover

of Grain

Muck, and, on
pestilent
humbug.

many
a

cold,and

have

tried

or

his farm

Roots.

And

thus

trial,
pronounced it

126

WHAT

or

farmer

let any

But

marsh
it

(when

out

Muck

shoveled

out

in wheel-barrows

two

feet

it

and

be worked

seeds and

insects

is lowest

dumped

on

worked
be

over

shoveled

ripened
a

as

by

fowls.

yard

Muck

cords may

be fit to draw

Spring.

at least

well

may

thence,

thus

out

after

be

being

he

be

next

sun

to

the fields to be

All

the

and

so

May
and
crops

mixed

and

and

used

that which

then

new

Muck

not

so

full

wind

of Winter

planted
made

manure

spread over

monthly ;

be

Roots,though, if

or

exposed to
being applied in the Fall

should

liquidto

no

trampled through and through,to

and
the centre
replaced by fresh

grain or spread upon

Winter

allows

sides ;

for

over

yard
that the farm-

Assuming
and

it

and

treated,it should

next

draw

begin to

drier

fertilizer for Grain

year ;

and

dry

the

hundred
to

let it

scratched

and

swine

is

that

where
especially

yards,and

in the centre

into

arrivals.

as

then

by evaporation,the

save

escape

bank

harvest,and

by

and

cart

it be

Here

over

farm-yard,

into

once

convenient

most

the

graduallyinto

may

at

his

near

dry.
perfectly

till after Fall

drain

be

in that

simply brought
than
deposited,not more

and

the

deep, on

well drained

bog

but, if not, let

thither ;

to unite

better than

If the

be

abihty,dig and
stance,
black, oozy sub-

of its

cords

he will know

hasty judgment.
drawn

bog

of his

to the best

hundred

one

and

let the

force into

his whole

turn

harvest
after finishinghis Summer
directly
ing
is apt to be driest and warmest), and, hav-

freed it of water
draw

farming.

of

e:n"OW

or

ed
sow-

during

the

lies in the
drawn

in,

MUCK

HOW

TO

UTILIZE

127

IT.
.

rooted

to be

scratched

or

strata,and

treated,I
Muck

overspread in

confident

am.

that

will be

equal in
though it may

manure,

trampled

over,

each

value

into the

its turn.

hundred

derlying
un-

Thus

cords

of

equalquantityof
give up its fertilizing

to

not

an

to the first crop that follows

its
propertiesso freel}^
application.I have land that did not yield(inpasture)

the
I

when
of

good hay

due

to

To

half

equivalentof
bought it,that

per

; and

have

those who

hay

annum

per

least three

its renovation

of Swamp
application

free

of

yieldsat

now

annum

tun

tuns

is mainly

Muck.

good stock of animals,with

Muck
convenient
to their yards,I would
not recommend
than the foregoing
any other treatment
; but
who
there are
keep few animals, or whose
many
muck-beds
lie at the back of their farms,two or three
hundred
their barns ; while
rods from
they wish to
fields in this quarter, which

fertilize the

former

slightedin

which

over

because
applications,
had

manure

to be

have

been

of the

tance
dis-

If these

hauled.

Ashes
buy good hard-wood,house-made
cents or less per bushel,I would
at twenty-five
say.
Mix these well,at the rate of two or three bushels to

possess

the

the

you

all

your

Spring,and

give it a

be

some

can

cord,with

the next
to

or

Muck

as

apply it

full year to

dig it ; work it over

the ensuing Fall,so as

you

ripenand sweeten,

and

it will

right. Eut, if you have not and cannot get

Ashes, and ca/n procure dirty,refuse Salt from
meat-packer or wholesale grocer, apply this as
would
have
applied the Ashes, but in rather

128

WHAT

larger quantity
kihi

as

Oyster-Shells;

burned

nearly equal
too

dear

of

the

mason-work

of every

out

taken

be

looked

to

each

not
as

and

to

them

that

any

clearing
if it

should
in

be

quality

it should

be

four

used

plied
ap-

bushels

do

so

Muck
after

as

light on

series,I shall

not

Chloride
this
fail

Prof.

results

Salt
it is

point

before

impart

it.

dug

so

and,

Mapes's recipe,
not

from
If

of Lime.

to

because

it is

as

hereafter, I do

positive advantage

application

Mapes,

mixing

ingredients together

two

them

of

process

Prof.

the

with

to

the

by
these

bring

I have

purpose

inferior

less than

not

"

describe

commended

and

further

Being

for

lime-

quite cheap
this

is

refuse

the

the

at

; and

once

secured.

here

mix

though

sell

Lime

of Muck.

not

easy

will

imperfectly burned),

cord

Lime

to

at

way

larger quantity

I will
with

his

of

this

slaked,

enough

Usually,
of

more

from

the

good

not

used.

he

because

in

or

is

here

and

points ;

kiln, which

out

for

(often

load

Oyster-Shell

be

must

"

has

Salt

; but

the

is that

this,if nowise

which

that

"

Lime

best

from

hot

and

I consider

inland

most

at

kilns

burner

refuse

to

fresh

The

Ashes

get neither

can

as

it.

apply

can

you

FARMING.

and, if jou

quick Lime,

Salt, use

nor

OF

KNOW

feel
their

certain
blended

I should

completing

gain
this

XXII.

INSECTS

If

1
the

of

to

were

farmers

$100,000,000
below

the

from

country

this

no

must

perhaps

have

ceased

generally stung
has

at

last

our

paltry
drive

Now,

we

tm'ning

to

have
warfare

did
his

not

sod

no

Plums

We

are

Currant

the

best

our

Birds.

destroy them.
with

sadly

Pears

even

worm.

that
the

are

; but

and

our

but

proflt-

product

but

fight

must

allow

them

field.

the

doubt

In

all

most

our

eflficiently,
or

more

from

fifty miles

been

crop

expect

fruit-destroying

whoUy

have

blighted

vastation
de-

Millions.

to

lately

or

often

and

the

utterly destroy.

not

far

flourished,

average

grow

adversaries

us

inglorious
us, if

its

our

do

they

value

at

be

by

of

important

most

half

alone

once

till

were

our

take

in

Cherries

and

doubtless

radius

Insects

from

fruit

Peach

the

more,

what

damage

of

amount

ApjDles

worms

loss

loss

absolute

average

should

annum,
The

City,

and

able

this

insects, within

annihilated.

to

of

mark.

flourishes

we

the

neighborhood,

my

the

estimate

per

of

BIRDS.

myriad

alhes

They
The
of

British
crows,

(129)

in

would

this
save

plowman,
blackbirds,

130

WHAT

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

gettingunder his
grubs, bugs, etc.,is a

etc.,chasinghis steps and

all but

feet

of

their eager

in

of

darken
our
habitually
(lessnotably) throughout the
reasonablyhope to grow
may

and

months,

we

favorite Fruits

our

that

we

them

owe

though

Whenever

for.

from
the

to

Summer
fair crops

year, and

to

year

constant, and

efforts
quitedisinterested,

not

fields in

shall

of birds

clouds

May

devoutly thankful

be

spectacleto

quest

of

our

realize

zealous,
friends,

the Birds.
But

I do

to the reckless

due

scarcityof

Birds.

om*

degeneracyof
On

culture.

Gov.
"I
stream

I hold

this

William
know
that

that

or

twenty

and
their

as

years

tion
multiplica-

by

the
our

made

statement

ago,

tirely
en-

consequent

largelyincited by
by the badness of

point,consider

fifteen

some

are

plantscaused

our

of Insects

ravages

destruction

their devastations

and

to me,

regard the

not

the

late

F.

Packer, of Pennsylvania:
(saidGov. P.) the narrow
valleyof
into the west

runs

which

cleared

was

branch
of

the

of the

Susquehanna,
primitiveforest

fiftyyears since,and has ever since

been
in tillageand grass.
A
road ran
alternately
through the middle of it,dividingit into two narrow
some

forty or

fields. A
and

the

few

years

whole

road-way,

thrown

of

ago, this road

this

into

was

abandoned,

little
a

valley,includingthe
was
single field,which
At harvest- time, this remarkable

to Wheat.
thereuponsown
phenomenon was
presented: A good crop
of sound
grain on the stripfour or five rods wide

INSECTS

131

BIHDS.

"

tbrmerljcovered by the road; while nearly every

berry on either side of it was destroyedby the weevil
or
midge."
]N^ow

do

whollydue

are

ravages

soil.

the
would

infer

not

from

to

Wheat

that

presume

insect

exhaustion

and

abuse

our

that

fact

this

other

and

crops

by insects if there were

slovenly,niggard, exhausting tillage.But
be

devastated

firmlyhold
would

insect

in

when

from

well

nigh

exhausted

began

we

insects ;

and

had

hear

their
of the

ravages

in

that

been

three

upon

with

our

the

since

might
us.

generation,to wage
multipliedbeyond
of

we

We
a

had

be
have

grown

on

are

have

had

had

been

for

heard

fields but

those

been,

little of

from

the

the

tines
Philis-

for at least

against insects
comings
neglect and short-

war

by the
predecessors. We
of

of this

abandoned

doomed,

reason

inhabitants

they

redemption

relentless

little

ments,
Wheat-forming eledesolation
wrought
increased
in magnitude

should

once

zing,
fertili-

of Wheat

crop

do

Western

of

thirtyyears

to

their

I heard

fields until

of

those

Wheat

primal forest.
But, whatever
are

after

same

to

I believe

year

first

Wheat-cultui'e

until

one

the

of crops.

no

by insects
habitually

were

wheat-fields

the

crop

taken

insects

fields

our

the
thi'oughout

been

losses

our

by deep culture,liberal

heart

ravages

century ; but,

years.

if

rotation
judicious

!brew-York

by

least half

at

precluded

in better
and

of

that

be

kept

of

the

are

in like

British

dition
con-

isles

132

WHAT

thousand

had

forefathers

by the
spoliation
be regarded as

N'orthmen

they

had

sea-kings'natural

the

has

that

been

long

so

invasion

resisted
unskillfully

so

generations,it

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

ago, whose

years
and

endured

and
to

come

For

prey.
hereabout

customary

to

the birds,and let caterpillars,

remorse
slaughterwithout
etc.,multiplyand ravage
grasshoppers,
worms,
We
unresisted.
must
by present
pay for past errors
because
loss and years of extra effort. And, precisely
the task is

so

arduous,we

ourselves
The

ought to

of Birds

who

realizes the

teach

no

time

in addressin

to its execution.

first step to be taken

farmer

lose

his

own

is very

simple. Let

importance
children

and

and

every

beneficence

hirelingsthat,

spared,protected,
kindlytreated,and (when necessary)fed. They are
to be valued and cherished
as the voluntarypoliceof
except the Hawk,

they

are

to

be

ing
gardens,constantlyemployed in fightThe boy
ruthless foes.
battles againstour
our
of a
is robbing the farmer
who
robs a bird's nest
part of his crops. He who traverses a farm shooting
sentinels diminishes
its
and mangling its feathered
future
product of Grain and nearlydestroysthat of
Fruit.
farmer
The
might as well consent that any
ruffian should
Cattle as
shoot his Horses
or
strolling
this truth felt
his Birds.
Begin at home to make
and it will be the easier to impressit
and respected,
also on your neighbors.
Next, there should be neighborhood or township
birds.
associations for the protectionof insect-eating
our

fields and

We

and

cherish

bowls
of

centre

with

tree

adopted

by

they might
If
in

to

its

such

would

birds

And

must

we

warfare

with

fields

Make

with

robin

shoot

permission,
humble

and

allies

public

sentiment

might,

in

another's

land

cowardly

would

civilized

with

be
had

who

been

regions,

fine

at

arrested

our

every

discover.

and

ment,
imprisonhis

once,

properly
be

in

at

can

of

ing
skulk-

traverse

away

without

massacre

checked

Though

stealthy,

they

of

quadrupled.
aid.

vagabonds

that

hawks,

materially

us

us

number

our

against

thrush

punishable

the

to

whence

from

and

rifle,blazing

or

or

on

law

be

among

the

doubled

help

can

cowardly

musket

it trespass,
to

be

nothing
it

safe

be

enemies.

its nest

robbers,

the

or

the

unsuspecting

other

summon

little

do

can

build

of

time

in

predacious

would

eggs

quickly

nest-plunderers,

our

could

cats, boys, and

crows,

their

scorn

bird

where

place

law

laugh

side

nesting strongholds,

as

in
pence
six-

cost

the

would

hole

not

to

ple
sim-

very

each

need

lightly driven,

harmless

every

that

must

we

"

fastened

be

birds

many

believe

size, that

could
nail

live

cast-iron, having

suitable

one

let them
I

them.

of

each, and

to

agree

protect

or

cups
its

merely

not

must

133

^BIRDS.

INSECTS

the

express
farmers'

and, when

enlightened,
altogether.

XXIII.

f|

TKEE-PLAI^TING.

AEOUT

A
I

liad

HAVE

that

I should

but

letters

of

is

nothing, yet

unwilHng

that

regard

they
I

learn,

to

with

suggestions

For

mine.

conscious

are

not

are

timid

few

who

only

than

depser

even

the

that

imply

me

it ;

about

more

no

say

reached

have

those

to

Tree-Planting

in

experience

preferred

others

of

sake

know

have
that

ignorance
the

little

so

ture
ven-

Tree-

to

Planting.
I.

Ten

seed

of Locust

more

it

twelve

or

for

by plunging

held

it into

seed

steep

when
bit

the
of

should
in

seed

poor
have

20th.

feebly

that

not

and

late

of

in

the

bag

in

My

locusts

at

my
(134)

to

all.

place

is

in

This
the
of

nothing

not

year,

seed

came

of

Still

many

this

day

richest

available
it

slowly

the
came

the

broken

mistake

planting

the

morning,

newly

was

up

speak

letting

till next

rows

which

bag

and

or

scalded

Spring,

boiling water,

that

say

the

pound

little cotton

pasture-land.

to

bought

in

the

planted

was

given

sprout

rather

steam

old

garden,

my

April

did

and

ago,

moment

pot

years

many
up
richer

as

spot

early

and

as

grew

seeds

that

and

vived,
sur-

for

them.

ABOUT

miglithave

It

known

Fall,or

so

part of it be
inches

into

as

in

drops
two
drills,

rich

then

the seed and

drills

as

out

Winter

smaller

If

above.

some

surface-roots
them

in

earth

to this purpose.

cool cellar where

from

till April;

Locust

cuts

will allow

of

ounces

and
together,

who

one

Spring

or

box

two

that the richest

here let it remain

enter, and

take

devoted

in

; that

feet apart, with

loam, stir four

set the

this,and

and

procured

the trees

and
drills,

be
garden-soil
with

be

from

it

frost does not

the

seasonably
Locust

to

as

best seed

seeds in the

largebox

seed

soon

between

advise

now

is that the

sown

dry, warm

Fill

had

still richer

I would

otlier trees

most

of

been

more.

II. What

the

135

TREE-PLANTING.

to

you

the new-made

in

sow

during

trace

the

stumps and

a hundred
or
fifty
piecesof
the size of your fingereach two
feet long,and
root
plaTitthese,about May 1, in the places where you
forward
Locusts to come
most
want
rapidly. Some

cut

dig

or

of them
from

not

may

grow,
I

all these sources,

good supplyof
the seed
up

up, cut

and

get
set

young

two

them

but I think

many

judge that

you

andj

will obtain

Let those you start from

trees.

years'growth before
where

will ;

you

want

you

take them

trees,whether

in

present woods, in rugged,rocky pastures,on the

sides of steep ravines,
around
You
or
yonr buildings.

your

cannot

fail to obtain

some

if you

trees

follow

these

directions.

III.

Begin early this Fall

HickoryJSTuts,
Walnuts, White

gather Chestnuts,'^
Oak Acorns, etc.,to

to

136

WHAT

plant. Select

where

in

them

largestand finest nuts, givingtLe

those which
i*ipenand fall earliest.
earth in

cool,damp

rats and

mice

garden or in any
likelyto be disturbed

two

and

seed

feet

them

forest

them, and

cellar

persist

plant a part in
ground where they are not

lettingthe
where

residue

you

and

which, set

in

former, in

the

six inches

give the

remain

first placed them

plantthese,like

years ; after

between

seed

careful culture

rows

them

where

you

to grow.

I venture

stony hill

row,

or

Then

apart, with

in each

for two
wish

earth

of moist

till earlySpring;then
rows

rich

barn

some

reach

cannot

your

the boxes

FARMING.

OF

till December.
collecting

in

to

KNOW

the

preference to

Keep

to
or

suggest

other

should

he wishes

lot which

plow it,if

has

he who

that

it

can

be

to

rugged,

surrender

plowed,next

perfectl
September or October ; if too rocky to be even implowed, dig up the earth with pick and
spade, and sow it thickly with hickory nuts, walnuts,
expecting that
chestnuts,locust and other tree-seeds,
will be dug up and carried off by squirrels,
etc.,
some
it
and that others will fail to germinate. Go
over
all weeds
with hoes the ensuing June or July,killing
and other infestations ; and, nearlya 3^ear later,
repeat
the operation,
takingup young trees from your garden
there is
in wherever
them
and filling
or nursery,
Plant
room.
thicklyin order to force an upward
rather than a scraggy growth ; and so that you may
poles,
begin to cut out the superfluoussaplingsfor bean-

hoop-poles,
etc.,three

or

four

years

thereafter.

Cut

in Winter

late

earlyin Spring,so

or

stumps will earih throw

sprouts, which

originaltree

And

thus be continued
allowed

are

And

thus

two

np

to

or

the

process

while
indefinitely,
attain

their

of

that
shoots

more

faster

much

usuallygrow

did.

137

TEEE-PLANTING.

ABOUT

than

or

the

thinningmay

the choicer

stateliest

the

trees

proportions.

rocky,sterile hill-side or knoll may be

made
to yield a crop annually after the first two
or
three years from
while growing trees
of
planting,
I judge that almost any land within
decided
value.
than
two
fiftymiles of a great cityand not more
miles from a railroad depot or from navigablewater
thus be made
to earn
a good interest on
$100
may
per acre, after meeting all the cost of breakingup
and planting. I confidently
sands
thouassert that many
of sterile,
rocky acres, which now
yield less
than $5 per acre
annually in pasturage,would net at
least double that sum
if wiselydevoted
to the owner
a

to forest-trees.

I have

heartylove

companionship
fuller and
climate

less

gentle
They proffer
thoughtfuland rest to the

the

to

fevered

overworked,

of forests.

Our

brain.

our
capricious,

streams

will

be

galesless destructive,

shall have
rewe
equable,when
clothed our
rugged slopes and rocky crests with
Timber
and dearer,when
trees.
yearlyscarcer
grows
it ought to be becoming more
and accessible,
plentiful
our

and
land

which

more

would
we

be

if

cultivate

we

at

devoted
a

loss

or

to

trees

fail to

all the
cultivate

138

WHAT

all.

at

plant

Let

where

they

all cooperate in

ns

maldng
of

glad

incited

be

let young

covering

of

our

mines,
and

to Australia

have

their

for

openings
of

area

devote

to

the

on

treeless

Basin

Great

locations

the

and

Let

where

far-off land

some

recently

beings.

I will

not

that

there

are

judge

daring within

them

planting

to

virtual

acres

of

deserts

with

of the

abundance

an

start

patches of

from

present timber, until

to

one

each

and

guarded

the

earth.

planted at
these
sold

till their

roots

least

each

"

of

selves
them-

settlers for many

times

been
firm

taken
would

on

and
forest,

their

forests
started
hold

grant

which

them

remote

different

preemption rights could, within

to

most

shall have

have

section

fortyacres

the

thousand

Congress

presume
to

points

at

of the associates

preemptions

woodland

of

them

they

thus

most

of

years,

be

that
ten

the

surely

seeds, let

best

ests
for-

select

cheaply and

may

the

of

thousand

one

side of it ; let them

either

the

ocean,

and, having carefullyprovided

irrigated,

be

"

to the

five years

next

plains and

on

and

for adventure

taste

enterprise and

country.

own

our

resolve

their

; but

taste

let

superabundance

them

civilized

scantilypeopled by

quarrel with

other

some

or

and

dozen,

unsightly rocks

our

leads

which

excitement

and

the

trees.

men

young

and

bought by

the

places by

choice, thrifty,
healthy

Many

be

by

are

seeds

gather

to

trees

now

waste

our

FAKMING.

OF

KNOW

bojs

our

nurseries

thousand

originalcost.

XXIY.

FETJIT-TEEES

If

asked

were

economic

of

these
have

the

which

trees

and

in

recall

can

of

the

the

found

in

grape-vines

State

its
air

of

house
of

abroad,
and

most,

of

ancient
the

her
and

its

Pear, Cherry
and

comfort

dotting
and

in

two

and
or

modest

or

surround

or

to

or

Plum-trees

thrift

its

selves
them-

as

Middle
and

ing
surround-

garden,

which

(139)

it

flank

Apple-orchard

belting

of

upholding

large

as

three

approach

some

of

districts

farm-houses,

ample

are

city.

every

fertile

nearly

as

village

every

ISTew-England

average
with

of

which

little

holdings

petty

save

has

fruit-

the

to

in

most

Italy

olive-trees

homestead,

its cluster

an

as

but

it

States, and

the

outskirts

from

which

every

workmen

mountainous

perhaps

many,

like

States

once

these

on

and

nothing

venerable

the

even

Switzerland.

north^ern

at

our

favorably

countries

diversify

and

suburbs

least

point

throughout

mechanics

poorer

other

generally

farm

and

ITorthern

our

all

not

I would

quite commonly
the

of

of

single aspect

strikingly

people

so

larger

as

what

say
most

if

most

traversed,

well

to

condition

distinguished

APPLE.

THE

has

have

140

nowhere

else

in time

of her may

abundance, varietyand excellence

in the

of the North

FARMING.

OF

fairlyequaled. Upland Yirginia

portionof the States southward
favored
regions
surpass the most

seen

the mountainous

and

KXOW

"WHAT

the

of their fruits ; for the Peach

and

congenialclimate,while

they are

find here

Grape

with

grown

culty,
diffi-

they can be grown at all,in the l^orth ;

to tliis hour, I judge that our
country north
wholesome
Potomac
is better suppliedwith

where

but, up
of the

palatabletree-fruits

and

the earth's surface of

On

States

Apple

had
the

little

ground
The

fruit.

misfortune

do than

to

more

few

formed
soil,

of

thicklycovered with
foliage,
was
as
forest,
genial as

for the

decayed
soil could

of the

or

of Winter

and

century ago,

renderingit
Sj^ring,

woods

to orchard

and
from

as

fine

to grow

Hampshire than it
Devastatinginsects
dense

softened

from

were

do.

Spring,to

the

their

and

tive
primi-

be ; while

the

seven-eighths
the cold

winds

a
difficult,

less

New-

southern

New-

York.

precludedby

those

Snows

great,

from

orchard

more

heavily

fell

lay longer then than now, protectingthe

heavy frosts,and keeping back buds and
in

in

resulting

trees

themselves
difi'using

they now

seeds

southern

peaches in
is in

now

the

to

ashes of the

the

still covered

out

the

bury

years

our

fathers
pioneer fore-

our

remaining woods, which

country, shut

that

admirably adapted

fruit-trees that

wait

and

it

so

were

kindred

and

portionof

other

any

equal or nearlyequal area.

whole, I deem

the

Northern

than

advantage of
signal

roots

soms
blos-

the husband-

THE

FKUrr-TEEES

that my

I estimate

man.

one-third

would
apple-trees

fruit if I could

more

141

APPLE.

retard

bear at least

their blossoming

the cold rains and cutting

so
as to avoid
fortnight,
which
are
winds, often succeeded
by frosts,
apt
farewell visits justwhen
to pay their unwelcome
my
in bloom
the fruit is forming directly
when
trees are
or
a

thereafter.
shall hereafter

slopeof a
equal,the
series of

proves

be

when

bury

orchard,

much

that

even

with

the
I

under

too

done

an

to

Give

every

who

one

it the northwai^d

possible. Other thingsbeing

which
blossoms
orchard
latest will,in a
fruit,and will be most
years, yield most

failure.

plantor
doubt

set

I say

hill if that be

bear

likelyto

Hence,

Apple -crop

of your

vicinity
do not recommend
storingice to
volves
the trees in April,for that in-

labor

and

expense

that has been

profit. In

the

and

; yet I have

sometimes

average,

no

might

however, I

judge that it would not pay.

In locating
and settingan
orchard, the very first
short
consideration
is thorough drainage. ISTothing
of a destructive
be more
fire can
injuriousto an
apple-treethan compelling it to stand throughout
renness,
BarWinter
and
Spring in sour, stagnant water.
dead branches,and premature general
decay,
of such
the natural and righteous
are
consequences
for choosing
There
are
reasons
cryingabuse.
many
whereslopingor broken ground for an apple-orchard,
of comparativeexemption from
frost and natural fa- j
I
of drainageare the most obvious.
A level field,
cility
thoroughly un drained to-day,may, through neglect
"

142

WHAT

wronglitby burrowing animals,

little better than a morass
become
thirtyyears
side
orchard set on a tolerably
steep hill; but an
is reasonably secure
againstwet feet to the
miscliiefs

the

and

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

have
hence

close of its natural

life.
is

gravellyor sandy loam

I have

orchards; yet

generallypreferredfor

known

them

flourish

to

and

has a
generouslyon heavy clay. Whoever
field will wiselypreferthis for Apples,not
gravelly
merely to claybut to sand as well.
bear

while

And,

many

bestowed

much

too

of his

ground for
fast stone

Turn

the

with

inches

soil to

large plow

and

ridgesor

at

would
least

than

get,with one thousand bushels of

a Marl
region; if not, use instead
of

bushels

had)

with
which

in the

sun

has

an

wind; and

trees.

If your

dispense with
is

lain

and

Middle-State

there

loads

acre

soil

garden

to

was

in

if you

from

thirtyto fifty

acre

are

is to be

of

Swamp

may

think

rich Western

begin with,

of setting

prairie

prairiethat

can

you

all these fertilizers ; yet I doubt

of Western

can

you

dry upland,baking

you

now

less

Marl

per

on

year

fifteen

not

if that
(oyster-shell

Lime

hundred

one

Muck

your

quick

say,

; then

strong team
a
depth of

pulverizethe subsoil to
nine inches ; apply all the Wood-ashes

liftand

or

Where

of

depth

the preparation

forbid,I

not

yet

ever

on

expense

fruit-trees.
do

has

man

any

and

care

plateaus of
over

that

I doubt

manures,

green

of rank,
applications

immoderate

injured by

been

doubtless

have

orchards

young

would

that
not

be

FEUIT-TEEES

143

APPLE.

THE

a
improved bj the Lime or (perhapsbetter still)
smaller quantityof refuse Salt from a packing-house
There
not
meat
are
retailinggrocery.
or
many
of five
that would
not
farms
repay the application
of refuse Salt at twenty-five
bushels per acre
cents

per bushel.

Your

trees

day

per

as

set

once

(and he

"

they should

who

sets

set,with

be

trees

twenty

each

in its

root

and the earth pressedfirmly

around
position,
its trunk, but no higherthan as it originally
grew, is \
efiicient worker),I would
cultivate the /
a
faithful,
land, (forthe trees' sake),
growing crops successively
natural

'

of Ruta
but

Bagas, Carrots, Beets, and

grain whatever, for six or

no

of the trees

the roots

trunks

guardingtheir
tree,by three
each

tree, not

stakes,so
from

as

year

tug, or

inside
weed

no

well

as

relentless

but
draw

to

away

begin to
without

draw
the

appear

on

crops.
on

that

for

Thus

it be

of the

to the

field

any

the
a

law

nual
an-

flexible
in-

s^.all be let
ever
what-

purpose

to till the

manures,

vation
culti-

ply
Ap-

animal

and
soil,

to

until the first blossoms

the trees ; then

grain,unless

about

in the field.

compost

no

forage,or

to

whiffle-

outside

as

mature

well-rotted

to year

into this orchard

be, and

trace, or

quantitysufficient fullyto counterbalance

it
abstraction
by your crops. Make
and

cut

little as may

as

firmlyin the ground

it as to preclude constant

the hoe
to let

turbing
years, dis-

seven

set

near

so

with

in

stakes

from

early Potatoes,

crop of

and carried ofi"for feed when

lay down

Rye

not

more

or

to grass

Oats

to be

than

half

144.

WHAT

the

the

leaving

grown,

few

it of

clear
before

days

hungry

out

the

pest

servitor

or

to

will
next

insect

wage

indicate

chapter.

do

the

against

but

warfare
the

further

when

done
I

cheapest,

spoilers
defensive

earth

apply

self
himcould

this

as

resistance
with

begin

he

the

you

in

few

rooting

commend

not

be

readiest,
in

some

ravage

orchardist's

the

ally

of

T
should

that

and

up

season

very

absence.

all,

nearly

or

the

in

burrows

spring

to

numerous

their

insure

is

harvest

within

falls

to

that

ready

at

his

excuse

and

worm

trees,

that

apple

dropped,

the

but

Apples,

sufficiently

be

mer
Sum-

Swine

the

the

after

Swine,

each

out

gather
day

Swine

every

or

mischief

to

all,

is

it

the

best

eat

taking

the

of

twice

or

and

years,

pasturage

once

to

three

or

Let

grass.

joung

the

to

beginning
again

the
two

scythe

the

grub

every

beneath

as

to

after

hours

it

FAUMING.

next

and

Let

completed.
and

the

weeds,

back

them

putting

to

it with

over

to

ground

devote

thenceforward

running

OF

for

mowed

be

grass

S2T0W

most

is

doomed

of

his

the

to

Hog

effective

ingly
unceas-

heritage.

enginery

in

my

XXV.

MOEE

Ik

that

judge

topmost

and

that

limb

bending
are

from

bad

heavily

with

twisted

into

peril,a

hundred
of

horizontally from

four

four

than

more

or

maintain

five
a

had,

feet

large

extend
it

several

which
the
times
of

fruit

trunk,
that
the

at

trunk,

position.

few

and
I

and

the

twelve

or

was

those

from

near

ples.
ap-

years

while

or

and

weight

as

others,

apart

ten
tax

are

trees

wrenched

are

even

extend

springs.

well

as

unharmed,

fruit

more

fruit,its fierce gales

with

of

pole,

best

our

reach

Apples

our

trees

And,

weight

semi-erect
7

to

with

escape

fragments.

limbs

ten-foot

whence

of

to

before

burden

trees

laden

able

equinoctial tempest

an

Barren

allowed

and

profitable.

be

with

trunk

work

tree

by

is

should

occurs

heavy

best

ruined

since.

the

taller

grow

harvest, and, finding

make

The
thus

for

under
to

apt

be

Equinox

generally ripe

to

than

tree

any

should

feet

Autumnal

Our

of

orchards, are

most

allowed

picker

or

twig

in

widely

more

pruner

no

eight

apart and

limbs

the

than

far

too

their

spread

APPLE-TEEES.

opinion, Apple-trees,

my

planted

ABOUT

strain

growing

this
tremity
ex-

feet
a

tree

within

limbs

that

difiidentlv

sug-

on

(H5)

146

WHAT

KNOW

FAKMING.

OF

to exbe allowed
ceed
apple-tree
to send
fifteen feet in hight,nor
a limb
more
its trunk, and
that trees be set
than eight feet from
twenty-four feet apart each way,
(diamond-fashion)

that
gest,therefore,

of

instead

no

as
thirty-two,

of mine

some

were.

judge

(Y2 per acre)will produce

than the larger but
fruit in the average
more
fewer trees grown
on
by two rods to
squares of two
each, that they will thrive and bear longer,and tliat
will be destroyed or seriouslyharmed
not
one
by
that the

where

winds

of trees

largernumber

high and spread as

far

is,it should

intent to prune

to

grow

as

they ^ould.

as

Every apple-treeshould
its life : that

if allowed

would

dozen

pruned each year of

with
carefullyexamined

be
be

if that be found

It should

necessary.

pruned with a careful eye to givingit the proper

shape,which, from the point where it first forks upward,
should
be that of a tea-cup, very nearly. I
that they could
have seen
trees
so malformed
young
be

if ever,bear fruit enough

rarely,
And

the

from

done
old should

pruning

ever

should

the outset

be cut

to render

be

that

away.

no

With

so

them

ciously
judicarefully,
wood

two

he set

that
and

to cut

be; but he who, pruning

can

has

off

hitherto
a

limb

justlysuspect himself
of fruit-growing.

cared
thicker

of

best
a

tree

for,finds himself
than

years

old,malformed,

diseased,worm-eaten, decaying trees,the

be done

able.
profit-

his thumb,

lackinga mastery

must

that
liged
obmay

of the art

ABOUT

MORE

147

APPLE-TREES.

remind
me
apple-tree
who
of children
habitually
play truant or are kept
out of school.
to
come
They not merely can never
good,but they are a nuisance to the neighborhood
and bring reproach on the community.
The
apple-growershould never
forgetthat evevj
producer needs to be fed in proportionto his product.
If a cow
gives twenty quarts of milk per day, she

Sproutsfrom

needs
two

more

hundred

and

does not
offers

Shell

Lime,

load
but

bushel

of

Muck,
her

pay

A-nd

demand

now

the

draft

When

be cheated.

for

ought

we

yieldsa

needs

annum

bushel

Wood-Ashes,

or

that

but

thing
some-

made

good bargains;but

us

Corn

if she gave

orchard

balance

w^ill not

of

than

Apples per
offers

and

trust

of

the soil to

to

Nature

it.

upon

of

an

food

acre

an

barrels

given

other

or

grass

quarts ;

of

the root

not

to

of
of

load

she
she

dirtySalt,
Hay for a

stint the

measure,

ungrudgingly.

last word

on

Insects.

is said to have formerly

My township("N^ewcastle)
than any other township
more
Apples per annum
grown
States ; its apple-trees
in the United
still as
are
numerous
as
ever, but their product has fallen off
deplorably. I estimate the average yieldof the last
three years

at less than

tree
full-grown
not

of

borne

this

; I think

bushel

each

bushel

a
a

per

annum

majorityof

the trees have

in all these three years.

frosts,
storms, etc.,have borne
barrenness
perhaps justly,if we
"

for each

the

seasonab
Un-

blame

consider

148

WHAT

only immediate
vermin

causes

in

are,

but the

"

view,

my

FAHJ^IING.

OF

KNOW

our

and other
caterpillar
more
potent, though

remoter, afflictions, l^ot less than four times within

last sixteen

the
with

have

should

they

I have

; and

worms

trees

our

covered

been
seen

whole

chards
or-

strippedof nearly every leaf till they were

in July as
(of every thing but caterpillars)

bare

as

and

nests

have

years

After

December.

in

been

the

passed,the trees reclad tliemsel^es with

old under that visitation faster
leaves ; but they grew
in one
they would have done in ten of
year than
and
healthful fruit-bearing;
they are now
turely
premahad

scourge

moss-covered

gray and

because

of the terrible

infliction.

general propositionthat no man

has any
who
harbors
moral
caterpillars
right to
should
be
required to
Apples that each grower
them.
make
his choice between
Slovenly farmers
I

the

lay down

"

"

say,

fast

half

so

and

burn

have

no

If it

there
as

up
more

were

are

so

many

of them

they multiply." Then

the

trees

left than

you
you

can
can

the law of the land

best

that I cannot

kill

I say, cut down

spare, until you

keep clear
that whoever

of

worms.

allowed

to nest and breed in his fruit-trees should

caterpilli^rs
should
be
soon
pay a heavy fine for each nest, we
In the absence
comparativelyclear of the scourges.
of such salutaryregulation,
man
one
fightsthem
with
resolution,
persistent
only to see his orchard
again and again invaded and ravaged by the pests
hatched and harbored
by his careless neighbors. He

ABOUT

MOKE

tlrns

and

pays
and
he

abandons

his

by

bad

head

from

(or no
The

be

render

them

formidable

must

our

situation

and

fruit-growinginterest

change
is

toward

multiplied

feathered

that

so

abundant

to

the

This
to
new

old

by

foregoing

the

was

ones.

year

farming

sive
birds,offen-

to

toward

the

ruthless

year.

requisite of

entire

as

to

not

vermin
of

massacre

have

we

had

It

was

did

eyes
I could

that

Apples,

written

our

mine

establishes

orchards

did

greatest Apple-crop throughout

not

vinegar-makers, even

bear

the

who

friends.

the

(in 1870)
section

shielded

to know

enemies

first

defensive

us

slaughtered

are

the

to

help

numbers

the
of

alliance

constantly

from

destroyers,and

their
and

their

all this ; and

firm

are

from

increase

We

Since

if

trees

orchard

big enough

losses

forth
thence-

would

foes

of them

perilsand

our

ized,
demoral-

his

that

insect

contemptible

would

our

and

gence
negli-

favorite

laws)

birds

our

many

"

few

surrenders

laws

against

boys

and

"

others'

hopeless struggle,and

enemy

farmers.

reckless

better

of

penalty

dwelling, and

bad

make

to

the

the

Thus

its fate.

making

the

repays

misdoing until, discouraged

repels
around

149

APPLE-TEEES.

the

continued

and

should

and

the

yet

ever

behold.

sell all my
at

cider-apples

fiftycents
capacity of

invite

to

fertilization and

the

per
our

barrel.

region

planting

renovation

of

of

XXYI.

HAT

The

is

countries,
annual

its
of

area

its

of

Grass-crop

other
of

AND

products

and

Cattle,

of

its

civilized

of that

housed
out

animals
have

the

largest

of the

for

Hay,

divested

Grass-crop
is

and

and

the

food

Spring,

earth

of

in

is

every
this

25

say
es-

35

to

and

mainly

when

herbage

stantly
con-

cured

cut,

which

duction
pro-

and

say

"

the

to

of

speak

to

which

"

in Winter

the

of

food

the

to

large

of

propose

whole

(or stacked)

to

snow

the

far

and

form

proportion

proportion
of

cent,

per

important

principal

animals

which

But

people.

the

most,

contributing essentially

working

increasing

not

most

requiring bj

Meats

those

if

many,
the

furnishing

thus

of

subsistence

of

this, as

undoubtedly

soil, and

its

HAT-MAKING.

frost

fed
and

rendered

or

it inaccessible.

The
of

the

Eighth
product

Seventh

preceding
Census
of

who

who
own

at

increased

to

or

(150)

not

rent

the

19,129,128

Hay-crops,

do

returned

Hay-crop

13,838,64:2 tuns, which

Confident

their

thousands

(1 850)

year

1859.

der-estimate

but

Census

consider

tuns

as

that

most

farmers

and

that

hundreds

themselves

little homesteads

of

the
the
un-

of

farmers,
two

to

ten

each, keeping thereon

acres
a

horse, fail

to make

151

HAT-MAKING.

AND

HAY

of

returns

or

cow

and

two

the two

often

five tuns

to

Hay they annuallyproduce,consideringthem

trivial,I estimate the actual Hay-crop of all
of

States

Territories

and

about

40,000,000 tuns,or

for

the

tun

to each

current

Census
expect the new
The
above 25,000,000 tuns.

if any,

average

value

making

its

of

this crop

is

our

at

though
inhabitant,al-

I do not

much,

year

too

to

place it

estimated

$10 (gold)per

tun,

aggregate value, at my estimate of its

stantly
$400,000,000 rand the quantity is con-

amount,

"

rapidlyincreasing.
quantityshould be largerfrom
to
meadows, and the qualitya
and

That

mowed
an

that

I estimate

better.

to obtain

these

yieldof IJ
certainlynot

average

should

has

My upland

had

grass, and

century

before

average

of

last sixteen
allowed

to

it)is bound

not

30,000,000 acres

40,000,000 tuns
tuns

the

area

voted
de-

great deal

annually
Hay, giving

are

of

per acre, while the average

fall below

two

tuns

per

acre.

not natural
to
rocky soil,
gravelly,
been pastured to death for at least a
I bought it ; yet it has yielded me
an
a

less than

2i

tuns

to the

acre

for the

yieldless while I am
farm it. My lowland
(bog when I bought
henceforth
perfectl
to yieldmore
; but, while imyears,

or

reliance

not

and

at

will not

all

drained,

it

was

of

course

yielding
bounteouslyin spots,in others,
little or nothing.
In nothingelse is shiftless,
slovenlyfarming so apt
of Grass and the
t( betray itself as in the culture
poor

"

152

WHAT

of

management
with

bushes

meadows
the

to

have
crop

FAKMING.

OF

Pastures

lands.

grass

overgrown

cheqnered by quaking, miry bogs ;

with every weed, from white daisynp
brakes,with

rankest

has

KNOW

and

foul

been

productive,but

been

taken

and

hill-sides that
from

which

may

once

crop

after

to

them,

nothing returned

yieldhas shrunk to half or three -fourths

of a tun of poor hay,these are the average indications
ing.
of a farm nearlyrun
out by the poorest sort of farmSuch farms were
in the 'New England
common
of my
boyhood ; I trust they are less so to-day; yet
I seldom
travel ten miles in any region north or east
of the Delaware
of them.
withont
seeingone or more
Fiftyyears ago, I judge that the greater part of
the hay made
from
in ]N^ew-Englandwas
cut
sour,
boggy land, that was devoted to grass simply because
nothing else could be done with it. I have helped to
tracts on
carry the crop off on poles from considerable
which oxen
could not venture
without miring. It were
would
that no
well-bred
animal
to add
superfluous
until their

eat

snch

absolute
done

unless
stuff,

the choice

starvation.

In many

cases,

it and

between

were

very httle work

in

opening the rudest surface-drains would have

transformed
these bogs into decent meadows, and the
exceptionabl
product,by the help of plowing or seeding,into unhay.
There
and

not

are

skillful

seed ;

dairymen,

otherwise

men

If half

many

our

farmers, apart
who

use

half

from

our

enough

wise
grass-

often fail in this respect.

thrifty
ordinaryfarmers would thoroughlyseed

153

HAY-MAKING.

AND

HAY

full third of the

they -usnally
cultivate,
and devote to the residue the time and efforts they
now
give to the whole,they would grow more
grain
and vegetables,
while the additional grass would
be
clear again.
so much
We
almost exclusively
sow
Timothy and Clover,
when
there are at least 20 different grasses required
of soils,
and of these three or
by our great diversity
four might often be sown
pecially
togetherwith profit;esfields intended
in seedingdown
for pasture,
we
use
a
might advantageously
greater varietyand
down

yet adopted and

not

body
for

I believe

of seed.

abundance

of

one

As
our

too

in

is cut

late,and
and

of

to

average

that not
our

exhausted.

seed

always

crop of grass cut when

drop

time

"

"

roots

the

great
prairies

prizedover

great

same

from

strong that
to

two

formation

and

heavilyupon

the

cut

begin
onlyright

three weeks

so

much

later ; while

of the earlier cut grass will retain their

at least thrice

as

long as though

ripened before the

was
ripewhen
fully
7*

crop

perfection
soil.

the earhest blossoms

in my

crop

three

only is our hay greatly

meadows
impoverish
needlessly
The

draw

is

judgment, is the
impoverishthe soil half

which,

will not

will the

and

conviction

my

the

damaged thereby,but

grasses

of the
buffalo-grass

the

"

Hay-Making,

grass

weeks

are

country.

our

for

that there

hardly recognizedby

that will yet be grown

"

part of

farmers

our

area

was

half

harvested.

the

as

the

vitality

seed had

Grass

that

cut has lost at least half its nutri-

154

WHAT

ment, which
alone

yonng

dry fodder
stock; but

proper

nutriment

for old

horses,who
upon

while

of late

when

quest of

fodder

because

their

From

that

not

is

it is

ready to

these

over

and

be
over

In any

the cart.

poach

and

are

seen

dream

their fields in

to

selves
difi'use them-

of the farm.

grass fallsunder

motion

it with
keep stirring
into

the

Mower,

until laid at rest in the

the tedder

lightwinrows,

and

until
turn

until

to go upon
they will answer
in
bright,hot day,the grass mowed

before

the dew

falls

after noon, it should

capped by sunset, even

necessary to open
I have

up

turn

they should,
quite exhausted,the

morning should be stacked

night; while,if any is mowed

be cocked

farmers

our

earlier than

economy

raked

estimate

hay-crop,by
one-fifth ; and,

our

less than

and

error

kept in

the barn ;

of

nearly or

in which

too

full half of

full month

hay

be

or

the

the hour

ought to

even

like and

deplorable. I

value

cutting,as

the whole

stack

at

the

of this

consequences
over

not

"

generallyshortof the Summer

harvest,
I combat, renders
error
are

and

their cattle to ravage

out

it

farmers

our

consider

we

whatever

it.

depreciationin

reason

restore.

ever

popularlysupposed to

are

the less disastrous

none

the

animal

no

throughoutthe season
it seems
to explainthe

handed

it

Hay
for a longWinter, especially
for
dead
hay cut after it was
ripe,is

for

fact that

The

FAEMING.

OF

chemistry can

no

is

thrive

IGS'OW

though it be
it out the next fair morning.
of hay -making,especially
with re-

HAY

gard

to

allowingit

clover,without
In my

fierce sunshine.

165

HAY-MAKING.

A^D

scalded

to be

by

the grass is raked

dream,

and

nearlyas fast as cut, drawn to the barn-yard,

it
endless apron, on which
and there pitched upon
an
heated
to
is carried slowly through a drying-house,
200" Fahrenheit
some
by steam or by charcoal in a
of a hopfurnace
after the manner
below, somewhat
kiln.
While
passing slowly through this heated
atmosphere, the grass is continuallyforked up and
shaken
to expose
as
so
every lock of it to the drying
heat,until it passes off therebydeprivedof its moisture
and is precipitated
into a mow
or
upon a stack-bottom
at the oppositeside ; load after load beingpitchedupon
the apron continuously,
and the drying process going
out
forward
steadil}^
by nightas well as by day, and withregard to the weather outside. I do not assert
loaded

that

this vision

known
and

dreams

will

wild

as

this transformed

as

thought into beneficent

I ask

no

to

one

their drift and

with

as

it is

should
well ;

need

or
we

share

more

be.

gatherand

house
of it

have

by

time

sympathise
making,
only insist that Hay-

dreams

my

all around

uncertain
We

realities.

purpose.

managed

its processes and

realized ; but

be

ever

cut

our

or

me,

is ruder

in its results than

grass

it with tolerable

in
it

rapidly and

efiiciency
;
wastefully.

and
imperfectly
of it is over-ripe
when
cut aggraThe fact that most
vates
effects of its subsequentexposure
the pernicious
der
and rain ; and the net result is damaged fodto dew
which is at once
unpalatableand innutritions.
but

we

cure

much

XXYII.

PEACHES

AES

PE

"

CHERRIES

GRAPES

"

Our

harsh,
of

much
in

Philadelphia, Cincinnati,
than

severer

is

Europe

all the

"

delicate

more

Winter

that

on

is

Grapes

of

the

Atlantic,

are

grown

with

degree

of

latitude,

is most
and

likewise

well

It is not
heit's
the

the

the

earth

is

coast

of

the

Peach.

that

sometimes

rigor

to

succeeds
the

the

forests
(156)

of

the

and

most

which

valued

of

vored
fa-

Lake

of
Lake

tario
On-

Tree-Eruits.
clothed

and

zero,

suddenness

that

are

Eahren-

in

below

is succeeded

formerly

tieth
for-

Michigan

mercury

freezing point,

and
the

shore

Lake

the

milder

specially

that

ranges
but

of

few

the

Peaches

southern

part

deeply frozen,

above

dense

to

fact

mere

thermometer

such

the

west

adapted

in

the

noted, though
of

finer

to

cepted.
ex-

which

difiicultj north

localities,whereof
Erie

berries

degrees

ten

the

save

trying,

coast, of

least

at

so

"

latitudes

very

Fruits,

Pacific

tudes
lati-

the

St. Louis

and.

least

at

luscious

our

of

corresponding
or

and

temperature
that

of

unfavorable,

Except

than

north

climate

capricious

with
where-

by

perature
temso

proves

hospitab
in-

And,
the

AUe-

as

PEARS

PEACHES

Atlantic

the

and
glienies

157

GRAPES.

CHEEKIES

"

by year
snaps," and

slope,are

year

"

cold
of our
severity
with which
the celerity
they appear and disappear,
are
constantlyaggravated. A change of 60", or
from 50" above to 10" below
morning
zero, between
followed
the followingmidnight, soon
and
by an
perature,
temequallyrapid retnrn to an average November
often proves fatal even
to hardy forest-trees.
killed by
Cedar
in my
woods
I have
had the Red
Winter
scores
during an open, capricious
; and
my

swept

indicates

observation
those where
After

the

away,

trees

thaws

againso soon as the

partlyexplainsto my

solid
this
buds

orchard, while

an

hill-side aud
those

and

in

visable for
the

the
and

retain

nooks,

80

crest, not

in the

also to

which

favored

farmer

who
Grain

Mie finer

the
has

peachlevel portionsof

rods
the

the

on
vitality

distant
colder

from

air descends

valleysof a rolling
correct
explanation
vers.
obserpuzzled some

it seems
locality,

expects
and

; and

fact that

their

remains

productionof

growing of

mind

fact that

phenomenon

Unless

destroyed.
frozen solid,

is withdrawn

sunshine

The

district contributes
of

they

at its

destroyed.
into

theyare

killed in lower

often

are

be thus

excluded,and whollyor partially

smaller trees;which are suddenlyfrozen

the

out

as

is

the wind

whence

which

forest

its rays into the warmest

sends

bright sun

likelyto

most

are

night,in

Arctic

an

spots in

the warmest

to

to thrive

me

unad-

mainly by

to attempt
Cattle,

Fruits,except for

the

use

the

of his

158

WHAT

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

majorityof cases, a multiplicity

of cares
and
labors precludes his giving to his
and
and Grapes, his Plums
Peaches
Quinces, the
attention which
and persistent
lutely
seasonable
they absovisits
require. Quite commonly, a farmer
its trees
a
grand nursery, sees with admiration
with
the
luscious
and
vines loaded
most
Fruits,
and rashly infers that he has only to buy a good
family.

own

of

stock

of

sets;but with
such

or

to

Trees

like

abundance

an

no

In

Yines

and

delicious
such

no

fruit.

himself

insure

to

So

he

preparationof

buys

the

and

and
soil,

keep it mellow and free from weeds,

baffle and
destroy predatoryinsects,as the
to

care

prey

the utter disappointment

employs. Hence
of his hopes ; borers, slugs,caterpillars,
and
known
unknown
or
speciesof insect enemies,
his neglected favorites.
At
intervals,
upon

some

domestic

nurseryman

every

and

break

animal

down

greater number
one

was

to

jumps

tempted

him

among

hour.

an

So,

them,

the

whose

buy.

trees

that
he

abundant
I counsel

the

far

the

without
grief,
having
what
they could do, and

conclusion

to the

to

in

get

to

to show

swindler,and
those

dozen

come

fair chance

farmer

animals

or

had
the

nurseryman

ed
relatsells scarcely

and
every

fruits

excellent
farmer

to

sider
con-

the treatment
thoughtfully
required
absolutely
for the production of the finer Fruits
before
he
allows a nurserymaii
to make
a bill againsthim, and
Duchesse
Pears
not
as
expect to grow
easilyas
lonas and Catawbas
he
or
as
as readily
blackberries,

PEACHES

PEAKS

of

Some

hardier

our

preeminent

which

overhang his
he will sureljbe disappointed.
and coarser
cord
Grapes the Con-

; for if he does

brook

159

GRAPES.

"

the willows

Fox-grapeson

does

CHERRIES

"

them

among

"

are

with

grown

siderable
con-

of our
extent
a wide
over
facility
country ;.
and many
farmers,having plantedthem in congenial
soil,and tended them well throughout their infancy,
rewarded
are
product for two or
by a bounteous
three years.
assured, they
Believingtheir success
imagine that their vines may henceforth be neglected,
of two or three more
and in the course
years they
I know
often utterlyruined.
that there
are
are
wild
which
do

thrive

value,in

and

bear
that

market

where

grown

north

be

and

care

labor,or

pound, under
In
States

Tet

tun

tun

of

fruit

good
at

most

will sell in

wliich
was

ever

of less than

cost

better,

attention ; but

Philadelphiabut
a

of

absence

grape

judiciousand
I presume

seen,

by
^ve

can

constant
cents

per

skillful treatment.
in most

of

our

Ohio, choice grapes

cheaply.
abundantlyand more

of the Potomac
more

the localities

are

and

few

and

far between

in

good gi'apes can be grown as cheaply

tion
cultivawheat, under the most judicious
of

in either
I do

any

of

the

without

and
California,

grown

I think

which

the

south

be

may

as

some

believe

not

of

grapes

case.

on
discouragegrape-growing;
the contrary,I would
have every farmer,even
so far
north
and "Wisconsin,
tiously
Vermont
as
experiment cauwith a dozen of the most
promisingvarieties,

not

mean

to

160

WHAT

FAEMENG.

OF

KNOW

ing
hardy,in the hope of findincludingalwaystlie more
and capable
or
more
some
one
adapted to his soil,
Even
in France, the land
of enduring his climate.
of the vine, one farm will produce a grape which the
will not : no
next
man
can
satisfactorily
very
say
why. The farmer, who has tried half a dozen grapes
should
and failed with all,
be deterred from further
not
cess.
experiments,for the very next may prove a sucI would only say, Be moderate
in your expectations
and
careful in your
experiments; and never
risk even
$100 on a vineyard,till you have ascertained,
the species
at a cost of $5 or
under, whether
will thrive and bear on your soil.
you are testing
In my
own
upland mainly slopingto the
case, my
west, vdth a hill risingdirectlysouth of it,I have
had no
luck with
Grapes, and I have wasted little
time

or

show

that

but not

means

to

be grown,

they can
or
profit

I would

advise

I have

them.

upon

done

enough to
a locality

in such

even

satisfaction.
the

farmer

who

proposes

to

grow

Pears, Peaches, and

use
Quinces,for home
only or
mainly, to select a piece of dry, gravellyor sandy
it thoroughly,plow or
trench it
loam, underdrain
in good part
very deeply,and fertilize it generously,

with

ashes
the

and

and

with

pig-pen on

let the

pigshave

of each

year.

Cherry

and

the Bartlett

as

leaf -mold
one

the

from

side of

his woods.

it,fence

of it for

it

cate
Lo-

strongly,

good portion
In this plat or yard,plant half a dozen
Pear trees of choice varieties,
many

foremost

run

among

them

keep

clear of all

PEACHES

dwarfs, and
run

under

the

choicest

does

that will

each

two

be

soon

Quinces moist

dozen

fences ;

youi"

picketsthat
part of the

milk

per
and

muck

from

pigs to

in their

rich locations
each

unless

to

stakes

Should

over.

they

of

loads

of

pond

or

swamp

supply

dozen

leave

and

commends

itself to

my

I think

other.

any

obtain

to

ways

profitbut those who make

feel that disappointment in
to

near

the

end.

You

Hkely

to cost

small

scale,if

thoroughly.

but

more

you

this
than
will

is

this

work

grow

wherein

its worth.

try

it ; and

it ;

may

be

as

not

Try
be

sure

is

passed
sur-

fruits

specialty;

fruit-culture
can

need

grown

of the climate

Grapes, or Peaches, outside

them,

judgment
have

cut

fruits ; but

choice

few

for your

weeds,

any

surer

pail of

liberal

half

in

cart

draw

easier

to

or

forgetthat a
immovable
stake,

never

means

the side of

with

to

her

carry

convenient

some

by

half

give

not

an

continue

you

Fall

Do

tied

cannot

you

turn

one

also,

replace

to

to
scytheas often as they seem
allowing one to ripen seed. There

this

to

well-chosen

by

tree

season.

cow

every

with

them

here

dozen

; and

out

chance

the
on
preclude too great familiarity
swine, and will not prevent a sharp scrutiny

day

food;

Plant

thereafter

dying

and

will

fruit-tree is like
which

will.

year

surrounding

for borers

from

liave

forbid,a

not

161

GRAPES.

"

trees

pig-penif they

Peach-trees,and
those

CHEREIES

"

let your

climate

if your

PEAES

"

and

by

no

Plums,
most

or
genial
con-

success

is

it first on

you

do

it

XXYIII.

GEAm-GEOWING

DISCLAIM

all

farmers

how

and
have

EAST

"

AITD

WEST.

to
pretensionsto ability
to

Indian

grow

Corn

ern
West-

teach

abundantly

I cheerfullyadmit
while
that they
profitably,
ing.
somewhat
taught me
thoroughly worth knowIn my
for
Corn
boyhood, I hoed
diligently

weeks
rows

at

up

time, drawing
the stalks

about

the earth

to

from

depth

of

the

between
three

or

four

inches;thus forming hills which the West has since

to be of no
taught me
use, but rather a detriment,
embarrassing the eiforts of the growing, hungry
in every
plants to throw ont their roots extensively
needless
to
direction,and subjectingthem
injury
from

drouth.

am

thoroughlyconvinced

that

Corn,

and
all other
properly planted, will, like Wheat
grains,root itself just deep enough in the ground,
and that to keep down
and
all weeds
leave the surface
of the cornfield
and perfectly
flat,
open, mellow
is the
Corn.

best

And

food,with

well

as

I
so

do

little

(162)

as

not

the

cheapest way

believe

that

so

to

much

cultivate
human

labor,is produced elsewhere

on

EAST

GKAIN-GEOWINQ

AND

Wheat

spaciousfields of
valley.
grand Mississippi

earth
our

in tlie

as

And

jet

in that

seen

with

covered

stretches
seemed

have

Corn,

163

WEST.

and

Corn

valleymany

whereof

in

ample
tillage

the

of improvement. Riding between

susceptible

these, great corn-fields in October, after

standingthereon
weed-crop

the

latter would

been

cut

corn-crop

luxuriant;
from

clean

or
cultivation,

fair,

was

so

that,if

ground,and
the
oppositescales,

placed in

weighed down

have

that the

doubt

the

more

the weeds

and

corn

far

was

everythinghad

killed

been

that,while

observation

to my

the

had

everything
it seemed
by frost,

the

the

former.

lack

of

not
can-

cultivation,

which

is not merely
produces or permits such results,
but unthrifty.
slovenly,
The

West

she has

is for

been, the
she

Fiftyyears

will

the

of the

granary
not

for

present, as

long

be

generation
In my judgment,

East.

content

to

remain

so.

ago, the Genesee

valleysuppliedmost of
the wheat
and flour imported into ISTew-England
; ten
later,]^orthern Ohio was
our
source;
principalreyears
later
ten
still,Michigan, Indiana,
years
northern
and
eastern
Illinois,
Wisconsin, had been
added
cade,
deto our
grain-growingterritory.Another
and

flour manufacturers

our

Mississippi,
layingIowa
while
contributions,
to grow
one

even

her

bushel
Can

own

Minnesota

and

New-

western

bread

more

than

we

doubt

had

York

and
stufls,

she needed
that

this

crossed

liberal

under

ceased

had
Ohio

the

to produce

for home

sumption.
con-

steadyrecession

164

WHAT

OF

KNOW

FARMING.

Egypt, onr Hungary, is destined to continue ?

Twenty-threeyears ago, when I first rode out from
of Chicago to see
the Illinois
the then risingvillage
loaded with
I met was
nearly every wagon
prairies,
wheat, going into Chicago,to be sold for about fifty
back in the
cents per bushel,and the proceedsloaded
almost
form
of lumber, groceries,and
everything
else, grain excepted,needed
by the pioneers,then
that whole
region
dotting,thinly and irregularly,
the district I
their cabins,
with
l^ow, I presume
traversed
then
produces hardly more
grain than it
I doubt
that
consumes
; taking Illinois altogether,
of

our

she will grow

her

that she will be

own

unable

breadstufis

produce

after

1880

; not

large surplus,
but that her farmers will have decided that they can
their lands otherwise to greater advantage. Iowa
use
will continue
and Minnesota
to export grain for perhaps
their time will
twenty years longer; but even
for saying, ISTew-York
and New-England (not
come
to speak of Old
England)are too far away to furnish
markets
for such bulky products; the cost
profitable
of transportation
absorbs the largerpart of the cargo.
We
must
export instead Wool, Meat, Lard, Butter,
Cheese,Hops, and various Manufactures,whereof the
than 25 per
freightwill range from 2 up to not more
cent, of the value."
They will thus save their soil from
the tremendous
made
exaction
by taking grain-crop
after grain-croppersistently,
which
hausted
long ago exl^ewof ]N'ew-Englandand
most
eastern
York
cf wheat-forming material,and
has
since
"

to

GEAIN-GEOWING

EAST

AND

165

WEST.

esee
wrought the same
deplorable result in our rich Gentled
valley; while eastern
Pennsylvania,though setnearly two centuries ago, having pursued a more
rational and provident system of husbandry,
grows
excellent wheat-crops
to this day.
I insist that the States this side of the Delaware,
though they will draw much grain from the Canadas
after the political
change that cannot be far distant,
will be compelled to grow
considerable
share
a very
of their

own

supplythem
; and

from

drawn

breadstuffs ; that the West

unless at
that

will

priceswhich they will

grain-growingeastward

Baltimore

due

north

to

cease

deem
of

the Lakes

to
orbitant
ex-

line
will

extended.
Let us see,
considerably
then, whether this might not be done with profit
even
the East is not unwise
in having so
now, and whether
generallyabandoned
grain-growing.
I leave out of the account
of ISTew-England,
most
as
well as of Eastern
l^ew-York, and the more
rugged
portionsof JNTew- Jersey and Pennsylvania,where the
face of the coimtry seems
to
rocky, hilly,swampy
that patchy cultivation,
forbid
but
wherein
any
can
machinery and mechanical
scarcelybe
power
made
available,and which seem, therefore,permanently
in a system of agriculture
fated to persevere
unlike that they now
and horticulture not essentially
nebec,
In the valleysof the Penobscot, the Kenexhibit.
the Hudson, and of our
smaller rivers,there
considerable
tracts
are
absolutelyfree from these
natural
a
impediments, whereon
larger and more
have

to

be very

I
166

WHAT

OF

KNOW

FAEMING.

even
perfectlypracticable,
the property
generally
now
; but these intervales are
cut up by roads and fences;
of many
are
owners;
held at high prices: so that I will simply
and are
by, and take for illustration the "Pine
pass them
of Southern
Barrens
New-Jersey,merely observing
with
I say of them
is equally
that what
applicable,
of Long Island,
to largeportions
modifications,
slight

husbandry

efficient

is

"

and the Carolinas.

Delaware, Maryland,Yirginia,
"

The

Jerseyare a marine
feet in depth,mainlysand,
several hundred
less clayis generally
more
or
intermingled,

Pine

depositof
with which
while

there

Barrens

are

beds

"

of J^ew-

and

even

broader

stretches

of

times
nearly or quite pure ; the clay someunderlying the sand at a depth of 10 to 30 or
Yast deposits
of muck
40 inches.
or
leaf-mold,often
of many
and from two to twenty feet
in extent
acres
that hardly any porin depth,are very common;
so
tion
miles distant
of the dry or sandy land is two
of them, while some
from
is usually
one
more
or
much
nearer
; and half the entire regionis underlaid
by at least one stratum of the famous marl (formed
of the decomposed bones of giganticmarine monsters
which has alreadyplayedso importlong ago extinct)
ant

this material

and

beneficent
of

Salem, and
Let
and
acres

part in the renovation

and

tilizati
fer-

largedistricts in Monmouth, Burlington,

other counties.
farmer

of

ample means
generous capacityshould purchasefour hundred
of these
barrens," with intent to produce
us

now

suppose

"

that

EAST

GEAIN-GKOWING

therefrom,
"

truck

"

to which

167

WEST.

potatoes, melons,

sweet

not

AKD

and

the

Southern

voted,
Jerseyis so largelydeGrain
but substantial
and Meat; and let us
whether
the enterprise
would
see
probablypay.
Let
stint the outlay,but, presuming the
not
us
located on a railroad not too distract
to be eligibly
tant
from some
good marl-bed, estimate as follows :
of 400

Purchase-money

at

acres

Clearing, grubbing, fencing

per
One

acre,

and

over

bushels

thousand

bushel

One

and

the

of best

breaking
proceeds

Marl

ditto

up

of the

acre,

per

$10,000

acre

per

at

$20

wood

8,000

at 6 cents

per

delivered

hundred

per

above

$25

24,000

loads

of

Swamp

Muck,

per

50

at

acre,

cents

load

20,000

(unslaked) of Oyster-shellLime

Fifty bushels
with

the

Muck),

at 25 cents

acre,

per

per

(to compost
ered
bushel, deliv-

5,000
One

hundred

[Net cost, $180

I

of Bone

tuns

believe

per

Flour

Corn, Wheat,

acre, with

not

acres

Clover

bushels

less than

$72,000

by lightfences

each, and
and

of Corn
3 tuns

seeded

in rotation

other grasses, would

and

of

30 of Wheat

good Hay;

by cutting,steaming,and feedingthe
on

5,000

tun

this tract,divided

that

produce fully60

per

Total

acre.]

into four fields of 100

to

$50

at

and

stalks and

per
that
straw

the

but keeping up the stock,

place,not pasturing,
feeding them, as indicated in a former chapter

and

their product in the form

selling
Milk, Butter, Cheese and Meat, a greater profit

of these essays, and

of

would

be

realized

than

could

be from

like invest-

168

ment

in Iowa

frees

or
itself,

in

; may

year ; may

be

Minnesota

is

when

earlymatured, is

sowed

frozen
yet solidly
hand

on

to

take

European or
Labor, also,is cheaper

markets.

readily

surplus water ; is not

be plowed at least 200 days
or
planted in the Spring,
; while

the crop,

advantage of

in the

advance

sudden

soil is warm,

freed,from

is

to weeds

addicted

The

Kansas.

or

FARMING.

OF

KXOW

WHAT

our

and

any

seaboard

own

rapidly

more

procured in the neighborhoodof this great focus of

immigrationthan it is or can be in the West ; and
ers
our
capablefarmers may take their pick of the workof
thronging hither from Europe, at the moment
Of course, the owner
shore.
of
their landing on om*
such an estate as I have
roughly outlined,would be
proving
likelyto keep a part of his purchase in timber, imthe qualitythereof by cutting out the less
desirable trees,trimming up the rest, and
planting
ones

new

; and

them

among

to devote

he would

part of his farm

some

be

almost

annuallyto

tain
cer-

the

growth of Eoots, Yegetables,and Fruits. But I have

aimed
to show
onlythat he would grow grain here
succeeded.
and I think I have
His 60
at a profit,
could be sold at his
bushels of corn
(shelled)
per acre
crib,one
he

seldom

need

who

customers

the

money

what
average

with

year

the

another,for

wait

Iowa

This

or

for his Corn.

also be worth

month

after

gladlytake

would

for it.

60 silver dollars ; and

in New-

would

Missouri
The

his

be

justabout

farmer
abundant

Jersey at

husking it for
grain and pay
can

expect

fodder

least double

double
to

would
its value

GRAES'-GEOWrNG

in Iowa

"

Jersey

barrens,"

profitto
would

be

as

seed

mile

the

not
nor

that

it

maintain

is,that
food

great

the

on

miles, now

such

in

200

seaboard, and

will

extension

growing.

than

the

is

that

prove

Corn,
also

Grain
the

at

to

it.
and

What

I
all

of

square

may

be

production.

Let

the

prospect
of

large

revival) of

to

nearly

thousands

alarm,

West,

profitably produced

be

such

is

farmers

cultivate

to

necessary

(or rather

involved

now

diversification

and

stalks

cultivate

to

Eastern

that

without

He

acres.

quite unproductive,

or

render

thrice

acres.

Indian

staples,may

the

animals, wholly

learn

for

profitablydevoted

as

of his

to

so

Wheat,

development

Industry

400

profitably cultivated

order

of

thrash, shell,cut

as

intended

regard, therefore,
a

of

owner

buy,

to

acres

than

more

soon

unadvisable

nearly

and

wisely
us

is

thither

migrate

our

be

not

may

able

1,200

greater expense

is not

essay

or

no

would

169

WEST.

farmer

food

perfect tillageof

as

This

at

well
the

prepare
and

the

make

and

straw, and

square

could

by the

plow

AND

cultivate

realized

by steam-power,

in

that

judge

fertilize, and

prepare,

and

; and

EAST

and

Eastern

of

Western
nent
perma-

grain-

XXIX.

In
of

human

in

that

food
of

Potato

of

America,

difficult

to

subsist

her

in

Ireland,
with

this
way
but
alike

small

portion
the

as

Other

of

or

the
of

Potato

as

alone

prince

and

ingredient
the

cheapest

moderating

and
the

(170)

giving
forms

peasant.
of

the

commonest

hunger

without

relish

is
of

resort

of

growth

ordinary

to

of the

of Lazarus.

trict
dis-

occasionally, by

eaten

feasts

impressed

tiie

to

It

it.

Switzerland,

Italy, are

part

it

continent,

northern

are

ery
discov-

cultivated, though

not

addicted
roots

tute
desti-

considerable

any

and

most

find

now

that

northern

most

esculent.

variety,

of

the

to

as

the

in

settled, were

over

was

England,

western

mind

my

Potato

the

which

these

millions

I found

that

remember

of

would

teeming
widely

ground

and

prior

Europe

though

travelling pretty

cannot

it is

Potato

the

of

; and

acceptable,

most

ancestors,

ignorant

of

on

Our

acre

tubers

or

the

an

value

and

amount

an

from

roots

far

bj

large

so

obtained

be

use.

and

can

edible

is

general

In

form

other

no

POTATOES.

ROOTS

ESCULENT

food

every-day

an

almost

Dives,
for

while

diet
pensable
indisit is

satiating

I recollect

or

hear-

ESCULENT

jng

parents, fifty
years ago, relate how, in their

my

childhood
the

and

youth,the poor of New-England, when

grain-cropof that regionwas cut short,as it often

obligedto subsist through the following

mainly on Potatoes and Milk; and I then

were

was,

Winter
accorded

to those

unfortunates

of the

abate, provided the Potatoes

Roasted

down

with

up in farmers'

served

not

The

half

days to

homes

I have

butter;and

were

bounteous

in those

used

so

were

with

Potatoes,seasoned

washed

precedinggeneration
now
considerably
of good quality.

I should

which

sympathy

into

171

POTATOES.

ROOTS

salt and

butter

draughts of

fresh

and
termilk,
but-

be the

after

since eaten

regularsupper
churningof cream
costly
suppers that

good.

Potato,say

some

brought to Europe
Paleigh in 1586 or
story. Authentic

accredited
from

1587

Yirginia,by
; but

tradition

utterly unknown

accounts,was

I do

affirms

Sir "Walter
believe

not

that

first

the

the

Potato

E'ew-England,or at all
of the Connecticut,when
the Scotchevents
east
first settled Londonderry,IT. H., came
Irish who
old Londonderry,Ireland,bringing the
from
over
Potato with them.
They spent the Winter of 1719

was

in different
a

number

gave

away

their

own

afterward

edible

in

parts of Massachusetts
of them
a

few

chosen
learned

and

Maine

quite
at Haverhill,Mass.,where
they
Potatoes
for seed,on
leavingfor
location in the Spring;and
they
that the Englishcolonists,
who
ceived
re"

them, tried hard to find or make the seed-balls

the next Fall,but were
obligedto give it up as

172

WHAT

job,leaving the
in the ground.

bad

that

I doubt

Europeans in
that
a

have

we

child of the

found

was

sides

the

on

5,000 to 8,000 feet

it found

climate

cooled

the pure

and

is hardiest
of
on

the Catskills

in similar

State,and

My

the Green

and

further

South

and

placeis at

own

above. Long

Potato, by

Island

the

most

by

allowed

and
quent
frethe

depth,while
congenialto its

this country, the Potato

Mountains

the White

Vermont,

Mountains

of

elevations

in

kindred

our

regionsof Pennslyvania
and

ocean.

considerable

thriftiest among

and

from

the elevation

by

bracing atmosphere was

New-Hampshire,

States

to any

requirements. In

and

nature

frozen

wild

great chain

of the

from above
by melting snows
seldom
which
showers, yet one
to be

essentially

it grew

moistened

ground

it be in

heightof

surface

the

above

is

of the
at

pected
unsus-

growing by

this country, unless

SpanishAmerica,

traversed

Here

and

It
acquiredfrom Mexico.
mountains, and I presume

else than

nowhere
which

part of

any

untouched

tubers

Potato

the

FAEMmG.

OF

KNOW

and

own

the

West.

least 15 miles
Sound

generous

yet

from,and
I cannot

treatment,

500 feet
make

so

the

prolific

New-Hampshire in my boyhood,where I
dug a bushel from 14 hills,grown on rough, hard
ground, but which, having just been cleared of a
thick
growth of bushes and briars,was
probably
better adapted to this crop than
though it had been,
covered an inch deep with barn-yardmanure.
has a tolerably
He who
dry,warm, or sandy soil,
as

it

was

in

covered

two

decaying
on

three

or

leaves

and

inches

deep

brush,may

raisingfrom

it

1Y3

POTATOES.

BOOTS

ESCULENT

with

decayed

good

provided his seed be sound and

other hand, all authorities
agree

crop

dence
confi-

with

count

of

Potatoes,

healthy.

On

the

animal

that

or

nures,
ma-

intimately
mixed
with the soil,
are
injuriousto the qualityof
Potatoes
thereon, stimulating any tendency
grown
to disease,if they do not
produce such
originally
mer
disease. I believe that Swamp
Muck, dug in Sumor Autumn,
depositedon a dry bank or glade,
and
cured
of its acidityby an
admixture
of Woodof Lime
and
Ashes, of Lime, or of Salt (betterstill,
Salt chemicallycompounded
by dissolvingthe Salt
in the least possible
quantityof Water, and slaking
excellent fertithe lime with
lizer
that Water), forms
an
liberal
with
for Potatoes, if administered
a
unless

hand.
of muck

very

little ; the dose

possible; but,

if the

and
carefully,

give it all

to

to your

should

the time
before

you

cord

be doubled

quantitybe small,mix

the muck

operate upon

and

of either of these alkalies to

bushel
is too

thoroughly rotted

can

applyingthe

it

if

more

wherein
mixture

fields.

easilyto be had, yet the

soil is thin and
place considerable
poor, I would
reliance on deep plowing and subsoiling
in the Fall,
and cross-plowingjustbefore plantingin the Spring.
Give
a
good dressing of Plaster,not less than 200
after the Fall plowing ; if
lbs. to the acre, directly
in the drill or
liberally
you have Ashes, scatter them
Where

the

muck

is not

174

WHAT

hill

KNOW

FAEMING.

OF

their

plant; and, if you have them not, supply

I
place with Super-phosphate or Bone-dust.

think

many

as

you

will be

formers

yieldwhich

the additional

agreeably surprisedby

will

from

accrue

this treatment

of their soil.
Those

they can

have

who

afford

no

the

and

muck,

swamp

feel that

outlay,may, by plowing or
Fall,seeding heavilywith

soilingearlyin the
and turning this under

when

the

time

subrye,
for

comes

plantingin the Spring, improve both crop and soil

to these I would
materially. But even
say : Apply
the Gypsum in the Fall, and the Ashes or Lime
and
Salt mixture
in the Spring; and
with
good
now,
seed
and
good luck, you will be reasonably sure
If a
of a bounteous
harvest.
farmer, having a
field of sandy loam, wants
do
worn-out
to
poor
his very best by it,let him
plow, subsoil,sow
rye
and
plasterin the Fall,as above indicated,turn this
buckwheat
late in the next Spring;
under, and sow
it has attained its
plow this under in turn when
lowing
this down
the folto clover ; turn
growth, and sow
Spring, and plant to late potatoes, and he
will not merely obtain
a
large crop, but have his
land
I

in admirable

condition

and

quitewell
seed,with an

entire

will

seem

to

too

am

doubled

that such

aware

loss of

that
in

there

costly. I

value

by

are

such

many

an

crop

peculiarcircumstances

under

confident

many

for whatever

follow.

may

outlay of
for

one

season,

advise

do not
; and

labor

it

yet I

fields that would

treatment,

which

cept
ex-

am

be

would

EOOTS

ESCULENT

not

afford thus

to

treat

yet it does

175

POTATOES.

That

all its cost.

riclilj
repay

"

farmers

most

their entire farms

follow

could
is

at once,

that

they might not

deal with field after field thus thoroughly,
livingon
the productsof 40 or 50 acres, while they devoted five
of thoroughrenovation.
six annuallyto the work
or
very

A
with

true

quarter of
a

complete

article of food

the

not

century ago,
extinction

stalks,when

of

we

the

were

threatened

Potato,

as

an

approachingor just
suddenly smitten with fatal
attainingmaturity,were
rain followed by scalddisease
ing
usually,after a warm
sunshine
the growing tubers were
fected
speedilyaf; they rotted in the ground, and they rotted
nearly as badly if dug ; and whole townships could
hardly show a bushel of sound Potatoes.
in Ireland, which
famine
A desolating
swept away
drove into exile nearlytwo millions of her people,
or
the most
result of
was
strikingand memorable
this wide-spread disaster. For
several
succeeding
the Potato was
tensively,
similarly,
though not so exseasons,
affected;and the fears widely expressed
that the day of its usefulness was
to
over, seemed
have
Speaking generally,the
ample justification.
since been so hardy or prolific
Potato has never
as it
half a century ago ; it has gradually
was
recovered,
however, from its low estate,and,though the malady
from
and
time to time renews
its ravstill lingers,
ages
the farmer
in different locahties,
now
plants
and on fit ground,with a reasonable hope
judiciously
that his labor will be duly rewarded.
"

"

176
It

WHAT

KNOW

FAE:MmG.

OF

be

thac clayey soils

generallysi"p:eiid
if the quantity
not adapted to its grou'li; tliat,
are
of the crop be not stiiitod,
its quality
is pretty sure
I. bv-Ai personally
to be inferior ; and
that the
testify
plantingof Potatueb o.i wet soil that is,on swampy
land which
has not been thoroughlydrained
or
spongy
and
sweetened
is a hopeless,thriftless labor
to

seems

"

"

"

that the crop will seldom

As

to the

ten

the Potato-rot
as

dozen

or

has been

consequences,

not

be worth

the seed.

different insects to which

attributed,I regardthem
; attracted

causes

to prey

plan.t
by its sickly,weakly condition,and not
for that condition.
If any care
responsible
reasons,

let him

Wheat-plantand
There
seed
a

refer

to

what

have

said

all
the

on

really
for my
of

the

kind

of

its insect enemies.*

has been

much

to be

discussion

planted; and I
prettygeneralconviction

tuber

"

think

as

the

to the

result has

that it is better to cut

been
the

into

pieces having two or three eyes each,

than to plantit whole,since the whole Potato sends
up
of stalks,
with a like effect on the crop to
a superfluity
that of puttingsix or eightkernels of corn
in each hill.
Small

Potatoes

immature, unripe,and of course

should never
be planted,since their progeny
will be
feeble and
but thoroughly
sickly. Select for seed none
and the largerthe better.
ripePotatoes,
My own
judgment favors plantingin drills rather
than
with
hills,
ample space for working between
them

; not

are

less than
*

30 inches

See

the seed

Chapter XXII.

being drop-

ESCULENT

about

ped
be

6 inches

deep

drouth

and

seed from

Planting on
togethermay
but

then

Corn

be

never

rows

where

the

should

As

and

for seed
tend

or

from

time
This

the seed.

be,

be loosened

subsoil

plow

plantwill

than

the Potato.

pay

is
to

degeneracy.

$1 per

to

time

creation

by

that

this

plant is

in

for persistent

better

tends

varieties

new

of

still newer,

new

Potato

in

"

deserves

not

value.

buying

"

placed
re-

must

in

I do n't
Potatoes

originatesa really
recompense

good fortune; and

learn that he receives

one

of

from

grown

speciesis,and

new

selling I mean
pound ; but he who
in

patience,and

glad to

stirred to

; and

The

of these varieties possess any

quitebelieve
valuable

I hold

process, which

unnatural

an

slow, expensive process; since

hundred

and

till the

any

I insist upon

out in the course

run
prizedwill certainly
thirtyyears at furthest,and must be

most

twenty

is wet

I will only say that plantingthe

varieties,

must

now

land

apart, because

persevered in

Hardly

to

tubers

the

be

cultivation

at

often

good depth with

blossom.

in

fit for cultivation,

be made

can

drills well

or

that the soil should

process

any

I believe

except by underd raining. And

almost

or

2 to 2|

advisable

land

wet

settingthe

suffers from

us.

among

soil must

inches;and I hold to
culture for this as for everythingelse.
a
ridge made
by turning two furrows

level

or

Potato

the

Indian

than

sooner

covering the
flat

apart in the drill. The

usually grown

crop

177

POTATOES.

mellow, for

much

other

ROOTS

it.

for his industry,

I shall

be

XXX.

-TTJENIPS

BOOTS"

If

there

be

has

which

England

that

judge

wiU.

time

of

striking diversity
the

of

coasts

The

hopes.
of

the

modified

so

their

that

Summers

Autumns

cold

still
to

as

dry
the

earth

variety
to

1st

of

so,

the

in
for

turnip

is

of

ravages

of

December
and

moist

every

Pacific

here

; while

finds
States

the
so

and
freeze

to

as

insect
soil

frozen

of

every

that

stages

while

all

so

our

hot

in. its tenderer

devouring

their

rarely

Hence,

more.

ocean

cool,

comparatively

or

have

the

and

so

their

portion

and

considerably

foot

exposed

of

Winters

part intensely cold,

a

opposite

Europe,

Stream

their

are

often,

078)

and

earth

Autumns

solid

the

Southern

more

Winters

our

considerable

usually

are

freeze
and

Summers

Gulf

the

by

The

the

realization

Continental

of

nally
sig-

product,

the

Isles,with

coast

while

mistaken.

between

forbids

British

adjacent

climate

climate

ture
-cul-

tural
agricul-

its annual

them

prove

Atlantic

the

Scotland,

and

country

Turnip

transformed

beneficently increasing

and

this

that

magnificent

largely

so

of

industry

that

CAEEOTS.

"

hold

still

rival

ultimately

must

who

any

^BEETS

"

but
cannon-

the
our

ROOTS

wheels

dug

would

up

here

as

in Great

Britain

for weeks

grow

certainty,
be fed

animals

can

and

never

with such

on

nor

previously

not

turnip can

be counted

Winter, except

it in

the

Hence,

nor
luxuriantly,

roots

fast in the earth

remain

must

1Y9

CAEROTS.

"

hardlytrack it,and

often, for months.

so

BEETS

TUENTPS

on

heavy cost of pullingor

housing in
digging,cuttingoff the tops and carefully
and feedingout in Winter.
Autumn, and then slicing
It is manifest
that turnips thus handled, however
at the

cannot
economically,

fodder
these

in
and

compete

Eastern

our

the

with

Middle

and

and

hay

States ;

cheaper speciesof grainin

corn-

with

nor

West,

the

dailyWinter food of cattle.

I hold that our
Still,
stock-growingfarmers profitably
ultimatelywill,grow sorne turnipsto
may, and
be fed out
to their growing and working animals.
A good meal
of turnipsgiven twice a week, if not
oftener,to these,will agreeablyand usefullybreak
the monotony of livingexclusively
on
dry fodder,and
will give a relish to their hay or cut stalks and straw,
fail to tell upon their appetite,
which
cannot
growth
cattle-breeders begin with growand thrift. Let our
ing
as

the

an

acre

or

in

an

and

stock

of Swedes

good
effective machine, at

give their

to

each

two

I feel confident

turnips,and

will

throughoutfuture
The

Beet

seems

that

feed
least

them, sliced thin

in each week,
once

and

more

as

of

they will

grow

so

per annum,

continue
more

to grow

of

them

years.
to

south
elimate,especially

better

me

of

the

adapted

fortieth

to

our

degree of

180

WHAT

north

varietyof the Turnip with

acquainted,and destined,in the good

than
latitude,

which

am

coming, when
depth of
average

time

well

the

use

value

to
soil,

our

I do ;

as

as

use

will I here

nor

Beet

of the
that

its

to

in the

human

the

tion
cultiva-

extensive

regardingeither

not

am

at least doubled

very

generallyunderstand

farmers

as

shall have

we

reference

with

our

any

us.

among
roots

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

of these

food, since

that

at

use

consider

at

least

length

production of Sugar.

highly,believingthat millions of the

classes throughoutEurope have
been enabled
poorer
from
the
to enjoy Sugar through its manufacture
Beet
would
who
have
tasted that
rarelyor never
The
luxury in the absence of this manufacture.
people of Europe thus made familiar with Sugar can
is
hardlybe fewer than 100,000,000;and the number
annuallyincreasing.The cost of Sugar to these is
less in money,
while immeasurably less in
considerably
use

labor,than

it would

tropicalCane

been

available

for the

But

West

the

luxuriantlyand
doors.
and

They

for many

if not

all of

or

could

have

still regarded as

been

had

the

the

only plant

productionof Sugar.
Indies,wherein the Cane

flourishes

itself

renews

look to
other

them,

us

lie
perennially,

for most

necessaries

at

our

of their
of life ;

dailybread,
while several,

manifestlydestined,in the
natural progress of events, to invoke
the protection
of our flag. I do not, therefore,
feel confident
that
Beet
an
Sugar now
promises to become
important
the prostapledestined to take a high rank among
are

EOOTS

ducts of

BEETS

TUTiNIPS

"

181

CAREOTS.

industry. Witli cheap labor,I

believe it might to-daybe manufactured
with profit
in
the rich,deep valleysof California,
and perhaps in
national

our

those of Utah

however, I

and

cannot

the American

Colorado

as

deem

prospect encouragingfor

the

of the

promoters

well.

On

the

whole,
of Beet

manufacture

Sugar.
But

when

soil of
cured

shall have

we

arable

our

acres,

the
deepened essentially
fertilized it abundantly,
and

tion
by faithful cultivation of its vicious addicshall devote
to weed-growing,I believe
lions
milwe
of those acres
to the growth of Beets for cattlefood, and, having learned how to harvest as weU as
it

till them

mainly by machinery,with
shall produce them
labor, we

hand

satisfaction

profitand

to

the

little help from

with
On

grower.

eminent
soil

fully
amply

feet

and
deep, thoroughlyunderdrained
I believe we
shall-often produce one
fertilized,
two

bushels
and

of Beets

valuable

from

an

acre

to the

food for
in any

acre

; and

cattle

so

can

much

and
thous-

able
accept-

hardly be

tained
ob-

other form.

achieved
regardto Carrots. I have never
Beets ; mainly
in growing these,
eminent
nor
success
I attempted to grow
them
because the soil on which
not adapted to, or rather not yet in condition
was
for,
such culture.
But, should I live a few years longer,

So with

until

my

reclaimed

sweetened
some

swamp
and

shall have

I
civilized,

part thereof 1,000 bushels

mean

become
to

of Carrots

grow
per

oughly
thoron

acre,

182

WHAT

and

still

KNOW

judgment, ought

in the

South

feeding
and

horses.

to

of

50

value

as

alone,

while

more

makes

content

import

to

that

60

bushels

cooler,moister

we

must

Summers

the

that

the

the

Oats

half

Carrot
now

grown

confidence

with

to

at

The

Oat

blazed

as

suns

ing
Believ-

June.

and

more

have
the

profitably replace

its

be
from

years
which

this country,

or

must

; for

such
recent

our

in

least
Oats

of

we

15

or

own

our

under

of

may

10

countries

than

half

latter

of

its thrift

to

Oats,

every

other

and

Carrots

soil, while

the

upon

grow

seed

new

are

of

in tliis climate.

congenial

not

grown

section,for

bushels

100

drafts

inevitably degenerate

through

meals,

with

are

Scotland, l!^orway,

wiU

I hold

heavy

Since

perfection.

in this

easily grown

Summers

hot

our

as

horse-feed

equal

Oat-crop

well

in alternate

Carrot,

extensively

as

fed

Oats,

the

; and

be

to

now

West,

and

Beets

of

larger product

in my

FAEMING.

OF

at

least

I look

ward
for-

extensive

more

cultivation.
The
be

advantage

measured

and

of

bounded

Beasts, like

men,

best

regimen

upon

Admit
an

that

occasional

prove

Hay
meal

feeding

Eoots

by

which

is their
of

beneficial,and

cheapest

something
this

of

involves

is best

food,

thrive

and

of diet.

food
succulent

afi'orded

by

to

value.

change

Winter

more

is not

essential

their

require a variety

stock

to

still,
wiU

Eoots.

XXXI.

FAEMEe's

THE

If any

calling.

fancies that he

heard

flattering
farmers
or
as a class,
saying anythingwhich implied
that they were
or
more
virtuous,upright,unselfish,
he must
have
than other people,I am
sure
deserving,
one

misunderstood

he

that

or

ever

me

misrecollects

now

me.

joinin the cant, which speaks of farmers

as
supportingeverybody else of farming as the only
You
vocation.
indispensable
may
say if you will that
do not

even

"

could

mankind

not

the soil ; but the

of

other

some

subsist if there

classes.

useful,valuable citizen
doctor, or lawyer. It is

nobility and
that any

other

if
Still,
attain

one

genuine
should
of my

manhood,

of

is true

same

house-builders,and

essential

not

of the

be assailed

I should

tillers of

thoroughlygood farmer is
is a good merchant,
: so

worth

three

no

were

sons

have

to

the

true

farmer's

calling
or
disparaged.
had been spared to

advised

him

to

try to

good farmer ; and this without any

romantic
or
poetic notions of Agricultureas a pursuit.
I know
well, from personal though youthful
experience,that the farmer's life is one of labor,

make

himself

(183)

184

WHAT

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

anxiety,and care ; that hail,and flood,and hnrriwhich

he can
and untimely frosts,
exert
over
cane,
no
control,will often destroyin an hour the net
of his persistent,
well-directed toil ;
results of months
his animals,
that disease will sometimes
sweep
away

judicioustreatment, the most

his part ; and that insects,
on
thoughtfulproyidence,
blight,and rust, will often blast his well-grounded
the
on
harvest,when
they seem
hopes of a generous
know
that he is necessarily
very point of realization^ I
other men,
than most
to the caprices
exposed,more
in

spiteof

and

the

most

inclemencies

of weather

and

climate

life without
that,if he beginsresponsible

other

finds in his

and

than
arms,

those he
with

those

of his

own

clear head

helpmeet,he

must

; and
means

strong
to

expect

and resolute,
strugglethrough years of poverty, frugality,
before he can
persistent,
reasonably
industry,
hope to attain a positionof independence,comfort,
I know
that much
of his
and comparative leisure.
of it absolutely
work
is rugged, and some
repulsive
;
that he will seem, even
with unbroken
I know
good
much
to be making money
more
fortune,
slowly than
his neighbor,the merchant, the broker,or eloquent
lawyer, who fillsthe generaleye while he prospers,
gotten
forsinks out of sightand is soon
and, when he fails,

yet, I should

; and

choose
other

farming
reasons

I. There

as

their

have

advised

vocation,for

to

sons

my
these

among

is

nearlycertain

no
as

other business
in this.

Of

in which
one

hundred

success
men

is

so

who

faemer's

THE

embark

185

calling.

trade, a careful observer reports that

fail; and, wliile I think this proportion
ninety-live
that a large majoritydo, and
too large,I am
sure
because
must
fail,
competition is so eager and traffic
in

If ten men
endeavor
to
enormously overdone.
in a township
support their families by merchandise
which
affords adequate business for but three,it is
how
certain that a majority must
fail,no matter
their management
how
ing.
or
judicious
frugaltheir livso

But

you

may

double

agriculturalcounty
necessarily
dooming one
any

tiie number
I

ever

of farmers

in

traversed,v/ithout

or
failure,

abridging
his gains. If half the traders and professional
in
men
this country were
to betake themselves
to farming tomorrow,
render
that pursuit one
not
they would
w^hile they would
increase
whit less profitable,
largely
the comfort
of the entire community ;
and wealth
and, while a good merchant, lawyer,or doctor,may
of any township,simply because
the
be starved
out
work
he could do well is alreadyconfided to others,I
never

yet

heard

of

to

even

intelligent,
temperate, industrious,

and energetic
farmer who failed to make
frugal,
abled
a living,
or
who, unless prostratedby disease or disprecluded from securing a
by casualty,was
vested
modest
independence before age and decrepitudedihim of the ability
to labor.
II. I regard farming as that vocation which
duces
confor
most
directlyand palpablyto a reverence
The young
strained,
lawyer is often conHonesty and Truth.
to do
at least tempted,by his necessities,
or

186

WHAT

ENOW

OF

FAEMING.

work
dirtyprofessional
cheating his neighbor out

of

the

The

doctor

young

quackery he despisesin
author
bread; the unknown
to

to

buy

must

will sell rather

the

; but

realize that

for

whatever.

''

on

to

resort

instant

secure

impelled

to

the

publicought
farmer, acting as a farmer,
young
his success
lute
depends upon his abso-

was
Nature,which never
He has no temptationto

dock-seed

to

what

integrity. He

verity and

incited

is often

than

intent

righteous dues.

order

write what

his

likewise

be

may

of

rascal

clover,or
Whatsoever

and

stoop

to

man

directlywith

will be cheated.

never

beach

sow

deals

sand

any

for

trick

soweth

plaster,

juggle

or

that shall he

reap,"while true, in the long run, of all men, is

"When
instantlyand palpably true as to him.
he,
having grow^n his crop, shall attempt to sell it in
he ceases
other words, when
and becomes
to be a farmer
trader
he may
a
possiblybe tempted into
of rascality
of the many
devious
one
; but, so
ways
long as he is actingsimply as a farmer, he can hardly
be lured from the broad,straight
highway of integrity
and righteousness.
III. The
that most
farmer's
to me
callingseems
conducive
'Noof character.
to thoroughmanliness
body expects him to cringe,or smirk,or curry favor,
refuses to
in order to sell his produce. 'No merchant
detested
his religious
are
or
buy it because his politics
He
be a Mormon, a
opinionsheterodox.
may
also

"

"

Kebel,

his Pork

or
Millerite,

will sell for

Communist, yet

exactlywhat

his Grain

it is worth

"

not

or

farmer's

THE

fraction less

than

187

calling.

the

price commanded
by
the kindred
product of like quality and intrinsic
value of his neighbor,whose
opinionson all points
orthodox
and popular. On the other
are
faultlessly
hand, the merchant, the lawyer, the doctor,especially
if young
and still struggling
dubiouslyfor a
are
position,
continuallytempted to sacrifice or suppress
their profoundestconvictions
in deference
to
the vehement
and often irrational prepossessions
of
the community, whose
favor is to them the breath of
life.
She will find that tTiatwon't go down
here,"
the comment
of an
old woman
was
a Mississippi
on
told that the plain,deaf stranger,
steamboat, when
who
the focus of general interest,
seemed
Miss
was
or

more

"

Martin

eau,

the

she gave
and

governs

whether

celebrated

Unitarian

expressionto
many

if not

most

the social intolerance

vehement

anywhere

; and

in

so

ing
say-

feelingwhich

pervades

communities.

I doubt

of adverse

else than

opinionsis

throughoutthe
largerportionof our own country. I have repeatedly
been stung by the receiptof letters gravely informing
and views on
that nay course
me
a current
topic
adverse to publicopinion: the writers evidently
were
of course, that I was
a
mere
assuming, as a matter
who
jumping-jack,
only needed to know what other
formity
people thought to insure my instant and abjectcontheir prejudices.Yery often, in other
to
scribers
days, I was favored with letters from indignantsubsome
who, dissentingfrom my views on
of informingme
that they
took this method
question,
more

188

WHAT

sliould

them

owed

That

then.
teacher

that

"

shared
and

he

the

have

persons

; and

such

low

that

of

for

yet, a

or

support

by

condition

I feel that

pursuit

than

living,and

in

aspire to

these

"

ceasingto

be

was

not

were

for, so

such

his vocation
The

to

the

other

for
and

and
essentially

farmer

true

of
more
man

any

his

is

creed,
a

products.

natural
to

in

his pursuit

with

prejudice,as

any

his

is held

swallow

sale

very

in

degraded

to

as

That

capacity to insult,is

defer

success

long

had

suspected.

that

pected
ex-

ex-subscribers

quite otherwise

to

other

restaurant,

work

in his

for

out
consideration,with-

sacrificing
self-respect,
compromising
or

public

they

called

it is easier and

any

what

stop till

case
sense

any

at

others.

or

precedent

Hence,

stop

convictions,and

was

no

it is

party,

any

no

because

expects him

one

would
received

is somewhat

man

that

no

in

moment

one

esteem

that

in

waiter

whatever

little

proudly aware
"

have

or

lenewing

short, that liiscallingwas

in

"

regard by learning

own

should

forthcoming

was

evidentlynot
true

Tribune

them

dictation
from

their

it would

suppress

furnish

pay

refrain

to

superfluous

meant

necessarilyhad

higher than
to

have

journalistwas

others

by

and

likelyto

not

they

whenever

coming,

"

only

subscriptions,and

their

we

had

they

insult,since

journal

my

coulA only

trouble,which

FAEMING.

OF

take

longer

no

KNOW

integrity,

man.
thoroughly a gentle-

XXXII.

The

current
as

that

Winter

knew

they never
cold,when

so

anything else

the
is

in

they

have

Men
a

fact

undoubtingly
so
hot, or a

Summer

such

several

have

curred
oc-

cycleof their experience. Hardly

so
easilyor so speedilyforgottenas

of temperature

extremes

ized
quite commonly characterhottest,the wettest, or the

known.

ever

was

within

after

.is

season

TO-DAY,

OF

coldest,the

the

dryest,that
assert

LESSON

or

inclemencies

passed away.

of

I presume

weather,

there

have

Summers, since the beginningof this

century, as hot and as dry as that of 1870 ; yet the
section
fact remains
that,throughout the Eastern
of our
country, to say nothing of the rest,the heat

been

six to ten

and

drouth

of

the

For

quite remarkable.
from

the

10th

current

of

two

Summer
months

have

been

past, counting

June, nearlyevery day

has

been

blazingsunshine throughout,rarely
by infrequent
interrupted and slightlymodified
and
inadequate showers ; and, as a general result
is parched and
earth
of this tropicalfervor,the
the surface ;
from
baked
ten
to fortyinches from
a

hot

one,

with

(189)

190

WHAT

KNOW

FARMING.

OF

ponds are dried up

dimensions; forests are
and

streams

lowest

shrunk

or

to tlieir

often

ravaged and
desolated bj fires ; our
pastures are dry and brown ;
while crops of Hay, Oats,Potatoes,Buckwheat, etc.,
either have proved, or certainly
must
pointmen
prove, a disapI estimate
to the hopes of the growers.
the average
product for 1870 of the farms of ISTewand ]^ew-Jersey,
not
as
England, eastern ]^ew-York
than

more

two-thirds

earth remains
that

Such

Summer

of 1854

I presume

this ; and

as

Every
has

its

been

that I

has

this

can

and

severer

What
and

than

region

is remarkable

its

intensity.

; that

term

than

any

doubtless

vened
inter-

of 1870
before

the

it

tion
recollec-

its

of its
even

our

early
As

; the

than

commencement

country is

our

present is

more

drouths
primitiveforests,

than

this may.

farmers

have

to

and

longer

be expectnaturally
ed.
do is,to prepare
for

provideagainstthem.

Such
as

of 1870

has its drouth

duration.

denuded

more

heat

have

might supply its perfect counterpart.

[N'early
every Snimmer
peculiarrather for
its extreme

such

two

or

remember, though

of others

ary.
extraordin-

nearlyor quiteas dry

its heated

longer in

incrusted

grain.

persistencerather

Summer

the

fit it for Fall

regarded as

was

The

; while

and

to

Winter

one

since that time.

for

needed

be

not

must

seasons

baked

so

days'rain is
the sowing of

and

The

full harvest

at this moment

several

plowing

of

if

seasons

none

such

are
were

disastrous
to

be

to those

only who
expected. Those

farm
who

LESSON

191

TO-DAY.

OF

plow deeply, fertilize boimtifullj,and cultivate

thoroughly,need not fear them, as fields of Hay and
Oats
of Corn
and
Potatoes
and
alreadyharvested,
now
hasteningto maturity in almost every township
of the suffering
region,abundantly attest. I doubt
that
luxuriant
of Corn, Tobacco, or
more
crops
the bottom-lands
of the
ever
Onions, were
on
grown
Connecticut
with

Yalley than

may

be

all about

them,

and

failures

fierce

Blackberries

that

withered

half

when

under

to-day,

drouth

Whortleberries

and

grown

there

seen

even

the bushes

so
are

in

some

perishingfor lack of moisture.

My last triptook me alongthe banks of the upper
Hudson, throughthe rugged county of Warren, K. Y.
The
irregularintervale of this mountain
narrow,
cases

stream

have

to

appear

or
fifty
sixtyyears by

of

the

subsistence.

In

such
of

and
are

beast bears

grown

wherever

secured

the soil is not

of them

for

I presume

and

Buckwheat

ministers

high price;
Grass,

rugged or too
half a crop of Hay has
with perhaps a
valley,
too

throughoutthis
full crop of Rye where
Rye was sown
yield will be considerablyless than
Corn

mainly

whatever
district,
or

last

look

man

for the

Corn, Rye, Oats,Buckwheat, Apples and

sterile for culture.

been

cultivated

hardy race, who

wild regionnorth

to the timber

to the sustenance

been

it will range

; but of Oats the

that, while
from

ten

of

bushels

I, last Summer,
nothing. When
passed through spacious field after field of Corn in
Virginiathat would not mature a singleear, I spoke
per

acre

down

to

192

WHAT

FARMING.

OF,

KNOW

at the Korth
something unknown
; but there
fields planted to Corn, in the upper valleyof the
are
Hudson, that will not produce a singlesound ear,

of it

nor
"

as

bushel

one

of

even

the

;"and alongsideof

nubbins

shortest

these

and

wheat,
of Buck-

acres

are

poorest

hightof four inches,

inches higher.
two
were
so
poor or so rocky that
good crops could not be extracted from it,far be it
whereof
the
from me
to
disparage the agriculture
results are so meagre
speaking of a river
; but I am
from
natural
intervale
of
considerable
fertility,
insure
which
deep and thorough cultivation would
ample harvests,subjectonly to the contingencyof
Were
these lands fertilized
earlyfrosts in Autumn.
and cultivated
as
they might be, and as mine are,
they would yield30 bushels of Rye or 60 of Indian
blossoming at
and not likelyto get
ITow, if this land

Corn

acre, and

per

an

average

would

richlyrepay

man's
the husband-

to say
outlay and efibrts. Now, I venture
that all the grain I saw
growing in the valleyof the
Hudson
throughWarren
County will not return the
farmer
75 cents for each day's labor expended thereon,
allowingnothingfor the use of the land.

"But

how
"

asked.

shall

We

are

obtain

we

poor ;

we

can

fertilizers ?" I
afford to

often

am

keep

but few

cattle ;

yond
Guano, Phosphate,Bones, Lime, etc.,are beEven
if we could pay for them, the
our
means.

cost

be

of transportation
to our

heavy.
as

We

you

cannot

do,but

must

nooks would
out-of-the-way

deal with

our

be content

lands
to do

as

so
we

tifully
boun-

can."

I make

all which

To

fertilizers who

wide

Fall and

of each

months

two

l^o

answer

his eyes

kept

193

TO-DAY.

OF

LESSON

man

lacked

ever

open

Winter

and
to

devoted

collecting

muck
Wherever
preparingthem.
may
sw^amp
be had, wherever
bogs exist or flagsor rushes grow,
there are materials which, carted into the barn-yard
be drawn
in Antnmn
out fertilizers in
or Winter, may

and

for Corn

season

pond

next
-planting

is material

for them

to look

while

and

green

thrown

into the

!Nay, more
lacks

Autum^n, there

who knows
very far from one
rank weeds of all sorts,if cut

"

forest

tender,or

for litter in the

Fall,used

the

transformed
into
profitably
grain. In the absence of all these

year'sgrass or
and they are seldom

how

gr

Wherever

be

that may

next
"

up in Summer

sloughdries

or

Spring.

these,but

yard,will

serve

confident

am

has

to

access

clay,may cart 200 loads

ordinaryfarm-yard,have

leaves,
gatheredin
stable,and thence

an

that
a

bed

excellent purpose.
the
or

farmer

bank

of it in JSTovember

of

who

simple

into

an

it

trampledinto and mixed

it out iu
in the Winter, and draw
with his manure
fitted to enrich his sandy or
the Spring,excellently
gravellyland, and insure him, in connection with
deep and thoroughculture,a generous yieldof Corn,
Dr. George B.
in such a season
as the present.
even
Loring,the most successful farmer in Massachusetts,
uses

80

beach

naked
cows,

mixes

Winter,and
claymeadows

it with

draws

out

in the
9

in abundance

sand

his

manure

as

litter for his

throughout the

compound to fertilize his

Spring,with most satisfactory
the

194

WHAT

Depend

results.
who
And

yet

on

their

waters

be

dams

being

allowed

well

as

where

noosuc,

of

days'

work

Farmers,

things.

hay

in
but

the

this

additional
at

year

cost

100

and

not

the
and

of
as

more

am

upper

Ammo-

providing

and

but

only,

on

bushels

by

equably

thereon.

work

year,
of

back

moisture

places

days'

at

when

held

Connecticut

given

streams

gently

not

many

intervale

season

thus

thence

faithful

above

the

in

lost

be

to

these

at

water

frequent

of that

from

the

by

in

down

plant growing

have

each

the

of

valleys

discolored

acre

an

work

the

flow

on

as

henceforth,

annum

of

passed

100

irrigation would
tuns

to

every
I

other

pour

irrigated

pressing

that

confident

Hudson,

scarcely

outlay

fertilityalso, to

many

intervale

intervale, conveying

the

across

valley

and

the

across

not

is least

this

so

ever

uplands,

is

work

10

the

moderate

very

for them.

rivulets, copious in Spring, when

There

might

which

fertilizers

work

willing to

inclose

from

dance

river.

the

is

lack

need

surcharged

are

and

cascades

man

which

and

juices of

richest

it,no

(and

Hudson

well), brooks

as

OF

more

hills

FAEMING.

KNOW

and

season

once

the

From

in

begins

upper

for

grain,
much
than

or

per
two

hereafter.

all farmers'

sons,

think

of these

XXXIII.

INTELLECT

If

whose

man

back, $5

his

AGEICULTI3UE.

IN

capitalconsists

in his

pocket,and

to hew
shoulder,undertakes
of the primitiveforest, he
some

of

to

years

It is indeed

success.

others,even
will hire

on

to

ax

his

over

of

must

ont

devote

he

labor,or

on

right

farm

course

possiblethat

will fail

find

he should

who
outposts of civilization,

the rude

them

an

clothes

for himself

manual

rugged

of the

teach

school,or

serve

as

county

something else of Hke

nature
: thus
enabling him to do his chopping trees,
and rolling
logs,and breaking up his stumpy acres,
clerk,or

survey

by

; but

proxy

have

chop

to

break

up,

he must
if he

by

and

the

acres

years'hard

work.

log,and
use

of his

If he

but, should
beneath
him, or

years;

w^ork

own

him,
has

is that he

off and

burn

house

about

educated, he may

well

presumption

comfortable

fortyarable

ten

fair

the

well

at

the

he
his

head, with

end

brains,and

possiblyshorten

; and

fortunate,

as

his

over

will

fence,and

muscle

proper

and frugal,as
energetic

be

gets

do

lands,or

of fifteen
has

been

this ordeal

begin by fancying
abilities too
(i95"

great

to

hard

to

be

196

WHAT

FAEMICTG.

OF

KNOW

squandered in bushwhacking, he
out

come

back

to

some

he set forth to wrest

seedy than when
the wilderness,declare the pioneer's
Hfe

and
from

dreary,hopelessprivationthat no one
or
cypher ought ever to attempt it.

such
read
A
a

brain

fancy his

of

to his

his

of

ample

to

they fail to
view

the

are

of

all men,
be

character

the
cultivate,
the laws

which

Instruct him

in

use

the

on

likelyto
whose

find

nor

for his

that he wasted

ill-adapted

was

the
fighting

will at the

can

his wits

good

too

what

who

not

never

of

one

actual

time

same

meagerness

have

and

the

knowledge.
Common

Schools

in
defective,

Geology and Chemistry,which

the natural bases of a sound,practical
things knowledge which the farmer,
teach

"

least afford

can

with

will

farm

farmer

often discover

lament

average

our

knowledge
may

his

the

but

education

of little
he

by

credit,is

on

on
school-days

reason

I hold

his

very

life; but

of
deficiency

to live

in concert

or

may

needs, and

battle

in my

work

intellect

calling.He
months

bought

brilliant success;

and

that

undertakes

that he has

achieve
hand

who

man,

poor

farm

of

likelyto
little end of the horn, and, straggling
populous settlement,more
needy

the

at

is very

to

needs
others,he vitally
and

constitution

elements
govern
in the

of

which

their

However

miss.

of

the

it is

relations

to

it

understand

soil he

must

composed,and
to

each

other.

if you will,
higher mathematics
in meteorology,in ever
in logic,
so many
languages;
but not tillhe shall have been
thoroughlygrounded

mXELLECT

sciences

ITatnre

; for these

are

do, and devise,and

mnst

of his active

course

the

for him

wliicli unlock

in the

19T

AGEICULTUEE.

IN

of

arcana

intimatelyrelated to
direct,throughoutthe

all he

he may

learn

Whatever

career.

whole

knowledge of these sciences is

the most
needs.
urgent of his life-long
among
Hence, I would suggest that a simple,lucid,lively,
and facts in
accurate
digestof the leadingprinciples
Geology and Chemistry,and their apphcationto the
practicalmanagement of a farm, ought to constitute
the Header
of the highestclass in every
Common
in rural districts. Leave out details
School,especially
and
to plant or
recipes,with directions when
sow,
dispensewith,

or

etc. ; for these must

and

the progress

vary

with

climates,circumstances,

knowledge ; but let the body and

tion
educabones,so to speak,of a primary agricultural
and
be taught in every
school,in such terms
with

such

of

clearness
of

in which

might

be omitted
of school

delightin
books
rather

than

learn from
are

and

; but let these

of methods
these how

those

may

treat

and

of

pressingneeds

be most

derstanding
un-

have

which

of this.
young

farmer

calling

few

"

tural
agricul-

and
principles

applications.Let

to ascertain

readilydetermine
needs

Let him

the

taught

not

was

to

yet visited

never

postponed in favor
after school,let the

best of it.

the actual and

will

them

the literature illustrative of his

the very

mean

something
or

pupil.

every

school

Out

to commend

as

laws
him

by experimentwhat
of his soil,and he

by reflection
and
readily

inquiryhow
cheaplysatisfied.

and

198

WHAT

the books

All
made

one

in the
farmer

good

FAEMmG.

OF

KNOW

world
;

be

of

never

the

but, on

themselves

other

hand, no

thoroughlygood farmer
is more
the knowledge which
without
easilyand
Books
rapidlyacquiredfrom books than otherwise.
substitute for open-eyed observation
and pracare
no
tical
experience; but they enable one familiar with
in this age

man

their

contents

with

with

to observe

an

accuracy,

that
intelligence,

an

them.

without
he

can

The

very

book

farmer

which

periment
ex-

unattainable

are

who

and

tells you

that

of

Agriculture,
and
wants
to see
never
one, will ask his neighbor
how
to grow
cure
or
tobacco,or hops, or sorgho,or
he is yet unacquainted,when
any crop with which
the chances are a hundred
that this particular
to one
well as the volume
advise him
so
neighbor cannot
vators
cultiwhich
embodies
the experienceof a thousand
A
of this very plant instead of barely one.
of
of Agriculture,
or
good book treatingpractically
some
department therein,is simply a compendium
with such
of the experience of past ages combined
abled
knowledge as the present generationhave been enIt may
to add
thereto.
be faultyor defective
on
some
points; it is not to be blindlyconfided in,
followed
it is to be mastered, discussed,
nor
slavishly
opened

never

treats

"

and followed
criticised,
with

the dictates of
Its true

sense.

will lean

his

own

upon
proper

so

as

its teachings
coincide

science,experience,and

office is
and

far

good farmer
oracle only where
entirelydeficient.

suggestion;

trust

it

as

an

knowledge proves

the

common

INTELLECT

it
By-aTid-bj,
live

men

will

have

or

be

hundred-acre
the

and
those

of

for which
not

farm.

of
brightest

his

who

that few

find

cannot

then

the farmer

to follow

sons

him

and

scope

for all their intellect

And

cultivation

on

two-

will select

in the management

of the

paternal acres, leaving

inferior abilityto seek fortune in pursuits
and specialcapacitywill
a limited
serve, if

sufiice.
of

worthy

generallyrealized

lived

profitable
employment

199

AGRICULTURE.

IN

And

then

we

shall have

Amculture

an

country and the age.

our

Meantime, let us make the most of what we have,

by difi'using,
studying,
discussing,
criticizing,
Liebig's
ing's
Chemistry, Dana's Muck Manual, tarAgricultural
Elements, and
especiallyof
and

ourselves

then
principles,

that

department

some

making

so

the books

with

the

each

of the

treat

more

farmer's

art,

with
the
familiar,first,
cient,
effimethods, of scientific,

successful

treat

it

husbandry. Let us, who love it,

Agricultureas the elevated,ennobling pursuit

might

should

and

of the entire
We
fast and

so

far

it will
pursuit,
the

best

as

and

and

retain the

give place to
from

the

among

race.

this

mation
esti-

would

which

Just

strongestminds,
It has

been
it

because

only inferior capacities

be rewarded.

Let

this

error

truth,and Agriculturewill win

the

so

intellectual

an

escaped from, mainly

callingin

requiredor

of

sure

rendered

of the human
abilities,

has seemed
were

farming is

attract

widely shunned

exalt it in the

community.

all events, be

at

may,

be, and thus

intellects
brightest

of the

taries
vo-

race.

XXXIY.

SHEEP

OuES

is

produce
than
we

and

Woolens,
admirably

share

of

of

caprices
fitful

farmers

Wool

much

as

and

and
is

of
of

inclemencies

to

of

we

shield

our

of

clothed

in
are

the

and

able
consider-

clad, but

are

of the

Woolens

herdsmen,

and

Sheep

we

country

we

words

other

this

Fabrics

proportion
the

needed

of

our

which

in

Cotton,

annually,

only import

not

more

Wool

fabricated

while
fail

to

us

diverse

are

we

grow

so

against

the

but

generally

climates.

There

is

extensive
are

In

soil.

own

bales

largely

rearing

manufacture

we

our

the

considerable

Of

of

are

we

we

Meat.

But

shape

Woolens

the

import

wherefrom

nation

Wool,

much

of

sections

to

export

two-thirds.

the

in

extensive

of

production

also

fully

adapted

and

Millions

yet, while

and

and

Grain

Three

portion

Thread;

Food,

both

export

we

reimport

on

of

We

agricultural country.

an

our

some

grow

we

of

import

whereof

WOOL-GEOWING.

eminently

most

we

AND

devoted

seeming

regions
to

(200^

in

this

excuse

for

South

America

Sheep-growing

where

in

the

and

fact

that

Austraha

animals

are

AND

SHEEP

neither

housed

which

Wool

presume
than
of

it

all seasons,

States

is in those

soil ; and

own

should,and
Here

I. When

the

clusively
ex-

grasses

are

be

on

considerable

any

I believe

area

the United

that

much
sumption.
con-

reasons:

my

predominant
the

interest of British

entire

repeal of

ufactures
Man-

the duties

imported Wool, whereby Sheep-growing had

been

the
protected,

abandon

they must

but the event

that

regions produced cheaper

yet

constrained
on

native

profitably
might, grow as
for their own
large annual

is needed

as

those

on

they are

spontaneous products of the soil.

permanently

can

our

Wool

the

are

where

herded, and

nor

fed, at

201

WOOL-GEOWING.

farmers

apprehended

department of

proved this

viously
pre-

calculation

their

that

industry;

mistake.

They
they

profit
to-daythan
did when
their Wool
brought a higher price under
the largely
because
the influence of Protective
duties,
increased
than makes
price of their Mutton more
up
their loss by the reduced
to them
pricesof their Wool.
Wool
will
So, while I do not expect that American
such high pricesas it has done
ever
again command
at some
periods in the past, I am confident that the
in the pricesof Meat, which
has
generalappreciation
Sheep

more

grow

within

occurred

which

seems

growing

more

been

the

are

in

and

at better

the

last ten

or

fifteen years,

and

likelyto be enduring,will render Sheepin the future than

it has
profitable
past.

At

generallyobligedto

pricessomewhat

below

all events, while

om*

sell their Grain

and

the range

farmers

Meat

of the British

mar-

at

202

WHAT

kets,it

is

afford to

KNOW

FARMING.

OF

hardly conceivable
gi'ow Wool, for which

that

they

should

not

they receive higher

pricesthan the British farmers do, who feed
average
their Slieepon the produce of lands worth from $300
$500 (gold)
per

to

acre.

being relatively
high in this country,
it is a serious
Capitalwith most farmers deficient,

II. Interest
and

that the farmer must

wait
to cattle-growing
objection
for his
three or four years before receivinga return
and
outlay. If he beginspoor, with but a few cows
and keep all his
to rear
a
team, he naturallywants
calves for several years in order to adequatelystock
income
is meantime
his farm, so that little or no
flock of Sheep
realized from
his herd ; whereas
a
a
yieldsa fleece per head each year, though not even
is sold,while

lamb

that of

rapid than

III. Almost
finds

soil

herd

infested

to flourish

seem

least in the old

farmer,at

every

with

cut

such

every

case,

police

his

Give

them

"

bushes
and

are

his natural

are

States,

bushes

and

the

plow.

allies
"

his

In
paid
un-

vigilantand
an

ants.
thorough-goingassistthe
start in Spring with

even

briers ; let their

and

they

Sheep

more

by cutting,if he finds
the ruggedness of his

them, and which

precludes his exterminating by
to

is far

in numbers

of cattle.

part of his land

some

which
briers,
time

its increase

sure

very

number
come

out

average

are

to

be

sufficient ;

ahead

in the

Fall.
TV.

Our

fanners

in Summer

in the

and

Autumn

to salt

too

much

meats, and

fined
cones-

SHEEP

to
peciallj

AXD

Pork.

However

be, their exclusive

may

palatable.With
farmer

haying

and

harvest-time

his

than

workmen,

in

is neither

flock of
fresh

have

may

find this better for his

to

excellent

use

good

203

WOOL-GROWING.

qualitythese
healthful

Sheep, the
meat

every

if he chooses

family,and

; and

nor

most

cluded
se-

week

in

he will

satisfactory

more

diet wherefrom

fresh meat

is

excluded.
Y.

ITow, I

insist that

do not

farmer

every

should

that many
situated
are
so
Sheep,for I know
that they cannot.
In stony regions,
where
walls are
relied on
for fences,I am
that
aware
very g-enerally
Sheep are with difficulty
kept within bounds ; and
this is a serious objection.In the neighborhoodof
Fresh
where
Meat
cities and largevillages,
be
may
for keepbought from day to day, one vahd reason
ing
them
has no
application
; yet I hold that twice
of our
farmers as now
have flocks ought to
as
many
have them, and would
thereby increase their profits
grow

the comfort

well

as

The

most

as

serious

this country is the

dogs.

Farmers

of their families.
obstacle

abundance

by

tens

to

Sheep husbandry
and

of thousands

in

depredations of
have sold ofi^,
or

killed

their fiocks,
ofi*,
mainly because they could not
otherwise
against their frequent
protect themselves
decimation
not worth
by prowling curs, which were

the
that

powder required to
a

farmer

thus

to

find

It

seems

to

me

in
despoiledis perfectly
justifiable

placingpoisonedfood
apt

shoot them.

it while

where

making

these
their

cut-throats
next

raid

will be
on

hia

204:

WHAT

I should

Sheep.

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

have

scruplein so doing,provided
I could guard effectuallj
againstthe poisoning
other than the culprits.
a
well-settled,thriftyregion, where
ample

of any
In
barns

no

provided,I judge that

are

the losses of

Sheep

to a minimum
by dogs may be reduced
by proper
than in wild, new
frontier
precautions. Elsewhere
settlements,
every flock of Sheep should have a place

of a good barn, and

refuge beneath the hay-floor
be trained to spend every night there,as well as to
seek this shelter againstevery pelting storm.
Even
of

if sent

some

distance

should

connect

should

they

snch

home

for

thus

their
a

they had acquired the

I am
nightfall
; and
lodged will very rarelybe

home

unbarred

pasture, an

pasture with

driven

be

until

necessary,

to

at

fold ; and

few

nights,if

habit

assured
attacked

lane

of

that

ing
com-

Sheep

by dogs or

wolves.

generallyrealized
of the value of Mutton, whereby
that enhancement
their British rivals have
profitedso largely.Their
fathers began to breed Sheep when
a fleece sold for
As

yet,

much

than

more

abundance

of

But

such

and

Middle

Sheep
with
wooled

farmers

our

is

no

Wool

have

carcase,
were

and

greater profitin
Merino

specimens of

and
the

fineness

when
main

and

consideration.

longerthe fact,at least in the Eastern

States.
To-day,large and long-wooled

of the Cotswold

far

not

and

similar breeds

this section than

Saxony, except

the latter

can

are

be sold at

where

grown
the finechoice

high pricesfor

AND

SHEEP

removal

to Texas

of these

animals
high-priced

to few

sell bucks

to

have

some

calculate

The

must

farmer

average

cannot

pect
ex-

at

his

that mechanics

lower,so

and

them

without

absolute

that 100

pounds

of Mutton

of Wool

at 30

of Mutton
cents.

growing
be confined
necessarily

Sheep are to be sold,when sold at

to $5, if not
pricesranging from $10 down

all,at
eat

The

at $5,000,as
$1,000,and even
sold,or at least reported. He must

been
that

West.

the Far

and

hands.

205

WOOL-GKOWING.

these

is

their

farms

at 10

who

manage
or

to

cents, and

Farmers

sale in June

ruin ; and

cents, amount

at 8

and
vicinity,

merchants

will

cents, with
than

more

lambs

pounds

6
60

pounds

on

produce ;

almost
and

at 60

in this

of

that

me

and

realize

pounds of Wool
Sheep for Mutton

have

July,assure

greater than

.he must

10

grow
to

buy

may

they

good size for

their profiton

anything
say

what

The

experience of this class may be

satisfactory
able
repeatedto-dayin the neighborhood of any considercityin the Union.
Sheep-growingis no experiment
assured and gratifying
with
success
; it is an
all who
understand
and are fitly
placedfor its prosecution.
Wool
never
again be so high as we
may
have
known
it,since the Far West and Texas can
it very cheaply,while
its transportation
costs
grow
less than five per cent, of its value,where
that of
some

and

would

be Y5 per cent. ; but Mutton

is

generallyacceptablemeat, whereof
popularityare dailyincreasing
; so that
and

w^holethe

its

/'

j
they j
else

know.

Grain

use

mar-

206

ket

WHAT

will doubtless

value

it has

been

farmers

of

the

in

past.
to

gladlyincite the
comprehend this fact,and

to

as

so

destined

play a great part

to

enfold

which

The

Wool.

of

need

and

exceedingly
rarity of

pure,

their

soil is seldom
excellence
them

render

shepherd

while

without

elsewhere

the

effective

on

shelter

of each
year
grown
ISTew
than

of

are

or

fact that their

in

even

the

to

the

fodder

and

ample
provided

wet

Roots, or

for at least two

thus, I judge

dom
in the wis-

the Plains

have

Grain, or

of the

of
possibility,

on

would

the

Winter,

wants

believe

admit

; and

water

I do not

cured

Hay,

in Colorado

months

or

and
for

what
some-

of each

that fine Wool

can

be

Wyoming far cheaper than in

England or even Minnesota, and of better quality
And
I am
in Texas
America.
South
or
ously
grievmistaken

developed
which

with

grasses,

contrary, I

them,

but, even

Mountains

; the

storms

against cold

flock,with

every

our

Yalleys

and

Kocky

sodden

his flocks.

keeping Sheep
;

Plains

admirably adapted

and

satisfaction of

the

short,thin

humanity,

or

in the

Territories,is

ch^ap productionof
dry, bracing atmosphere ; the

never

of their

other

the

to

drenching
or

Sheep-growingby

to

elevated

embrace

favorable

Their

Wool.

than

I would

profitby it.
But
the new
region opened
the pioneers of Colorado, and
act

future

be greater iu the

country

our

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

have

if

or

Sheep husbandry

the Plains

on

no

American

with

is not

about

rapidityand

precedent.

to be

success

XXXY.

AXOUNTS

Farmees,

it is

unfortunately
fail

in

integrity
in

; most
or

or

for

land

more

to

the

interest

unable

are

little

than

If

cultivate.

to

exertion

in

upon

they

and

take
under-

they

into

run

to

stock

into

bankruptcy

land

which

should

they

ahead

get

the

them

pass

pacity
ca-

method

capital

throughout

overtake

would

forced

are

in

is,they

have

they

is

Some

many

few

that

ever-accruing

active

by

outset

fertilize, and

means

by

the

not

fail because

number

at

sobriety

; but

this

others.

all

of

as

in

diligence

much

too

them,

others

Quite

system.

debt

of

fail ; and

sometimes

urged,

true

FAEI^nNG.

IN

day,

terest
in-

the
the

during

suing
en-

night.
Few
their

ill fortune
of

waste

hours
without

unsuccessful

of the

Men

time.
in

weekly

the

of

chances

to

monkey-show
on

an

extent

attributable

to

naturally

not

village, or

suspicion

their
a

fairly

is

the

realize

that

auction

they
in

success

half
;

at

life.

of

part

the

of

railroad

next

own

station,

destroying
is

To-day

to-morrow

their

lazy squander

thus

are

which

to

is

day
(207)

given

lost
is

in

spent

up
tendance
atat

208

WHAT

caucus

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

jarj trial ; and

wasted.
is virtually
or

the year

so

until one-third

on

of

]^ow, the men who have achieved eminent success,

have all been rigideconomists
within my
observation,
of time.
They managed to transact their business at
the county-seatwhile servingthere as grand or petit
detained under subpoena as witnesses ; they
or
jurors,
unless they really
needed
attended
auction
an
never
something which was there to be sold,and then they
began their day'swork earlier and ended it later in
for
the time which
order to redeem
they borrowed
the sale.
who

could

I do not
count

believe

up

that any

three hundred

American
full

farmer

days'work

in

and his thirtieth

twenty-first
or
ever
except as a result of speculation,
yet failed,
endorsing,or inordinate running into debt.
I would, therefore,urge
to keep a
every farmer
rigidaccount current of the disposalof his time, so
able to see
at the year's end
as to be
exactlyhow
days thereof he had given to productivelabor ;
many
how
to such
abiding improvements as fencing
many
neither
which
and draining; and how many
to objects
I am
increased his crop nor
sure
improved his farm.
year

every

between

would

many

be

his

amazed

at

the

extent

of

this last

category.
If

youth who expects to live by farming

tains
buy a cheap pocket-bookor wallet which cona
diary wherein
I3age is allotted to each day
year, and would, at the close of that day, or at

every

would
a

of the

least while

its incidents

were

still fresh in his

mind,

ACCOUNTS

under

set down

rain ;

fall of

shower

heavy
snow

incidents

whatever

head

instance,a soaking

as, for

"

lightor

frost ;

its proper

noteworthy

most

were

209

fak:ming.

IN

killing

slightor

hurricane

hail-storm

notably cold temperature ;

them
the turningout of cattle to pasture or sheltering
againstthe severityof Winter; also the plantingor
gale ;

decidedlyhot

sowing of
done

each

by frost
maturity
"

with

annual

and
field,

in

its

when

thus

of fact which

was

it approache

provide himself
would

prove

structi
in-

valuable
farmer

good

harm

whether

infancy or

he would

volumes

and
The

or

crop

it

to

or

throughout his maturer

years.
with
will of course
keep accounts

neighborsas he sees fit to deal with ; and

he ought to chargea lent or credit a borrowed
plow,
other implement, preor
harrow, reaper, log-chain,
cisely
of an
meal
meat
as
or
equal
though it were
value.
I judge that borrowed
implements,if regularly
charged at cost, and credited at their actual
home
value
when
returned, would
generallycome
such

sooner

But

of his

in better

and
the

careful to

farmer,like

keep

farm.

If

show

it ; and

face

when

year.
or

of

January.

debt

dollar

is

he

strikes

spent
and
a

was

or

sum

balance
no

will seldom
he

else,should

on

lent,his
the

and

books

total stare
at

be most

himself

credit with

there has been

than

one

every

and

let items

hours,he

December

condition.

him

his

should
in the

close of the

leakage either
be

poorer

on

the

1st of

the

of dimes

the 31st of

preceding

210

WHAT

Most

farmers

yieldof

keep

crops ;

yieldof Oats ; a
Buckwheat, or Beans, as

ten

be

their

"

structi
in-

more

of

acres

acre

per

smaller

like

and

could

are

bushels

to 40

20

with

accounts

what

yet

Here

these ?

than

FAEMING.

OF

fail to

several fields and

with

KNOW

Corn,

like

area

largerof Rye,

or

be.

If

how
produce is sold,most farmers know
know
how
much
brings; but how
many
Say the Corn brings 75 cents per bushel,and

much

50

cents

If

so,

at

what

from

grown

either

was

time

what

it could

years ;

put
them

money

of

for the

poorer

Of

course,

there

uncertaintyin

one

than

is

that

aware

others,and

those that

loss ;

into their

of Corn

he

grow

who

and

pockets,and

growing

to

what

so

leave

thing
some-

at

after

crops have
have

made

complicationand some
all such account-keeping
;
crops

this

whether

know,

is

some

by

crops

years, what

ten

has

annum

per

some

ought they not

or

?
profit

to know

not

it

the Oats

farmer

the

it cost ?

profitgive place to

farmers

five

is

at

in the average,

with

not

Most

others at a
profit,
an
experienceof

ought

may

produced

bushels

him

costs

could

else ?

both

or

300

to

Corn

or

case

profit? Here

100

for the last 20

the

take

it in

more
worse

from

degree
for every
the soil

condition

for

exact
large
follow,and that some
reenforcements
whereof
of fertilizers,
a
part only is
to the first ensuingproduct,while a
chargea1)le
fairly
are

to

largeshare inures to the subsequent harvests. Each

is to be credited
must
judge for himself how much
for
such
how
much
improve'nent, and
charged

ACCOUNTS

againstother
whose
*tuns

that

per

Hay

acre

meadows

will

cut

good EnglishHay

for twice

He,

for deterioration.

crops

of

211

FARMING.

if not

of its production,and

so

thrice
seem

from

two

to be

to

ample,
ex-

three

sell
generally

may
the

for

inniiediate

cost

realizinga large

profit
; but, if he gives nothing to the soil in return
for the heavy draft thus made
it,his crop will
upon
dwindle
for
year by year, until it will hardly pay
cutting; and the diminution in value of his meadows
will nearly or quitebalance the seeming profit
accruing
in every
from
his Hay.
But
account-keeping
business
iLYolves
identical
essentially
calculations;
and the merchant
who
this year makes
net profit
no
liisgoods,but doubles
the number
of his customers
on
and

the

extent

of

has the farmer

his

thriven

cisely
pre-

his crops has

on
profit
all been invested in drains permeating his bogs,and
and other fertilizers,
in Lime, Plaster,
appliedto and
permanently enrichinghis dryer fields.
"
To make
each day a critic on the last,"
the
was
of a wise man, if not a great poet. So the
aspiration
farmer
who
will keep careful and
candid
accounts
his estimates by the
with himself,annuallycorrecting
learn what
light of experience,will soon
crops he
and to reject
reasonablyexpect to grow at a profit,
may
such as are likelyto involve him in loss ; and he
sense
who, having done this,shall blend common
after
with industry,
will have no reason
to complain therein farming,and no chance
that there is no profit
of achieving
wealth by pursuingit.
as

whose

trade,has

XXXYI.

STONE

This

earth, geologists
heated

of

expanse

surface,

its

formed
This

Stone.

and
the

tilted

of

action

solid

bodies

of

masses

frozen
been

all

flowing

restricted

the

had

mountains

to

and

plains,sweeping
but

bowlders

to

make
hills

along

also, of
(212)

the

their
to
not

every

zones

were

into

afterward

duced
re-

the

limits, and
and

their

ity,
vicin-

sides

of

subjacent valleys

and

down

merely
size

and

planet,

were

way

the

have

so,

icebergs

present

frigid

be

temperature,

seas

their

to

been

having

our

those

as

milder

the

quite

or

part,
a

When

water.

streams

by

of

ments
frag-

upheaved

of

to

soon

siu'face

greater

of

the

; and

gases

floating, or

hills, by

transmutation

the

sandstone,

or

through,

and

sharper edges

the

resolved,

nearly
icebergs

the

over

the

upon

ultimately

from

Rock

as

broken

mountains

at

tracted
con-

space,

know

we

been

expansive

icebergs

carried

dropped

of

granite, quartz,

into

which

fires,by

more

away

sped through

since

ranges

internal

into

torn

has

immense

an

gradually cooling

which,

crust,

crust

once

was

and

into

up

FAKM.

saj,

vapor,

it whirled

as

and
or

ON

and

sand

the

and

form,

and

gravel,
some-

STONE

times

great

rocks

as

largerportionof
the existence

our

as

earth's

213

FARM.

well,by

And,

currents.

ON

force

the
very

surface

of their impetuous

large,if
bears

not

the

testimony

and

powerful action through ages, of

larger and smaller water-courses,a wide and general
diifasion of stones,not in place,but more
less triturated,
or
smoothed, and rounded, by the action of

to

water,

was

These

the inevitable

among
stones

are

impediment,

sometimes

results.
a

but
facility,

oftener

in agriculture.When
efficiency
heated
by fervid sunshine throughout the day,they
retain a portion of that heat through a part of the
succeedingnight,therebyraisingthe temperature of
the soil,and
increasingthe deposit of dew on the
plants there growing. When
generallybroken so
linelyas to offer no impediment to cultivation,
they
not
merely absorb heat by day, to be given off by
night,but, by rendering the soil open and porous,
an

much

to

extensive

diffusion of air

through
it than would
otherwise
be possible. Thus
do slaty
and maintain
soils achieve
a warmth
unique in their
to ripen grapes
further
as
so
respectivelatitudes,
than would
wise
otherNorth, and at higher elevations,
be possible.
The
able
great Prairies of the West, with a considerportionof the valleysand plainsof the Atlantic
and httle beneath
slope,expose no rock at their surfaces,
and
them, until the soil has been traversed,
tained.
atof the underlyingrock in placefairly
the vicinity
inured
To farmers
to the perpetual stone-

secure

more

214

WHAT

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

and other hillj

regions,this
pickingof [N'ew-Englaiid,
the pioneer
welcome
is a most
change ; but when
comes

to look

his

and

well,

to

of

foundations

for stone

to wall

form

the

that

the

exulted

him

in

leaving behind

wholly and absolutelya nuisance

be rid of them
forever,he would

not
to
some

Yet,
for
want

back

of them
the

stone

his farm

of

farmer

his
cut

he

glad as

like

were

was

to call

now

again.

Eastern
than

his cellar

underpin his barn, and

his dwelling, he realizes

he had

bowlders

him

about

to-dayhas

grandfatherhad.
into

up

two

or

fewer

He

uses

does

three-acre

not

patches,

unsightlywalls,which frost is apt to

by broad-based,
heave year after year into greater deformity and less
efficiency
; nor
since
draining,

does
he

he

longer

care

excavate

must

to

use

them

replacethrice

and

in
as

making a tile
drain ; while the former affords shelter and impunity
other mischievous, predatory animals,
to rats,mice, and
whose
burrowing therein tends constantlyto
choked
stimulate its natural tendency to become
with
and
Of
sand
earth.
the stone
drains,constructed
whose
wills
through parts of my farm by foremen
proved strongerthan my own, but two remain in partial
these shall
operation,and I shall rejoicewhen
much

have

earth

in

making

filled themselves

up

stone

and

Happily,they were
disturb
plow will never
Still,
my
is

confidence

scarcelyshaken

by

that
the

as

been

sunk

so

in

counted
low

out

more.
ever-

that the subsoil

them.

nothing was

made

prevalenceand

in vain

abundance

STONE

of stone

on

than

wiser

Eastern

our

for them

present use

ON

We

farms.

all ; but
have

and

we,

215

FAKM.

grandsonswill

our

for them

uses

have

not

may

be

which

we

hardly suspect. I reinsist that land which is very

mainly created with an eye to timberstony was
of such
growing, and that millions of acres
ought
forthwith
to be planted .with Hickory, White
Oak,
Pine, and other valuable
Locust, Chestnut, White
forest-trees.
of thoroughly dry land,
Every acre
Middle
a
or
railroad,in the Eastern
lying near
States,may be made to pay a good interest on from
$50 up to $100, provided there be soil enough above
its rocks

afford

to

how

little will

who

have

not

that you

long within
(but never

the

begin

three

foothold

this pui'pose

answer

seen

may

decent

for trees ; and

none

Sow

experiment tried.
to cut

four

out

imagine
thickly,

can

poles six

to

feet

ten

years, and

keep cuttingout
cuttingoff) thenceforward, until time
shall be no more, and your rocky crests,steep hill-sides
and ravines,
will take rank with the most
productive
portionsof your farm.
In the edges of these woods, you may
deposit the
in full
surplusstones of the adjacentcultivated fields,
that

assurance

thieves

break
and

sons

your

they
there when
I
and

am
more

or

moth

further
with

rust

will not

through and steal,but

grandsonswill find them

shall be
you

and

needed,

came

into

confident

as

well

as

we

that

nor

and

you

there

ever
when-

those you

found

possessionof
that

corrupt

the farm.

shall build

rough, unshapen stone, as

we

more

grow

216

WHAT

and

older

In

wiser.

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

harsh, capricious
climate,

our

afford

walls of stone-concrete

the

best

cheapestand

mals
protectionalike against heat and frost,for our aniLet
and, I think,also for ourselves.
certainly,
the farmer
begin his barn by making of stone, laid
in thin
a

mortar,

for
hillside,

build

his

this

upon

substantial

and

manure

this

His

son

wooden

structure

the
ultimately,

hay

third

grain,if

and

he

with

concrete

walls and

slate

postponed until the original

has rotted off;but I feel sure
that,
dwellings as well as barns of thrifty

this may

or

add

he may

for

grandson will,probably,take

or

off,and replaceit

roof;

now

for his

roof of wood

fit.

sees

his root-cellar ; let him

story of like materials

second

the stalls of his cattle ; and

story and

story,let into

basement

be

will mainly be built of

farmers,in stony districts,

rough stone,throAvn into a box

composed of
by a thin mortar
xime ; and
to each

and

firmlycemented

much

sand

that thus at least ten thousand

farm

will be

disposed of.

tuns

It may

little

and

of stone
be

what
some-

fowl inclosures,
barn-yards,
etc., will be shut in by cemented
gardens,pig-pens,
walls ; but the other sort affords such ample and perpetual
later still before

all

manner

our

for rats, minks, weasels, and

lurking-places
of destructive
tain
vermin, that they are cer-

to go

out

of fashion

before the close of the

next

century.
As

to

blastingout

Stone,too large or

fixed

to

be

handled, I would

otherwise

problem by asking,

"

Do

you

mean

to

too

finnly

solve

keep

the

this lot

STONE

in cultivation ?"

ON

If you

217

FARM.

do,

clear it of stone

from

upward, and for at least two feet downw^ard,though they be as large as haycocks,and as
fixed as the everlasting
field of
hills. Clear your
bigger than a goose-egg, that the Plow
every stone
strike in doing its work, or give
the Mower
or
may
and leave its
it up to timber, plant'it thoroughly,
surface

the

unmolested

stones

have

until you

or

shall

descendants

your

paying use for them.

A friend deeply engaged in lumberinggivesme
a
of stony farms will
owners
hint,which I think some
He is obligedto run
his logsdown
find useful.
low,
shalof which
large
stony creeks,from the bottom
rocks often protrude,arrestingthe downward
gress
proa

When

of his lumber.

rolls the stones

and
levers,

and

of

to leave

to

or

crowbars

this side and

every

it as though

it

builds
When

the rock has

cooled,he

it were,

way

banks, and

giantbowlder.

out, and

and, as

and

the

value,from

no

burned

his

with

two

that,

for his

clear passage

the top of each

and

in,with

ally,
logs. Occasiondefies
he is confronted by a big fellow,which
and blasting,
force ; w^hen,instead of drilling
utmost
he gathersdead
tree-tops,and other dry wood

as

his

goes

armed
stout, strong assistants,

three

so

he

nearlydry in Summer,

are

of these creeks

the beds

rotten,on

so

demorahzed

were

chalk

or

the

hot fire on

the

fire has

ened,
finds it soft-

top, often split,

that he
cheese.

can

deal with

He

estimates

savingby this process, as compared with drilling

I
than fifty
much
more
as
per cent.
blasting,
lO

218

WHAT

farmers

trust

whom

with

stones

superabundant,

trial.

Powder
saved

be

may
I
well

asks

rod

$5 per

so

shallow
which

ditch
will

few

by

side, while

north
wall

; but
;

the

shall be
my
to
owner

the

on

the

on

the

thaw

and

sorely disappointed
memory,

roving

cattle

shall have

and

long
been

be

let

known

after

the

as

name

forgotten.

have

been

of

under

on

is

my

the

quently
conse-

wall.

does

thorough
its

its

entire

my

there

of

shape

under

rock

wall
a

field

earth

down

if that

open

out

as

ordinary

an

twisted

gether,
to-

thereon

An

there, and

least

make

wall

south, would

always dry

ever

furrows

from

firm

kind

at

foot, and

the

Beginning

two

built

of

been

that

me

child.

thawing

freezes
to

bull
cost

the
a

wholly

is

has

money.

north

it remained

ground

nothing

the

younger

and

nothing

so

built

side, I

my

wood

years,

very

little of

wildest

ground

either

on

down

sunny

the

raise

partly thrown
a

the

rule

that

turning

gravellyloam

of sunny,

in

and

outlast

dividing

of

first,not

my

farm, but

it is worth

to

as

part of which

at

"

years

last wall

its bed

device

simple

money,

walls

ten

on

; and

by plowing

wall

last

The

horn.

wore

big

expedient.

forbearance

no

and

abundant,

this

give

stone

the

little fence

is

drillingcost

some

for

; but

wood
will

this

by

built

have

Yery
that

and

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

not

last
out-

barrier

original

XXXYII.

AOT)

FENCES

Though
decided

an

incidentally,
alreadyindicated,
my
to our
prevalent
system of Fencing,
objections
I have

the

our

farmer's

and

says the fence-tax

Kobinson

Solon
of

FENCING.

subjectof such importance that I choose

discuss it directly.Excessive Fencing is peculiarly
American
abuse, which urgentlycries for reform.

I deem
to

taxes.

add, that

is the

heaviest

it is the most

less
need-

indefensible.

Highways

we

nmst

have, and peoplemust

traverse

gives them no rightto trample down

otherwise injurethe crops growing on either side.
or
In France, and other parts of Em-ope, you see
grass
and grain growing luxuriantly
up to the very edge
tween
of the beaten
tracks,with nothing like a fence beYet
those crops are nowise
them.
injuredor
chooses
to impel
disturbed
by wayfarers. Whoever
take care
to have
animals
along these roads must
that
and must
see
them
completelyunder subjection,
they do no harm to whatever grows by the way-side.

them

In

; but

this

this country,

and
scale,

for short

except on a
cattle-driving,
distances,has nearly been
(219)

small
super-

220

WHAT

eeded

the Atlantic

West,
reach

huddled

time, and

in far less

Every
and

into

with

left there

killed in

were

fit for human

have

out

than

more

to grass,

twelve

he is taken

many

which

hours,
to the

deaths

more

if the animals

condition

through
but they
some.
unwhole-

way

be turned

further

or

hurried

every

before

full month

Ohio

of flesh ;

less waste

journey of

slaughter-pen.We must
in this citythan
annum
subsist

and

cars

should

animal

railroad

foot,from

on

fevered, bruised,and

us

after

ing
great droves formerlyreach-

seaboard

now

are

FAEMING.

OF

The

railroads.

by

KNOW

on

which

per
we

them

rendered

food.

Ultimately,our
from

fresh
the

Beef,

Mutton

Prairies

and

Pork,

will

in

cars:
refrigerating
each animal havingbeen killed while in perfecthealth,
unfevered
and untortured
by days of cramped, galled,
the cars.
This will leave
and thirstysuffering,
on
their offal,
includinga largeportionof their bones, to

to

come

enrich
and
of

us

the fields whence

from

which

their

they should

never

sustenance

be taken.

was

drawn
The

cost

the meat, hides,and talloAV,

in such
transporting
be less than that of bringingthrough the
cars, would
animals on
their legs; while the danger of putrefaction
might be utterlyprecluded.
Bat to return
to Fencing:
Our
ani
be preserved from
growing plantsmust
mal ravage ; but it is most
unjustto impose the cost
of this protection
the growers.
chooses
Whoever
on
take care
that they do
to rear
or
buy animals must
not infest and
sees
despoilhis neighbors. Whoever

FENCES

fit to turn
with

one

mischief,

who

which

221

FENCING.

into the street,should

animals
them

AND

will be

to

sore

browsing

keep

some

tliem out
in

trees

young

send

of

forest

clearlyis.
If

the

inhabitants

of

settlement

or

surrounded
village

fit to pasture their cattle

see
by open prairie,
thereon,they should send them out each morning in
the

chargeof

should

be

well-mounted

summed

up

in

herdsmen, whose

duty

from

evil-

keeping

them

back to their
doing by day and bringingthem safelj^
yard or yards at nightfall.
Fencing bears with specialseverityon the pioneer
class,who are least able to afibrd the outlay. The
first year in the wilderness,
of the pioneer's
clearing"
and far
needs
new
a
being enlarged by ax and fire,
sequent
next
longer environment
year ; and so through subend.
Many a
years until clearingis at an
pioneer is thus impelled to devote a large share of
his time to Fencing ; and yet his crops often come
to
his
or
grief through the depredationsof his own
!*ieighbor's
breachy cattle.
Fences
bushes,
produce nothing but unwelcome
So far as they may
briers and weeds.
be necessary*
constructed
they are a deplorablenecessity. When
where
they are not reallyneeded, they evince costly
folly. I think I could point out farms which would
not sell to-dayfor the cost of rebuildingtheir present
''

fences.
We

cannot

make

open

fences in this country,as

drains

or

ditches

theysometimes

serve

for

do in milder

222

WHAT

and

KNOW

heave

crumble

and

might

far north

so

for

like

this

as

had
city,
There

if

leisure.

at

much

frosts

severe

nearlyperpendicul
placesso that

length in

at

them

cross

our

their banks

slopingthem
animals

FAEMTN-Q.

OF

equableclimates,because

more

would

Nor

success

have

with

we,

hedges,

is

at
scarcelya hedge-plant
efficient in stopping animals and so hardy as to
once
of our Winters.
or rather the caprice,
defy the severity,
I scarcely
know
is not either inefficient
a hedge which
a

for
costly

too

or

is

the average

fixture ; whereas

Wire

they

we

farmer

; and then

often need

to

move

or

hedge

ish
demol-

fences.

our

Fences

least obnoxious

are

to this

objection
;

ter,
easilyremoved ; but a careless teamsstupidanimal, or a clumsy friend,easilymakes

are

a
a

reason.

breach

very

in one,

the

few

Wire

one

has

remained

two

or

which

Fences

is not

easilyrepaired. Of
my knowledge, hardly
efficient after standing

so

within

entire and

three years.

Stone

Walls, well built,on raised foundations of

but very
dry earth, are enduring and quiteeffective,
costly. My best have cost me at least $5 per rod,
abundant
and
ble.
accessithough the raw material was
I doubt

that any

present prices,for
should

impel farmers

less than

$3 per

this costliness

account
to

is built,
with

good wall

study how

rod.

Perhaps

merit, since

to make

few

labor at
I

it must

fences

serve

their turn.
Rail

is very

Fences

will be constructed

abundant,

of

little

only where timber

value, and easilysplit,

AND

FENCES

Whenever

223

FENCING.

burning ot timber to be rid

the making of rail fences must

of it has

the

ceased, there

be

near

its end.
Where
that

fences must

posts and

stillbe

boards

maintained, T apprehend

Thongli

Pine

lumber^ grows

aboimds

; and

the

bark

to

material.

cheapest

dear,

rapid destruction

Hemlock

of trees

still
for their

lock
tanning must give us cheap hemthroughout many ensuing years. Spruce,

be used

boards

Tamarack,
swamps,

the

are

in

other

and

will

evergreens

into

come

playafter

from

our

Hemlock

IN^orthern
shall have

exhausted.

been

As

for

posts,Eed

Cedar

generalfavorite ; and
this tree seems
to be rapidlymultiplyinghereabout.
I judge that farmers
have it not, might wisely
who
order it from
a
nursery and give it an experimental
trial. It is hardy ; it is clean ; it makes
but little
shade

; and

flourishes

it

to

seems

no

It

insect whatever.

soils ; and

of

grove

it is

sight at least,to mine.

Locust
is more
and esteemed
widely known
; but
the borer has proved destructive to it on very many
I like it well,and mean
farms, though not on mine.
the seed in rich
to multiply it extensively
by drilling
garden soil and transplantingto rocky woodland
pleasantto

when
and

two

tinyand
and

"

old.

vears

I have

bushes

success.

the

fear

rocky, thin

on

is

If it

germinates

it.

the seed

tried rather

feeble that

smother

Sowing

at

rocks

amons:

with
extensively,

all,the young

bushes,weeds, and

tree

grass,

poor
is

so

overtop

224

WHAT

That

than

longer

if

I cannot

though

the

which

and

firmly

will

continue

dried

and

when

to

this

Plant

wind

and

adjusted

as

it
it

to-day

is

rapid disintegration and

more

and

earth

the

to-morrow,

sun

deeply

post

moistened

post, thus

the

and
a

from

or

particles

downward,

but-end

moisture

absorb

the

and

combined

operation.
ground,

observation.

Trees

earth;
so

are

; and

conclusion

general
fewer

have

will

neighbor,
and

fewer

and

all he

thereby
than

decay

and

neighbor;

fences,

are

we

evermore.

are

sad

and

be

cattle
shall

shall
all

in

need

farmer

than

his

thriftless

plan

and

perfect
alike

no

fewer

case

for

to

to

their

make

conclusive.
their

owner

tumble-down
perverse

take

good

afflict

his

fences

to

needs, taking

shaky, rotting,

resolve

each

us

good

his

serve

afiliction

justly responsible

Let
own

shall

the

and

study

fence

of

that

Fences

will

retains

cattle

his

he

rods

Breechy

is,

better

that

and
fewer

that

care

and

the

firmly believe,

do

personal

be

years

many

reversed.

My

his

from

absorb

to

by

subjected

to

the

in

alive

when

did

reason

this

facihlate

grew,

it from

them

compose

to

as

moisture

up

it

as

attest

I understand
suck

set

last

will

down

top-end

set

post

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

care

cation.
eduthat

neighbors,

henceforth

and

XXXYIII.

AGEICTJLTUHAL

I must

fiftyState or
County Fairs for the exhibition (mainly)of Agricultural
From
Machines
I should
and Products.
all these,
have learned
I did ; bnt I
something,and presume
cannot
now
Hence, I conclude that these
say what.
Fairs
other

Lave

EXHIBITIONS.

attended

What

not

are

they might

words, they should

than

less

not

and

should

In

be.

improved. But how ?

As
much
the peoplecompose
the largestand best
part of these shows,the reform must beginwith them.
Two-thirds
learn

of

therefrom

them
"

no

go

be

to

Fair

belief

would

them

serve

be

gained.

and

find this

in their
But

they can there

not
seeking,they

realize that
farmers

to

be
do

Farmer's

somewhat

that

vocation, a great point

they go

mainly

desire

no

that

taught anything. Of course,

find.
If they could but
not
Fair might and should
teach
w^ould

with

in

in

ment,
quest of entertain-

horse-racing.

ty
for instruction in humiliopportunities
is
the average publicspeaker's
and self-depreciation,
he has been
the best.
hurries to a place where
He
told that his presence and utterance
are
earnestlyand
Of

all human

10*

(^^5)

226

WHAT

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

generallydesired ^perhapsto find that Ms invitation

and odious handful,who
from an
came
insignificant
had
some
private ax to grind so repugnant to the
the
great majoritythat they refuse to countenance
how
procedure, no matter
great the temptation.
such
there is no
Even
where
feud, many,
having
satiated their curiosity
by a long stare at him, walk
whistlingoff,without waiting or wishingto hear him.
But the speaker at a Fair must
sand
compete with a thouthe least of them
far more
counter-attractions,
popularand winning than he can ho]3eto be. He is
"

heard, so

far

as

he is heard

competitionwith

at

all the

all,in

presence

of and

bellowing bulls, braying

jacks,and squealingstallions,in the county ; if he

the crowd, he does
a quarter of
holds, nevertheless,
well : but let two
jockeysstart a buggy-race around
the convenient
track,and the last auditor shuts his
and runs
off to enjoy the spectacle. Decidedly,
ears
I insist that a Fair-groundis poorlyadapted to the
diffusion of Agricultural
knowledge that the people
there, even
present acquire very little information
when
they get all they want.
"

What
and

is needed

instructive

follows

bunch

that.

farmer

himself
If

our

Fairs useful

annual

beyond precedent,I

sum

up

as

I. Each
hold

far

to render

bound

only a good
of
If he

in the

county

to make

hill of

smne

or

township

contribution

Corn, a peck

of

should
to.
there-

Potatoes,

Grapes, a Squash,a Melon, let him send

send all of these,so much
the better.
can

There
add

is very
to

who

rarelya thriftyfarmer
and

attractions

try. If he could send

would
a

the

227

EXHIBITIONS.

AGEICULTTTRAL

likelyCalf, or

of

coop

first-rate

of

merits

Cow,

could
Fair

not

if he

Fowls,
superior

better

but

yet;

thing
regard a Fair as somewherewith
they'have nothing to do, except as
it is half over, they lounge into it
spectators. When
for an hour,
stare about
with hands in their pockets,
and go home
protestingthat they could beat nearly
everythingthey saw there. Then why did they not
have
can
we
good Fairs,if those who
try? How
selves
might make the best displayof productssave themthe trouble by not making any ? The average
and justly
of our
plained
comFairs,so generally
meagerness

of

nine-tenths

farmers

our

of, is

the

not

those who

fault of

what

sent

too
they had, but of those who, having better,were
ed,
c
hanglazyto send anything. Until this is radically
fastened on those who might have
and the blame

did not, our

but
contributed,

and

generally
meager
II. It

to

seems

should
on

be

employed

the cattle and

merits

and

and
exhibited,
then

present.

that there

helpbeing

to

horses

is

on

faults of

competent
hour's

give an

of

great need

running commentary

exhibited.

articles

cannot

poor.

faithful

and
interesting
various

me

Fairs

an

the

on

person
talk

off-hand

hand, explainingthe
the

breeds

several

there

of those breeds
representatives
adapted to the
any are peculiarly
fact be
duly set forth,with the

of the
If

verse
di-

let that
locality,
simple objectof enablingthe

farmers

to

breed

more

228

WHAT

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

plements
and more
profitably.Then let the imintelligently,
and
machinery on exhibition be likewise
in
explained and discussed,and let their superiority
whatever
respect to those they have superseded or
pointedout.
So,
are
designed to supersedebe clearly
if there be any new
Grain, Yegetable,or Fruit,on
the subject
of capable and
let it be made
the tables,
thoroughlyimpartialdiscussion,before such only as
and without
choose to listen,
puttingthe mere
seers
sight-

attached

always be
as

to shut

inconvenience.

to grave

to

the

out

Fair-ground,
yet
from
inseparable

noise

should

lecture-room
so
a

secluded
crowded

ing,
Here^ meetingsshould be held each evenaged
generaldiscussion ; every one being encourthe impressionsmade
state concisely
on
him,
improvements suggestedto him, by what he

exhibition.
for
to

and

the

had

seen.

at these

Do

let

us

try to

reflect and

though

gatherings,even

at the

consider
cost

of

more

seeing

less.
III. The

well

supported AgriculturalSocietyof a
be able, or should
rich and populous county must
three liberal premiums for
be able,to give two
or
in farming. If $100 could be
general proficiency
to
profiered

the

farm

county, $50

in the
and

grew

$50

the best

confident that

owner

to the
acre
an

too

of the

manager
to the

boy

of Corn

under
or

Our

petty,because

18 years

Roots

that

few

of age

chard,
or-

who

year, I

am

therebybe given

premiums
so

best tilled

of the best

owner

impulse would

agricultural
progress.
and

or

are

are

too

to

ous
numer-

willingto

con-

AGEICULTTJKAL

with

tribute

we

expectationof personalbenefit

no

If

distinction.

had

but

the

might dispensewith

most

of

we

replacethem

or

Much

who

of the

need

be

to

speaking at

use

and

their

mankind

become,
what

not

if

as

we

Fairs

sense

noblest

and

Whatever

it

we

they
mend

to

there

be in

favored

all

crowd

of

tals
mor-

happiestknown
might be, and may yet

the average

farmer's

life is

represented: for,if it were,

rushing

sulting
in-

present,

incited
can

life the

left it : whereas

me

eulogized,when

most

that

to

seems

Farmers

the

the

all know

be

no

editor,talking to

they were

it is thus

would

rightspiritaroused,
our
petty premiums,

and

or

lawyer,doctor, broker,or
of farmers

and

admonished

What

or

vote
great cost,and dehigher and nobler ends.

of
intelligence

tlieir ways.

to

to

grosslyflattered

are

often

of

thus saved

the

to

medals

by

the money
lY.

229

EXHIBITIONS.

into it where

ands
thous-

barely hundreds

that the fact is quiteotherwise.

see

'No

good can result from such insincere and

extravagant praisesof a callingwhich so few freely
Grant
that the
choose, and so many gladly shun.
farmer's

ought

vocation,we

to

know

that it should
it

There

so.

to set
can

must

be

the

enviable

most

that in fact it is not ;

be, the

business

be obstacles

impediments to
right,

to

in hand

envied

and,

ing
agree-

is to make

surmount,

overcome,

be in all respectsthe idolized

and

before

mistakes

farming

pursuitwhich

poets

ready to proclaim it and orators so delightto

it all that
represent it. Let us struggleto make
fancy has ever
painted it ; but, so long as it is not,
are

so

230

WHAT

let

exactly

counties

our

himself

pledge

writing

Fair,

Many

there

that
heard

be

farmers

is

no

Fair

afford

it may

hour.

We

step is

to

half

the

each

to

or

much

as

induce, by

farmers

YI.

toward

In

short,

Township

to

invite

it
must

is

is
be

Realizing this,

shoulder

to

the

wheel.

on

or

let

coming

do

to

in

it

the

or

except

passing
the

and

first
least

themselves
annual

Fair,

premiums.
that

not

us

as

stop

of

circus

pledge
next

see

majority

for

realize

worse

us

general

very

got

the

to
we

County

by

up

criticism, but

or

incumbent
better

its

"

patronage

tend
at-

they

the

Fair

our

to

to

at

all

must

we

incited

solicitation, at

county

increasing

Fair

our

whereto

the

cided
de-

essentially;

concerted

something

$5

or

it.

in

this

at

interest

no

soil asked

witness

yet,

entertainment

change

must

exhibit

pay

which

them

the

As

more.

the

regard

be

worth

nothing

by

something

soon

would

traveling menagerie, taking

as

it

canvassed

exhibit

to

; while

stay away

now

complaint
would

characterize

tiller of the

should

we

improvement.
who

each

and

in

County

next

and

tlioroughly

were

committees,

township

the

facts,

it is.

as

If

Y.

to

undeniable

respect

US

FAEMTN-G.

OF

KITOW

others

something

contribute,
choose

carping

and

to

and
make

give

XXXIX.

SCIENCE

I
I

AM

ever

not

AGKICIJLTUEE.

scientific farmer

shall be.

I have

no

probable tbat

; it is not

such

knowledge

istry
of Chem-

him a
needs to make
Geology as any man
that men
I am
quite aware
good farmer.
tborouglily
who
of them
have raised good crops
a good many
knew
nothing of science,and did not consider any
or
cess
sucacquaintancewith it conducive to efiiciency
and

"

"

in their
will continue

vocation.
to grow

who
by agriculture,

I have
such

doubt

no

crops, and

hardly know

that

to make

what

men

money

is meant

by

Geology ; and yet I feel sure that,as

and more
be recognized
the years roll by, Science will more
and
accepted as the true, substantial base
here
Let me
cultivation.
of efficient and
profitable
the grounds of this conviction
:
give briefly
whereof
a
Every plant is composed of elements
Chemistry

or

while the
from the soil,
portionis drawn
ampler residue,so long as the plant continues green
and growing,is mainly water, though a variable and
absorbed
or
often considerable proportionis imbibed
to yield
is understood
the atmosphere,which
from

very

small

(23O

232

WHAT

freelynearly all
the

Water

requiredof it,provided

the elements

otherwise

plantsare

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

healthful

in

supplied from

is

and

the

condition.
thrifty
sky, or from

than the
springsand streams ; and little more
ordinarycapacityfor observation is requiredto

baleful
decide

can

mine
deter-

it is present in sufficient

when
in

most

quantity,when
who, unaided
by Science,

But

excess.

the soil does

whether

does not

or

contain

for the luxuriant

requisite
growth and
perfectdevelopment of Wlieat, or Fruit, or Grass,
or
Beets, or Apples ? A"ho knows, save as he blindly
mineral
infers from
results,what
ingredients of
deficient in a. given field,
and
this or that crop
are
elements

the

what

present

are

in

assured

enhghtened and

be

the aid of Science

I have
thousand

and

bushels

of

that

each

profit
; but
which

applied
and

Lime,

infer,from

I do not

may

Icnow

attributed

have

had

An

to

to farmers.

He

very

asserts

or

one

Maine

of

results,
applied with

increased

product

of these

both

diiferent

tuns

two

to be

been

in

some

dozen

seemed

or

one

which, if well

value

canon

ten

The

it.

agricultural
essayistin
a

farm

has

only grope my way

clearlyand surelysee.

forth

to my

what

should

shall any

point,unless by

the

on

of these minerals

I have

how

bought

Plaster ; and

And

excess

originand

darkness

ments
elepulse.
im-

when

has

recentlyput
grounded, is of great
that the growth of acid

plantslike Sorrel,Dock, etc.,in a field,results from

Lime
this exists.
and that,where
in the soil,
sourness

SCIENCE

that

"

is,the ordinaryCarbonate

required; whereas
suni

and

If such

wasteful.

be worth

I lack the

of Lime

of
application

(Sulphateof Lii^e)to

it would
But

the

233

AGEICIJLTUEE.

IN

be

millions

that
the

is urgently

"

Plaster

field must

truth,a knowledge of

of dollars to

scientific
attainment

our

needed

farmers.
to

qualify

for

appliedit to
Muck,
a

G-yp-

be useless

passingjudgment thereon.
There
of. opinion among
is great diversity
with regard to the value of Swamp Muck.
me

or

if

farmer

his land

to

convenient,the
can

another

has

says he

has

add

to

his

One

has

good purpose ; so he holds

cheapest and best fei^tilizer
ordinarybarn-yardmanure
;

applied corda
derived

farmers

upon

therefrom

cords
no

of

Muck,

and

benefit whatever.

result from
of conclusion
'Now, this contrariety
may
imperfectjudgment on one side or the other,or from
the condition
precedent of the diverse soils : one of
could
them
supply,while the
requiringwhat Muck
that ;
other required something very different from
for by the fact that the Muck
it may
be accounted
or
and in
of superiorquality,
case
was
applied in one
Muck
is comthe other good for nothing. Where
posed
almost
wholly of the leaves of forest-trees
of years, have been blown
which, through thousands
into a bog,or shallow pond, and there been gradually
transformed
into a fine,black dust or earth,I do not
how it can
be applied to an
pecially
see
upland,espossibly
a sandy or
gravellysoil,without conducing
to the
subsequent production of bounteous
crops.
True,it may be sour when fii'stdrawn from the stag-

234

WHAT

KNOW

in

which

into

utter

pool or bog

OF

FARMING.

it has

lain

long,and
with
need to be mixed
Lime, or Salt,or Aslies,
may
and subjected
and frost,
to the action of snn
to ripen
and sweeten
it. But it seems
to me
impossiblethat
should be applied to almost any reasonsuch Muck
ably
dry land, without improving its consistencyand
But all Muck
is not the proincreasingits fertility.
duct
of decayed forest-leaves ; and
that which
was
of coarse, rank weeds
formed
and
brakes,of rotten
wood
and flags,
ferior
or skunk
cabbage,may be of very inas
so
quality,
hardly to repay the cost of digging
and applying it. Science will yet enable us to
fix,at least approximately,the value of each deposit
of Muck, and so give a preferenceto the best.
The
heard
much
was
Analysis of Soils,whereof
much
and whence
was
hoped a few years since,seems
naiit

to

have

fallen

discredit,so

so

that

every

popularwriter gives it a passing flingor

less,
kick.
That any analysis
yet made was and is worthI can readilyconcede,without shakingin the least
that soils will yet be analyzed,under
my conviction
the guidance of a truer, profounder Science, to the
signalenlightenmentand profitof their cultivators.
Here is a retired merchant, banker, doctor,or lawyer,
who has bought a spaciousand naturallyfertile but
woold-be

worn-out, run-down

spend

the remainder

improve
All the
on

and

manure

enrich
he

which

farm,

on

of his

days.

it ; but

with

finds,
or, for

it,will hardly put

the

the firstacre

he

Of

proposes

course,

what

he must

? and

present,can
in

to

how

make

high condition,

SCIENCE

while

be grows

old

IN

235

AGEICULTUEE.

and

is

unwillingto wait forever.

He is able and ready to buy fertilizers,
and does buy
his land
right and left,without knowing whether
needs
Lime, or Phosphate, or Potash, or something
Say he purchases"$2,000
very different from either.
of these fertilizers : it is highly
worth
of one
or
more
probablethat $1,500 might have served him better if
invested in due proportionin justwhat
his land most
believe that we
urgentlyneeds; and I unflinchingly
shall yet have an
analysis of soils that will tell him
just what fertilizers he ought to apply, and what
quantityof each of them.
Science has already taught us that every load of
Hay or Grain drawn from a field abstracts therefrom
considerable
a
quantity of certain minerals
say
Potash, Lime, Soda, Magnesia, Chlorine, Silica,
ished
Phosphorus and that the soil is thereby impoverform or other.
until they be replaced,in some
As no deposit in a bank
was
ever
so
tinual
large that condrafts would
not
ultimatelyexhaust it,so no
after crop from
soil was
so rich that takingcrop
ever
it annually,yet giving nothing back, would
not render
"

"

it sterile

or

Sun

worthless.

will do their part in the work

of them

togethercannot

elements

whereof

being once
at

rain and

of renovation

restore

each crop takes

wind

; but

all

to the soil the mineral

portion,and which,
completelyexhausted,can onlybe replaced

heavy

cost.

prevent such
crops, and

and

in

Science

exhaustion

part by

"

teaches

us

and

rotation

of

replacement of

the

in part, by

constant

to foresee
a

236

WHAT

minerals

KNOW

FAKMING.

OF

annuallyborne

the

away

subtraction

greater in proportionas the crop is more

being

exacting and

luxuriant.
What

of

I know

little indeed

is

Science, and

master

of

even

I stand

to learn

that I

late in

too

by

not

am

the

he

has

What

time

I do.

know

very

little ; my

and

that

much

he

of

fortieth

in

laws

have

shall

and

the

to

make

to

respect

not, but
rendered

they

they
that

which

country.

to

may

by

be

him

known,

considerable

have

labor

knowledge

passed

their

or

penurious

of

principles

which

they easilymay

substantial

of

surely acquire a

Agriculture

to

of

boy

will,is all that is

shall

excessive
of

any

help

can

is much

convince

can

that

time

means

our

incessantly

too

cares,

it if he

If

subservient

could

been

began

eighteenth birth-day than

this

master

without

year,

fathers

them

know

youth

by

frugality,
by

his

exists.

AgriculturalScience

faith that there

our

competence

of

more

passed

importance.

number

and

far

may

Any tolerablyeducated

satisfactory
progress.
fifteen may

have

been

of this Science

class of learners.

life,and

thus

had

already

teacher

multiplicity of

I should
if I

as

such

proves,
enlarges^im-

that

purpose,

is

there

year

Science

in the

low

very

harassed

T know

much

so

that

succeeding

far better

to

Understand
"

know

perfects it.

farmed

far have

each

applicableto Farming

as

but

that

and

Science

service

their

attain,
alike

to

XL.

FAEM

A
his

workman,

GOOD

tools

"

IMPLEMENTS.

it is

said,does

which, if true, I judge

that

he

most

thriftless farmer

were

allotted to

not

quarrelwith

is due

to the fact

To
to have
generallymanages
good ones.
work
hard
throughout a long day under a burning
trying,without renderingthe labor
sun, is sufficiently
doubly repugnant by the use of ill-contrived,
fect,
imperinefficient implements.
which
The half-century
tion
nearlybounds my recollechas witnessed
great improvements in this respect.
The
father
Plow, mainly of wood, wherewith
my
of New-Hampbroke up his ston}^,hide-bound
acres
shire
pebblesand gravel,in my earlyboyhood, would
be spurned if offered as a giftto the poorest and
now

and

better

had

among

ns

; and

the Hoes

boys in those days,after

been assigned to the men,

us

the

which
newer

would

be

ginia.
rejectedwith disdain by the stupidestnegro in Virfor improvement,
Though there is still room
far better implements than our
use
we
grandfathers
did,with a correspondingincrease in the efficiency
of our
labor ; but the cultivators of Spain,Portugal^
(237)

238

WHAT

KNOW

OF

FARMING.

greater part of Europe, still lingerin the

ter
ages in this respect. Their plows are little bet-

the

and
dark

sticks which

than the forked

served

their barbarian

are
ancestors,and their implements generally

With

culture

spade ; and
peck of
is

such

implements,deep and thorough

unless by the use of the
is simply impossible,

contempt.

he must

Wheat

so

up

and

roods

up

cut

three

forming

be

half

or

the exclusive

by

to

French

worker

as

who

of Indian

bushel

subdivided

the entire

of

hard

of this tool.

use

The

produces a

Corn

day

per

soil of France

of two
into little strips
acres

many

each

each

"

patrimony of a family
or
is,with
efficiency
"

advancement
mass

beneath

cultivators,out

of

the

that
the

or

strip

cultura
agrigreat

question.

judge that, outside of Great Britain and

an
Australia,there is no country wherein
average
year'swork produces half so much
grain as in our
our
slovenlytillage,
neglectand
own, in spiteof our
of fertilizers,
the frequentfailures of our
and
waste
harvests.
Belgium, Holland, and northern France,
teach us neatness
of cultivation ;
and thoroughness
can
the British isles may
fairlyboast of largerand surer
Grass, than we
crops of Wheat, Oats, Potatoes,and
accustomed
to secure
plements
are
; but,in the selection of imand in the average
of labor,our
efficiency
Hence,

best farmers
Bear
for

our

with

are

ahead

me,

inventors

solicitations that
accorded

to their

of them

then,while

all.

interposea timid plea

and patentees of implements,whose
be
at least an
a trial,
or
inspection,
several

are
contrivances,

too

oftep

FARM

239

IMPLEMENTS.

I realize that our

repelledwith clmrlish rudeness.
thrivingfarmers are generallyabsorbed in their own
and that the agent or salesman who
plans and efforts,
of his new
insists on an examination
harrow, or pitchfork,

is often extravagant in his assumptions,

potato-digger,
I rewhen
bore.
and sometimes
collect
a
Still,
the
how
tedious and how
back-breakingwere
methods
of mowing Grass and reapingGrain with the
Scythe and Sickle,which held unchallengedsway in
who
is petithe farmer
tioned
my earlyboyhood, I entreat
to the setting
ten or fifteen minutes
to accord
errant
forth,by some
stranger,of the merits of his
horse-hoe or tedder,to give the time, if he can ;
new
or

that without

and

we
hospitality,

generous

angelsunawares,

good

germ
Give

one.

suggest

the

the inventor

hearing

courteous

should

or

constrain

if

you

you

plement
impoint. A new
and yet contain
worthless,
of a thoroughly
form
or

can,

day's work

would

I suspect that the average

farmer

lost

after

the

a
representative
even
though this

his

make

to

entertain

in

me

and

be defective

may

that,in evincinga
sometimes

may

to

seems

of stolid increduli

mien

or

Biblical monition

The

the

looks

sour

the

up

time

otherwise

so

have

ended.

rural districts would

be

of

our

ly
complete-

if not instructed,
surprised,

day'scareful scrutinyof the contents of one of

and such
So many
our
great implement warehouses.
various
and
ingeniousdevices for pulverizingthe
earth applyingfertilizersto the soil,
plantingor sow-

by

240

WHAT

OF

KNOW

FARMING.

eradicatingweeds, economizing labor in

ing rapidly,
harvesting,etc.,will probably transcend not merely
but his imagination; and every one
his experience,
of

though no

singlefarmer

of them.

It will
of

the farmers
and

meet

to

this

buy

twenty

is nseful

myriad implements

these

agree

themselves

among

thirtysuch

devices

as

that

by
will

one

so

until

on,

Stump

half

or

township,

that, and

another

place,

necessary
of

if not
school-district,

its
all

buy

yet, I think,be found

implement,

or

afford to

can

in

Rock-

or

Puller,a Clod-Crusher, Thrashing-Machine,Fanningin the

Mill, etc.,shall be owned

by

neighborhood
"

separate farmer, willingto live and

with

an

each

understandingthat

by him who needs it ;

nearlyas well accommodated

and

turn

as

so

let live

shall be

used

though he

"

in

shall be

one

every

each

them

owned

'

all.For

the number

increase

and

rapidly,while

so

that,though
without

many

that the young

and

as

can

all.

I have
and

to lend

member

assured

of the

in like

it

to

such

each
he

can

be

his need

hand

he
; but

arrangement

undertakes

will most

combination, who

manner

means

some

pable,
pal-

efficiently
is impossible
should buy

always at

were

by

that which

it whenever

so

True, he might hire when

suggested,wherein
keep

is

farm

thsm, it

of moderate

he wanted

only be

of

implements

usefulness

their

most

farmer

needed, if what

useful

it is difficult to

if not

them

keep

this

varietyof

to provide

need

spared to
undertakes

in return.

; agreeing

any

other

ister
to min-

STEAM

I tliink few

24:1

AGEICULTUEE.

IN

that

will doubt

tlie inventions

in aid

during the last fortyyears will be far

Agriculture
surpassedby those of the fortyyears justbefore us.
The
understood,
magnificentfortunes which, it is currently
of

have

the

rewarded

inventors

of the

more

popular Mowers, Reapers,etc.,of our day, are sure

alike the ingenuityand the avarice of
to stimulate
clever men
throughoutthe coming years, and to call
into existence
will be

thousand

ten

patents,whereof

valuable,and

.useful. Plowing land

ten

or

free from

twelve

dred
hun-

eminently

stumps

and

stones

the

tedious,
patience-trying
process w^e
have
known
it. The machinery w^hich will at once
fertilize and
the soil to a depth of two feet,
pulverize
it to be trampled by the hoofs
seed it,not requiring
of animals
employed in subsoilingand harrowing,
the spacious,
will soon
be in general
on
use, especially
cannot

long be

of
deep, invitingprairies
must

in

defer what

Agricultureto

I have

the

West.

Great

to say of Steam

another

and

"

But
its

uses

chapter.

XLI.

STEA]VI

As
slow

IN

AGEICULTUEE.

yet, the great body of our farmers have been

of the natural forces in
in availingthemselves

operationaround
1 1

them.

Yainly for

them

does

the
"

242

WHAT

wind
It

blow

ceased

did

not

mill,and

him

his

own

and

stream

ready to

I think

and
bar

his meal

or

breeze

alike, taxing]:

the blind

forces
It may

do at his command.

it will not, be

always thus.

limitless
practically
is hardlya century old ; yet it has alreadyrevolutionize
and manufacturinginthe mechanical
dustry
as

cheap

all the Textile

beautifythe
and

his cream,

mains
plainlyteaches rerunning or leaping
and fiercer galesare
farmer
ignores the

that which

every

machinery

of

source

of Christendom.

part of

so

average

to achieve

muscle

Steam,
power,

mill
Where

the

of

use

of JSTature stand

not, and

side
hill-

precipiceor

his boards

brisk breezes

But

be.

mechanical

the

unread.

is not, there
to

with

season

lesson which

by
apt

brook

water
justas though falling
grindstone,
"is Logs to one
He
draws
embody power.
his Wheat, Corn, or Rye to another, and

the

water

the

The

his

in due

returns

their

grinds his grain,churns

the farmer

turns

hill-tops.
grain; it has

the chaff.

idly adown

foams

their

over

grinds

nor

separate it from

to

and

and

but

thrashes

even

brawls

their fields and

across

neither

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

It
Fabrics

human

or

far

that clothe and

family.

rail of Iron

the

weaves

It fashions

of Steel ; it

greater
shelter
every

impels the

of

or
nearlyevery manufactory of wares
of implements ; and it is very rapidly supplanting
wind
in the propulsionof vessels on
the high seas,
it has alreadydone on rivers and on
inland
most
as

waters.

Water

is,however,still employed

as

power

in

STEAI^I

certain

but

cases,

disuse would
I

mainly

has cost many

this end

render

243

AGRICFLTrRE.

its

because

adaptationto

of dollars which

thousands

its

worthless.

estimatingthat ninetenths of all the material force employed by man

in
is supplied
Manufactures,Mechanics, and I^avigation,
will be increased
by Steam, and that this disproportion
hundredths
to ninety-nine
before the close of this
quite within

am

bounds

in

century.
For

Steam
has
Agriculture,
of crops and
transportation
little in the preparationor
Of

for roads

of

much, in

very

but
fertilizers,

cultivation

the

very

of the

soil.

fields,
steam-plowsfor
vators
deepening the soil,and steam-culti-

steam-wagons

pulverizingand
for keeping weeds
have
more
we
efficient,
bulletins
I

done

not

am

have

had

and
many

of them

one

of its author.

hopes
Plows

down

throughoutthe
that

aware

or

been

invented

imported from

renderingtillage
heralded

last

in

fortyyears,

has fulfilled the

Though

in this country, and

Europe, I doubt
surface has
country's

that

but
guine
san-

Steam-

dozen

guine
san-

eral
sev-

single
been plowed
square mile of our
If it has,Louisiana
wholly by steam down to this hour.
which
would
not
a State
one
naturally
expect
of industrial progress
has enjoyed
to find in the van
a

"

"

the benefit and

Of
of

what

earned

Steam

has

I have
Agriculture,

the credit of the achievement.

yet accomplishedin
little to say,

Britain

quite

at work

in the

and
fields,

number

direct aid

though in Great
of steam-plowsare actually
(Tam assured)with fair sue-

244:

WHAT

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

of
sometliingbreaks or givesout, one
better
and
these
plows does its appointed work
clieaperthan suck work is or can be done by animal
I have any
; but all the steam-plowswhereof
power
Until

"ess.

knowledge
costly,ever

win

to

only

them

value

their
as

but
specialty,

general use.
toward

incitements

and

need

farmers

our

into

way

hints

complicated, too

too

suited to the purpose.

something better
What

bulky,

too

seem

is not

locomotive

that

steam-plow as

travel with

can

cility,
fa-

only on common
wagon-roads,but across
fields,without
embarrassment,
freshly-plowed
age
prove as docile to its manager'stouch as an avernot

even

and

span
cost

then

more

laden

when

in

cart, a

saw

"digginga
or

yet for

and

to

so

in

cellar

confident that

so

will

children

tun

or

wagon,

reaper,

and
rock-puller,
drainingoperations,
or

to wait

and

dexterous

that it may

wall, as also

have

may

not

half-hour's

plow, a harrow,

laying up

or

our

for

contrived

and

pumping

servant

than

a
mower
grist-mill,

or

trenching. We
a

be

should

more

water

a
stalk-cutter,
stump

or

useful

made

minute

weigh

nor

fuel

locomotive

It should

be hitched

thresher

$500,

with

steady work.

or

Such

of horses.

in ditching

some

years

docile,
yet

I feel

enjoy and appreciate

his handiwork.
The
ison

than

subsist
in

farmer
at

often needs

another, and

working

which

he

has

animals
no

use

far
is
at

more

at

power

compelled

to

one

retain

sea-

and

high cost throughmonths

for

them,

because

he must

STEAM

'

tliera when

have
he

could

those

replacethose

its

when

months

have

animals

by

of usefulness

season

245

AGKICULTUEE.

in
their

American

our

machine

could

over,
a

which,

tightroof

of cost and

be

until

trouble

considerable.

be very

When

was

cleaned,oiled,and put away under

the saving alike
next
seeding-time,
would

transpired. If

first challengedattention

reapers

Britain,the general skepticism as

Great

counteracted

was
efficiency

the

by

to

suggestion

though reapingby machinery should prove

to
expensive than reaping by hand, the ability
and save
the grain-cropmore
erto
rapidlythan hith-

that,even
more

cut

would

overbalance

Isles,
day

British

the

Wheat

awaits

Oats

or

beaten

the

recurrence

length arrive,he
his

since

once,

after

of

wind
chilling
:

the

In
and

ing
stand-

Barley becoming draggled,or

impatiently
out, while the owner
of sunny
these at
days. When
or

is anxious

Grain
and

cloud

day

of cost.

in harvest-time

encountered

rain is often

lodged,or

that enhancement

is

harvest

to

wasting

acres

many

and

he

knows

at
not

again be his portion.

all his neighborsare in like predicament
But
with himself,and all equallyintent on
hurrying the
If now
harvest ; so that little extra help is attainable.

how

soon

the aid of

15

20

cut

or

proved
stillhave

acres

may
per

even
more

been

though

how

commanded,

soon

cares

it

less how
can

will

which

be

much

effected.

cutting by horse-power

costlythan
welcome.

be

day, he

will cost than

that work

Hence,

machine

tempest may

cuttingby hand, it

had

would

24:6

WHAT

Our

Plowing
by reason
their

Grain

for Winter

baked

were

Much

brick.

the

to

will

unable

begin
they desired,
to

half-

consistencyof

have

in consequence

seeding will have

the
to prepare
been precludedaltogether,
by inability
had
If a machine
been
at
ground in due season.
hand whereby 15 or 20 acres
per day could have been
plowed and harrowed, thousands would have invoked
been

late,while

everywhere.

earlyas
and
drouth,whereby

heat

seed

almost

been

so

intense

of the

fields

burned

this year

have

farmers

and

Plowing, here

So it is with

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

too

sown

its aid to enable

them

to

the

season,

even

though

heavier

than

that

of

Llinois

on

the

when

its entire

their Grain

sow

had

cost

soil seemed

been

and

soaked

had

not

yet

little or
there had
been
Inevitably,
for the vast Corn-cropof that State
weeks

would

before

intervene

for

in season, and
or

not

much

planted at

ground

all.

with

sodden

ceased

pouring.

plowing yet
yet barelytwo

no

the close of the proper

Corn-planting. Even if
the plowing could
whoLy favorable,
season

in tolerable

essentially
old-fashioned
versed
plowing. I tra13th and 14th
of May, 1859,

rains, which

incessant

much

must

In every

be
such

these
not

should
be

eifected

plantedtoo
case,

be

late

machine

plow six or eightfurrows as fast as a man

ought to walk, would add immensely to the year's
harvest, and be hailed as a generalblessing.
that would

I recollect that
"

observation

man

a
"

of

German
decided

recommended

observer

of Western

and
perspicacity
that each

farmer

who

tivation
culwide
had

STEAM

the

not

requisitetime

in clue

crop

his field
the

on

thus

earth

to

turned,

and

proceed,so

finished,to plow

undisturbed

between

know

not

widely

the

that

followed
it

the

out

recommendation

judge that, under

decided

to

his

as

soon

yet

as

Corn.

of

springing rows

might be,

through

spaces

this

; but

his Corn-

3i feet,plant his Cora

planting was
do

gettingin

plow singlefurrows

of

intervals

at

for

team

or

should

season

247

AGRICULTURE.

IN

was

ever

certain

cumstanc
cirand

advantage

profit.
I have

attempted

not

confer

Agriculture,

directlyon

which

Steam

within

the

become

general,I confidentlybelieve ; and

extensive
sinking of wells, at
very

wind

and

half-century.

next

points,in
by

is to

all the benefits

indicate

to

that

order

foreshadowed

have

water

startinga

second

first

been

had

growth
weeks,
cm*

where

farmers

taken,

of

advantages

not

of the

and

on

enrich

the

slopes

locomotive
from

well

well,

to

siifficient

two

or

feel

sure

secured.

the

as

; thus

fields whence

the

verdure

and

vegetation suspended

yet realized

be

therefrom

renewing

nor
Irrigation,

may

favorable

adjacent acres

Hay

see

now

months.
have

hour

an

I anticipate

drawn

be. taken

of

crop

we

if not

beneficence
its

in

irrigateseveral

to

and
Such

might
each

from

pumping

moisten

them.

around

plains

Irrigationmust

shall be

water

to

steam

or

That

that
the

the

for
of

mass

importance

and

wherewith
facility

XLII.

CO-OPEEATION

The

word

is

Co

of

their

of

that

them

fi'om
to

the

It

all.

which

have

nothing

little,or
shall

contributed

receive

to

his

or

labor.

thereto,

the

would
of
two

of

give
the

his

to

number

systems

grossly ignorant

family

each

what

radical
or

he

capital, skill,

and

while

blind

cording
ac-

eration
Coop-

earned,

will

gardless
re-

Thus

him.

antagonists,

willfully

other
an-

each

to

had

upon

or

each

that

children

alone

he

proportion

apportion

dependent

are

in
in

ten

would

size

insists

whether
has

associate

one

enough

much,

aggregate

joint product

munism,
Com-

whether

needs,

Cooperation

Communism

to

the

the

contributions

none.

the

all.

at

from

If

that

to

ficial
bene-

receive

labor

human
his

many

from

should

each

of

least

at

or

by

radically

that

days

our

results

achieve

differs

product

aggregate

in

Labor

combination

to

proposes

satisfy his wants,

shall

the

efforts

and

means

to

is,

"

for

cheer

and

hope

OPERATION

FARMING.

IN

and

only

confound

them.
A

$500,

young
not

whose

farmer,

counting
(248)

total

priceless

wife

estate

and

is

less

child,

than

resolves

CO-OPEEATION

migrate from
Minnesota,or one

to

of

one

find

make

$20

home

the old States

of the

that he will there

of

Territories

he

Kansas,

to

has

heard

he may
public land whereon
quarter-section,
paying therefor

less for the cost of survey

or

249

FARMING.

IN

So he may :
Promise,whether with

of the necessary

and

reachingthe Land of
without his family,he finds
or
tlements
a very
largebelt of stillvacant land beyond the setinto privateproperty,
alreadytransformed
and either not for sale at all or held on
speculation,
The
quite out of his reach.
public land which he
the Homestead
law lies a full day's
may take under
he
to which
journeybeyond the border settlements,
look for Mills,Stores,
must
Schools,and even
ways.
HighIf he persists
in squatting,
with intent to earn
his quarter-section
he
by settlement and cultivation,
take a long day'sjourney across
must
unbridged
and
unmade
streams
roads, to find
sloughs,over
boards,or brick,or meal,or glass,or groceries
; while

papers.

he must

but, on

postpone the education

indefinite future
and
settled,
their way

the

to his

of Ms

children

day. Gradually,the regionwill

conveniences

door, but

not

thus
and

trivial but

inexorable

be

thankful

rude, coarse,

and
II

if his children

illite7'ate.

; often

of them
a

plow
to

want.

must
acquireshis quarter-section

may

be

till after he will have

through several years for want

compelled to make a journeyto get
mended, a gristof grain ground, or
other

an

of civilization will find

sufiered

some

to

or

yoke

minister
He

earn
fairly

do not grow

to

who

it,
up

250

as

WHAT

But

suppose

lie

is,witli no

KNOW

justsuch

thousand

one

and

means

more

FARMING.

OF

no

farmers

young

greaterefficiency

resolved to find a
together,
joining
suitable location whereon
they might all settle on adthus appropriatingthe soil
quarter-sections,
fail to see
of five or six embryo townships: who
can
and discourageof the obstacles
that three-fourths
ments
which confront the soKtarypioneerAvould vanish
at the outset ?
Roads, Bridges,Mills, nay, even

than

to set forth

his,were

"

Schools

Churches

and

; while

would
their

the

after

year
would
than

in five years

change

I here

almost

settlement

of their

more

mediatel
im-

our

whole

that
desirable,

the

appealsto

in

solicit

or
integrity,

knave

or

claims,they
comfort

more

common

sense

It is not

people.
the

stragghngand
prevailed.The

has hitherto

which

giantsin wisdom,

and

the system of

under

and

several

progress

dailyexperienceof

its benefits.

theirs

road-crossing.Within

every

indicate

necessary, however
be

at

location

isolated settlement

and

their

achieved

have

be

mechanics, merchants,doctors,etc.,

fairlyoverrun
patronage

would

"

pioneersshould
in

fool may

piety,to
be

cure
se-

deemed

neighbor; but a dozen such in the

minish,
township would not preclude,and could hardly dithe advantages naturally
tlement
resultingfrom setby Cooperation.
the
ITor are these confined to pioneerstranscending

an

undesirable

of civilization.

boundaries
thousand

of

by

our

colored

servile labor

men

in

I wish
now

the

I could

induce

subsisting
precariously
to
cities,

strike

out

CO-OPEKATION

boldlyfor

homes

their
the

frontier

buy

of tlieir own,

labor,whether

own

in the

land

cheap
Jersey,Maryland, or,
doubt

to
liberty

rect
di-

JSTew-

Long Island,in

on

State

some

for

and

they should settle on

just outhned, or should

manner

of

tract

251

FARMING.

IN

further

South.

the

majorityof them would work

their way
up to independence ; and this very ftiuch
after undergoing far less privation,
than
sooner, and
almost every pioneer who has plunged alone into the.
primitiveforest or struck out upon the broad prairie
cannot

and

there

The

that

himself

made

insatiable

demand

three

acres

Winter, he
cattle
or

ten

then

very

whenever

one

will

new

he
one

burns

as

to

answer

devoted

as

tillingthem

his

over

around

sacrificed in its turn.

have

fields

stout

fencing,usuallyburning

buildinga

to be

off
and

stout

by hungry
he adds

two

clearingduringthe next year, they

surrounded
by a fence ; and nothing

be

clearingand
his fence

devoured

Whether

others.

no

with

acres

the

to his

in turn

short of

if

those

will be

grows

his own,

"

acres

must

surround

must

all he

fence,or

for

fencing is one of
trials. Though he has cleared
of forest during his first Fall

pioneer'smany
but

farm.

he

up
new

which
this,

I believe

much

so

time

part of

clearing
;
will have

that many

to

on

goes

neers
pio-

fencing their

throughout their

firstsix

or

eightyears.
It

is different

but
prairies,
must

fence

not

his

with

those

who

better.
essentially

with
patch of tillage

settle

on

Each

material

broad

pioneer
which

252

WHAT

liim more,

costs

KNOW

and

is

culty,than though
forest.
Often, when

he

FARMmG.

OF

with

procured

cutting

were

he

greater diffi

thinks

he

hole

in the

ciently,
suffi-

fenced

has

hungry, breachy cattle,who roam

prairiesaround him, judge his handiwork

the

the

open

favorably; and
feed

when

his

within

he

inclosure,to

fence
for

even

several

and

find

that

square

miles

into

cultivation,erecting their

witliin

or

without

its

twenty

lack of

farmers

hundred

limits,as

luxuriant

most

defenses

through his

his growing crop.

stroj^ed
If,instead of this wasteful
or

August morning,

some

is poorest outside

broken

cattle have

wakes

less

half

and

combine

grand

several
to each

de-

sand
thou-

system, a

would
one

thirty

or

to

inclosure

habitations

should

be

venient
con-

apportioningit for cultivation,or owning

it in severalty,
as
they should see fit an immense
of
would
be secured, just when, because
economy
their poverty,saidngis most
important. Their stock
they
might range the open prairieunwatched
; and
confidence that their
might all sleepat night in serene
structi
and cabbageswere
not in danger of ruthless decorn
Among the settlers in our great primitive
forests,the system of Cooperative Farming would
"

"

have

to

essence

And,

be modified
the
once

in

while
details,

it would

be

in

same.

adopted

with

regard to fencing,other

from
adaptationsas obvious and beneficent would
Each
pioneer would
day to day suggest themselves.
his own
learn how
to advance
prosperityby com-

CO-OPEKATION

clearer

He

would

selfishness is the germ

human

race, and

bounteous
and

of

wants

hundred

effort at

is provided

by year into
short-sighted

year

grow

less than

each

when

"firmer conviction

and

neighbors. He

his

billinghis efforts with those of

would
perceivethat the common
be suppKed by a combined
may
half the cost of satisfying
them
for alone.

253

FAKMING.

IN

that

of half the evils that afflictthe

the

that

and

true

sure

to

way

satisfaction of the wants

of each

is

thoughtfulconsideration

for the

needs

erous
gen-

of

all.

And

here

tribute

let

me

pay

Y.

E.

Mr.

thankful

and

earnest

my

de

a
Boissiere,
philanthropic
has
of
Frenchman, who
purchased 3,300 acres
in Kansas, near
ton,
Princemainly rollingprairie-land

to

Franklin

County, and

layingthereon
farm, where,

the foundations
in addition

that Silk and

to the

usual

transformed

manufactures

various

cautiously,
carefully,
of a great cooperative
crops, it is

other exotics will in due

and

extensively
grown
that

is

with

vie

time

be

and
fabrics,

into

will

pected
ex-

AotcuI-

in

affordingattractive and profitable

employment
considerable
to a
population. I have not

ture

been

"to look

accustomed

States
such

and

unpeopled

"

others'

are

at

intent

on

all events,

muscles

than

favor

Territories

experiments, since

settlers

with

so

many

getting rich

through
their

own

the
"

as

of

on

our
arena

an

new

for

their

early
tion
by land-speculaexercise
while

of

the

some

oppor-

254

WHAT

tunities

for

and

are

so

of

novelty
find

life

his

of
on

and

will

volunteer

location
migration and reDoubtpowerful. less,

to

multiform

be

often

tried

associates,who,

cooperative
his domain

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

incitements

Boissiere

de

M.

effort

too

has
and

tame

worn

by

pedes
stam-

after

the

off,will

humdrum

for

I trust,
high-strungnatures.
couragem
however, that he will persevere
through every disand triumph over
every obstacle ; that
for associates will graduallygather
the right men
him ; that his enterpriseand
devotion
will
about
at length be crowned
success
by a signaland inspiring
will be awakened
by it to a
; and that thousands
dustry,
larger and nobler conception of the mission of Inand
of achievement
which
the possibilities
stud the path of simple, honest, faithful,
persistent
excitable

their

and

Work.

XLIII.

farmers'

Farmers,
classes

like other men,

those who

"

or

into
divide naturally

much

do too

do too little. I know

only by

cltibs.

who

men

work, and
are

no

farmers

virtue of the fact that each of them

somehow

upon

and

could

not

those
at

two

who

all,

inherited,

acquired,a farm, and have since lived

it
that which
out of it,in good part upon
helpproducing they not doing so much as
"

FAEMERS'

one

hundred

fair

of this class

never

; evinces

no

clubs,save

greater idleness
farming. As
under

his
the

move

where
realized

in county fairs

interest

; and

land

afford

may

increase

him

One
ing
to farm-

township

or

an

for

excuse

in
profit
steadilydepreciatesin quality
insists that there is

he

management,
has

and

days'work each per annum.

devoted
takes a periodical

they

as

255

CLUBS.

of

given

is

apt

population or
additional

no

sell out

to

progress

value

to

his

ever
when-

of improvemen

farm,

off in
idleness
from

quest of that undiscovered

country
is compatiblewith thrift,
profitsare

lightcrops,

and

men

grow

rich

by

ing
do-

nothing.
The
from
the golden
oppositeclass of wanderers
the idlers,yet it is
is hardly so numerous
as
mean
Its leading embodiment, to my
quite a large one.
I knew
whom
from
childhood,who,
mind, is one
favored
born
by fortune,was rated
poor and nowise
from
tireless worker
a
as
early boyhood, and who
achieved
an
independence before he was fortyyears
old in a rural New-England township, simply by
in youth on
the farms of
rugged, persistentlabor
of his own.
This
other men
one
; in manhood, on
older at fortythan his father,then seventy,
man
was
uninout with excessive and
and died at fifty,
worn
who
termitted labor,leavinga widow
greatlypreferred
him to all his ample wealth, and an only son who,
he can
as
soon
so
get hold of it,will squander the
more
faster,and even
unwisely,than
property much
his father acquiredit.
"

256

WHAT

To

Clubs

Farmers'
there should

Club

his

such

make

to

should

he

can

all

and

drudgery

as

signalvalue.

well

; that

there

not
are

and
other

beside

perceivethat

of muscle

as

life need

meetings,and
thrift is a product

three successive

or

to

that

accumulating wealth.
neighbor succeed in drawing

his

hardly fail

of brain

realize

one

into two

one

of

prove

fair representative,

be

livingfor

his wife

such

be

not

things worth
Let

must

was

man

nothing else than a Farmers'

neighborhood,it can hardly fail in time

Though
in

this

class of which

the

FARMING.

OP

KNOW

; that he may

grow

rich

by learningand knowing as well as by delving,and

tbat, even
though he should not, there are many

thingsdesirable

and

laudable

beside

the accumulation

of wealth.
A

true

Farmers'

residingin
be induced
members
should
those

Club

limit

township,so far as they can

it,even
though only half their

be

present

speechesto

addresses

ilies
consist of all the fam-

small

to attend

should

should

ten

meeting. It
minutes, exceptingonly

at any

which

one

eminentlyqualified
and read.
persons are requested to specially
prepare
It should have a president,
ready and able to repress
all ill-natured personalities,
all irrelevant talk,and
all strayinginto the forbidden
especially
regionsof
or theological
political
disputation.At each meeting,
the subjectshould
be chosen for the next, and not
Jess than four members
vations
obserpledged to make some
thereon,with libertyto read them if unused
to speaking in public. These
having been heard,
or

essays

farmers'
.

the

topic slionld

257

clubs.

discussion

hj all present
and youngest being specially
: the humblest
encouraged
their knowledge
to state
any facts within
which
they deem pertinentand cogent. Let every
culated
person attendingbe thus incited to say somethingcalto shed
to say this in
lighton the subject,
the fewest
words
and with the utmost
care
possible,
offend others,and
it is hardlyjDossinot to annoy
or
ble that one
devoted
to these
evening per week
meetings should not be spent with equal pleasure
and profit.
The chief end to be achieved
ings
through such meetis a development of the facultyof observation
aud

the

be

open

to

of reflection.

habit

Too

many

of

us

pass

blind and deaf to the wonders

through life essentially
and
gloriesmanifest to clearer eyes all around us.
The
magnificentphenomena of the Seasons, even
from
hfe in
the awakening of Nature
death
to
make
little impression on
their senses,
Spring-time,
still less on
their understandings. There
are
men
who
have
and
passed fortytimes through a forest,
yet could not name, within half a dozen, the various
it ; and
with
so
species of trees which
compose
everythingelse to which they are accustomed.
They
than knowledge an intellectual awakneed even
ening
more
; and this they could hardlyfail to receive from
Farmers'
the discussions of an intelligent
and earnest

Club.
A

genuine

needed

by

and

many

livelyinterest in their vocation is

farmers,and by most farmers' sons.

258

WHAT

Too

of

many

prison,in

these

which

regard

farm

bear
await

to such

crawls

to

the advent

is but

wear

of

out

their

homesteads
until

remain

they must

of escape into the great world

The

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

shall open

the hollow
the

Spring.

log

rigorsof
Too

many

some

as

avenue

before them.
into v\diich
Winter
of

our

and

boys

fancy that they know too much for farmers,when in

far too little. A good Farmers'
fact they know
Club,
take this conceit out of
attended, would
faithfully
of
them, imbuing them instead with a realizingsense
sire
ignoranceand incompetency, and a hearty dewisdom.
for practical
A recording secretary,
able to state in the fewest
each important suggestion
fact elicited in
words
or
the course
of an
be
evening'sdiscussion,would
hardlyless valuable or less honored than a capable
president.A singlepage would often suffice for all
sion
discusthat deserves such record out of an evening's
being transferred to a book and preserved,
; and tliis,
might be consulted with interest and profit
throughout many
succeeding years.. JSTo other duty
should be requiredof the member
who
this
rendered
volved
service,the correspondence of the Club being deanother secretary. The habit of bringing
upon
or
plants,ox seeds,to Club meetings,for
grafts,
found
has been
to increase
gratuitousdistribution,
the interest,
and
of those
enlarge the attendance
or
formerly indifferent. Almost
every good farmer
choice seeds or grafts
have
gardener will sometimes
their

to

spare, which

he does not

care

or

cannot

expect

to

farmers'

sell,and

these

share

its

when

afford

will

rather

would

of

prospect
others'
and

Exhibition

himself

of

Fruits

be

The

bring

of

Farmers'

participate usually prefer

themselves

to

assured.

To

been

signer
at

to

least

signed

the

attend
a

such

part
a

of

for

stand

call,

year,

products

October,

each

member

the

Exhibition

is

those

who

back,
after

until

sider
con-

the
the

gregate
ag-

chief

ought

has

success

let

family.

success

will

When
be

and

forty

each

signatures, pledging
meeting

to

ting
commit-

not

its

its

embarrassment,

introductory
his

each

or

Club

of

this

obviate

circulated

be

paper

to

effort

the

at

instructive.

and

number

larger

to

gratified

year's efforts, and

his

satisfactory

organization

difficulty.

Let

choice

September

in

to

of

other

and

; but

by

in

once

festivals.

result

will
The

Flower-Show

pledged

material

best

for

sufiice

should

thus

appetites

meeting

evening

an

their

having

the

away,

meetings

its

to

to

tributed.
dis-

manner

opportunity

persons

not

right

give

to

excellent

an

attract

expense.

an

at

him

not

fruits

choice

has

one

like

in

will

him

give

is

surplus

Club

the

to

but

popularity,

another's
If

Club

distributed

being

increase

only

259

clubs.

bring
have

well-nigh

sured.
as-

XLiy.

lEEIGATION.

WESTERN

I
is

already

HAVE

everywhere

adopted,

Missouri
that

to

will

farm,

speak

with

Irrigation.

including

as

of

Western

at

least

no

Texas,

of

and

in

I have

it, at

its

swept

of

present

our

the
of

least

to

(260)

tree

inches

to

known
in

any

which

of
On

of

westward,
a

this

vast

is

and

and
area,

~^o-

cloudless

utterly

or

Buckeye

diameter,

portion

ITevada,

fervid,

three

pose
pur-

indicated

April

by

as

to

is practically

Territories,

of

nearly

herein

Platte

the

between

depth

but

roughly

be

California.
falls

water,

large portion

by intensely dry winds,

the
six

that

State

entire

soil, parched

moisture
seen

of

the

propose

region,

may

forks

consequence

while

vember,

and

all

nine-tenths

rain

suns,

the

not

of

of

cultivated

This

Summer,

in
from

extending

and

be.

do

side

this

township,

be

cannot

with

to

generally

beneficent.

supplied

will

Irrigation

be

to

States

reference

which

rainless

and

and

direct

without

as

every

should

country

our

of

the

thus

be

ever

acres

every

of

acre

every

some

is destined

signally

prove

tliat

belief

mj

practicable,

and

that

mean

forth

set

whereon

four

vested
di-

feet

growing
every

WESTEEN

leaf

withered

was

and

August, though the

its

next
foliage

Most

with
arid

is

area

certain

moisture, and
is often found
Gamma

the

on

slopesof

would

renew

the

all but

of

ert,
des-

as

its mountains,
pense
dis-

to

seem

the brink

on

infrequent

worthless

ton-wood
Cot-

growing luxuriantly.A

Grass

the

Plains,some
mountains, with an

on

the

Bunch-grasson
profusion of

usuallyspoken of

evergreens

scanty streams, where

little low

would

of

Spring.

treeless,
except

where

before tlie end

utterlydead

tree still lived,and

of this broad

because

2G1

lEEIGATION.

very

gling
stragendless

as
shrubs, popularlyknown
Sage-brushand Grease-wood, compose the vegetation
of nearlyor quitea million square miles.

two

poor

I will confine

myself

in this essay to

of

the
irrigatingthe Plains,by which I mean
treeless plateau that stretches from
the base
Rocky Mountains, 300 to 400 miles eastward,

means

all bat
of the

sloping imperceptiblytoward
drained

affluents

the

by

the Arkansas

and

Platte

South

north-east
all}^
turns

of

the

or

base

the

Missouri,

and

the Kansas,
Platte,

of them
some

pursues

gener-

the

these two

300

miles

Plains

melt

rivers and

the

delta
irregular
at
susceptibleof irrigation

mountains
seems

miles,and then

300

eastward,unitingsome
Between,

as

eastern,slopesof the

mountains, where

of the

which
triangle,

in the western,

sources

the

for

the

into the Prairies.

eastern

in

Each

course

sharplyto

eastward

bas its

has

Mountains.

Rocky

of

the

rivers.

Platte

^orth

The
the

the readiest

lies

an

262

WHAT

smaller

the

be

Colony may

Union

taken

as

location

of

fair illustration of

afforded

facilities therefor

the

and

process,

The

residue.

the

than

cost

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

by

nature.
.

of

gorges

in and
the

from

and

and

snow

ice

June

and

the

on

Like

all the

streams

and

shallow,with

its bed

plainson

20

but

100

Winter,

the

ing
melt-

which

region,it

feed

is broad

to four feet below

three

nucleus

of Union

Colony,is

crossingof the Cache la Poudre

Pacific Pailroad,about
midway of
Pacific

Union

Pacific at

400

500

to

and

loftymountains
of this

nearly

of about

July,from

at the

Kansas

It

either side.

Greeley,the

the

miles

to 25

in that distance

it.

the

the
quired
ac-

la Poudre.

very low in Autumn

are

highestin May,
of

into

run

has somehow

Cache

some

descent

ern
east-

Long's Peak, and, after emergiug

mountains, runs

Its waters

feet.

of

name

about

east,with

due

considerable

most

French

the
heads

Rocky Mountains,

the

Platte,the

South

which, taking rise in the

the streams

Among

houses

Denver

at

has

its

the Denver-

suddenly grown

from

course

northward

Here

Cheyenne.

by

located

to

the

of some
village
up duringthe

past Summer.
The

first irrigating
canal

the Cache
on

the south

further
at

la Poudre

the

from

side,and
the stream

whence
village,

Branches

or

six

of Union

Colony

leaves

eightmiles above Greeley,

is carried gradually
further and
or

until it is

fullya

it is continued

ditches lead thence

to

mile

distant

the Platte.

northward, conveying

the gardensor
village,
the public square, or

the streets of the

rills tlirongh

platsof its inhabitants,and

plaza,which is designed to
Other

be taken
will
the
to

out

from

the bed
or

the

between

canal will

the stream, and

up

of

devoted

meantime

are

and

the

and
so

to

the water

very

island,a rude

an

earth

as

is here

river
of

head

stones

stream,

three feet when

of the

out

At

of the

stiU

as

colonylying south

of the
which

common.

water

of brush

land

time,another

due

point further

irrigatethe lands
present canal,and

Taking the
simple matter.

surrounded

all the

to

In

the river.

pasturage in

dam

time

will do in

ornament.

ments
five-acre allot-

and

villageis

the

whereby
canal and

its chief

be

lead to the farms

branches

others

263

IRKIGATION.

WESTERN

is thrown

across

surface two

raise the

lowest,and very much

a portionof
deflected,

is

highest. Thus
the water
into the canal.
flows easily
A very much
largerand longer canal,leavingthe
Cache la Poudre
close to the mountains, and gradually
that stream
its distance from
to four
increasing
and is to
in progress by sections,
or five miles,is noAv
Its length will be thirty
be completed this "Winter.
when
the necessary
submiles,and it will irrigate,

less when

it is

canals

shall

40,000

acres.

work

is

have
But

been
it may

completedor

even

the
from
easilywatered
brought into cultivation ;
as
they shall be wanted.

less than

constructed, not
be ten

required.
main
the

before

years

The

canal

sub-canals

all this

lands

will

be

will be

most

first

dug

264

WHAT

At

hesitated

They

not

deemed

sterile

planted and
most

allotments

of
capacities

growing

of

by

many.

the soil.

it ; !he little

upon

It

short,thin,and brown.

was

build

and

of Illinois

and bottoms
black,like the prairies

Kansas, but

and

farm

value
it

upon

cation,
its lo-

Colony arrivingat

distrust of the

nothing of

saw

grass found
was

take

to

them, from

upon

late

of tlie

members
first,

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

and
lightyellow snuff-color,
But
few took hold,and
a

too
resolutely
; and, though it was
the results were
for most
in the season
grains,
Wheat
in June
sown
produced 30
satisfactory.

bushels

sowed

the

to

; Oats

acre

did

as

toes,
Pota-

well ; while

Beets,Turnips,Squashes,Cabbages,etc.,yielded
Tomatoes

bounteously;
obtained

were

Indian

did

but
likewise,

Denver.

from

Little

Corn, but that little turned

that the

judge

Summer

nights

are

out

the

To
much

there

is

well,though I

too

cold here

the

added

to

cost

with

the

this is

free from

stump,

the

snow-

For

west.

Grasses,I

of

mistake.

or

stick,or

is land

Here

stone, which

easilyand surelybe plowed or seeded in

April,and which will produce great crops
with a very
every grain,grass or vegetable,
labor

"

would
seem
so
Irrigation
of cultivatingwithout
expense

irrigation
; but

outlayof

crop

to

better soil in the world.

no

many,

with

done

was

sanguine expectationsof a Corn

justify
altitude being 5,000 feet above
the sea,
covered
mountains
always visible in the
other Grains, and
for all Vegetables and
believe

plants

to

subdue

and

till it.

tirely
en-

may

March
of

or

nearly

moderate

The

farmer

need

not

growing
when

lose three

need

lie seeks to harvest

or

or

first time

water, using but

exhausts

whereas, brealdngup

saw

which

singlespan

or

had

his vitality

breaking

men

received

of horses

in the Prairie

shower

grain. Toothing

or

disease

tracts

rains in the

fear storm

not

his grass

malarious

any

by

annum

paralyzeshis strength. I

for the

up

days per

season, and

like ague

265

lEEIGATION.

WESTERN

as

no

team

States involves

;
a

much

The
larger outlay of power.
advantage of
earlysowing is very great ; that of a long planting
I believe a farmer in this colony
season
hardly less so.
keep his plow running through October,
may
]^ovember, and a good portionof December
; start it
again by the 1st of March, and commence
seeding
with Wheat, Oats,and Barley,and keep seeding,
cluding
in-

plantingand

gardening,until the first of

June, which is soon
enough to plant potatoes for
"Winter use.
Thenceforth,he may keep the weeds
out of his Corn, Roots,and Vegetables,
for six weeks
months
or two
; and, as every day is a brightworkingday,he can get on much faster than he could if Hable
to frequent interruptions
by rains. I estimate the
farm at $5 per acre,
to each
cost of bringingwater
and that of leadingit about
in sub-ditches,
so that
it shall be available and
of
on
applicable
every acre
that

farm, at

somewhat

the first cost of

at

having water

is

command

$10

thereafter $1 per
is

richlyworth
12

less ; but let

per

us

suppose

that

everywhere and always

acre, and

that

it will cost

apply it,I maintain that it

having,and that nearly every farm
acre

to

266

WHAT

productcan

be

lands

where

There

are

not

OF

KNOW

FAEMING.

cheaper by its help than on

irrigationis presumed unnecessary.
grown

many

laid down

acres

to grass

in ^N^ew-

England, whether for hay or pasture, that would not

have justified
an
outlayof $10 per acre to secure
their thoroughirrigation
simply for this year alone.

XLY.

SEWAGE.

The
certain
in

great empires

became

and

spoilsof

up

from

attracted

Meat,

doomed

antiquitywere

to

rent
decay and dissolution by a radical yice inhePower
their political
and social constitution.

rapidlybuilt
was

of

focus

of

whereto
great capital,

population
quarter ; and that capital
every
luxury and consumption. Grain,

Yegetables
"

the

the

fat of the

land

and

the

absorbed
by it in
constantly
enormous
quantities
; while nothing,or, at best,very
returned
therefrom
to the continually
little,
was
hausted
exand impoverished soil. Thus, a few ages, or
sufficed to divest a vast surat most
a few
rounding
centuries,
of its fertility,
district,
first,
ultimatelyof
for production. And
its capacity
so Nineveh, Thebes,
and became
ceased to be capitals,
Babylon, successively
ruins amid
deserts.
Rome
impoverishedItaly
sea

"

were

267

SEWAGE.

south

of

the

Apennines

; then

Sicily
; and, at last,
Egypt : her sceptre finallydeparting,because her
millions could no
longerbe fed without dispersion.
That some
be devised whereby to remust
means
turn
to the

soil those

elements

which

the removal

of

after crop

exhausts,is a truth which

inevitably
has but
recentlybegun to be clearlyunderstood.
the difficulty
of such restoration
is seriously
Unluckily,
and
all considerable
augmented by the fact that cities,
of human
beings,tend strongly
aggregations
in our
and
in valleys,
day to locations by the sea-side,
lages
by the margins of rivers. Anciently,cities and viloften built on
at considerable
or
were
hill-tops,
because foes could be excluded
or
elevations,
repelled
from
such locations more
surely,and with smaller
From
such elevations,
than elsewhere.
it need
force,
difficult to diffuse,
of water,
not have been
by means
would
aid to
all that could be gladly spared which
fertilize the adjacentfarms and gardens. A kindred
crop

distribution
far

exuvi^

difficult and

more

bold and
Yet

of the

of

our

modern

cities is

and
costlyundertaking,

involves

skillful

the

engineering.
must
problem,though difficult,

be

solved,

great cities will be destroyedby their own

physicalimpurities. The growth and expansion of
or

our

cities,throughout

the

present century, have

been

of
wholly beyond precedent; and thus the difficulty
dispositionof their offal has
making a satisfactory
of our
been
fearfullyaugmented. The
sewerage
streets and houses modifies the problem, but does not

268

WHAT

OF

KNOW

FARMING.

like the Plague,Yellow

Desolatingepidemics,
Fever, and the Cholera, will often visit our great
their people,unless means
and decimate
can
cities,
them
of
be found
to cleanse
wholly and incessantly
solve it.

tends to

whatever

polluteand

render

noisome

their

atmosphere.
used

in

England

designate
water
which, having been slightly
impregnated with
of a city or village,
is
and
ordure
the feculence
in order to impart
farms adjacent,
diifused over
or
a farm
and
moisture
to its soil. To
at once
fertility
of
an
secure
equable and thorough dissemination
Sewage

is the term

to which

Sewaoje, it is essential that the land

plied,if

level
originally

not

such

brought into
water

may

settle

thence
inch

be

of the

condition

to

nearly so,

or

that

it is

shall bo

the

impregnated
surface,and shall

appliedto its entire

each
into,moisten,and fertilize,

soil.

This

involves

aD-

very

cubic

considerable

ingly
outlay; but the luxuriance of the crops unfailproduced, under the influence of this vivifying
and rewards
that outlay.
abundantly justifies
irrigation,

initial

As

of Sewage
yet, the application

is in its infancy;

perfectand total conversion of all that a

available
food for
into the most
great cityexcretes
and
mains
ervoirs,
resplants,requires not only immense
of distributing
with a costlynetwork
dykes
in engineering,and
or
ditches,but novel appliances
of time as well as money.
Years
a largeinvestment
must
yet elapsebefore all the excretions of a great
since

the

269

SEWAGE.

city like London

or

JSTew-Tork

tlius be

can

muted
trans-

whole
counties
fertilizing
in their vicinity.But
the work
is alreadywell begun,
and another
pleted.
generationwill see it all but commore
Meantime, rnany smaller cities,
eligibly
located
for the purpose,
are
already enriching by
their Sewage the rural districts adjacent,
which
they
had
burgh,
previouslytended stronglyto impoverish.Edinthe capital
of Scotland,is among
them.
The
little villageof Romford, England, is one
of those
which
have
to contribute
recently been made
by
Sewage to this beneficent end ; and a visit of inspection
paid to it,on the 15th of October last,by the
London
Board
of Works, elicited accounts
of the
in the London
which
journals,
process and its results,
into

tlie

afiTorded hints
in

means

for and

this

and

of

incitement
other

similar

to

countries

takings
under-

undertakings
which
be postponed, but the only question is
may
The Daily News
of Oct. 17th,says :
of time.
one
Breton's Farm
consists of 121 acres
of lightand
the whole
receives
poor gravellysoil ; and it now
of the town
available sewage
of Romford
that is,of
This
is conveyed to the land
about 7,000 persons.
by an iron pipe of 18 inches in diameter,which is
into
laid under
ground,and dischargesits contents
From
this tank,the sewage
is pumpan
open tank.
ed
and is then distributed over
to a heightof 20 feet,
the land
carriers,'
by iron or concrete troughs,or
"

"

"

'

fitted with
sewage

sluices and

appliedto

any

taps,so

that

the

given portionof

amount

the field

of
can

270

WHAT

KITCW

FAEIVIING.

OF

and
regulatedwitli the greatest facility
nicety.
flow of the sewage
To insure the regular and even
when
it was
dischargedfrom the carriers,
necessary
the land with
mathematical
to lay out
accuracy;
and it has been leveled and formed
by the theodolite
width of thirtyfeet,
into rectilinear beds of uniform
from
the centres, along which
the
slightly
inclining
is applied. The
carriers or open troughs,by
sewage
which
the sewage
is conveyed,run
along the top
be

of each
bottom

series of these
there

of which
or

plow

case

the

"

six hundred

heavy fences,the filling

up of
less than
nine
no
ponds, as
under- draining of the whole
of

April,1870, that

sewage
the

from

the

town

it

Mr.

use

was

horse

of which

well

not

templation
con-

ments
arrangethe

moval
re-

of ditches and
as

"

cart,

great length of

number

farm

is in

involved

and

means

and

These

crop.

of which

trees

but

for

the

at

good road,by

and

carryingout

last year;

strikes;and

or

provided

bed

to every

the
of

is

access

steam
"

"

is in eyerj

free

for the

beds

the

were

until

complete
mainly

the

fected
ef-

middle

Hope received any of this

of Romford, and not
until

followingmonth that he obtained both the day

and night supply. Satisfactory,
therefore,as have
the results of the present season's operations,
been
cumstanc
cirthey have been obtained under disadvantageous
and
be
cannot
regarded as affording
rived
complete evidence of the benefits which may be defrom the applicationof sewage
to even
a poor
and thin soil,
which
had
than
alreadyruined more

271

SEWAGE.

of those who

one

mention

only

lateness

had

attempted to

drawback

one

which

cultivate

it. To

from

arose

the

first
period at which the sewage was
received,IVIr. Hope had not the advantage of being
able to apply it to his seed-beds : and thus
many,
if not
so

of the

all his

plantswere
they would be

earlyas

the crops have

have

in

larger,not

only

grown

the

much
The

than

which

but, with all,the

rye-grass,

cabbages, savoys,
cabbages, and
wonderful
under

have

been

or

method

been

the

raised

equal

age,
sew-

from

neighborhood.
being raised on

of cultivation

almost

been
of

use

been

are

much

have

of diverse

farm, are

character

adopted has
Italian

success.

mangolds, carrots, broccoli,

beet-root, Batavia
Jersey
yams,

peas,

Indian

corn,

rapidityand

the

Speaking

could

without

of

some

that is to say,

"

sense.

in the immediate

with

beans,

that

have

which

any

superiorland

attended

any
land

different parts of the

been

future year, and

in all instances

same

than

crops

comparative

have

positively,they

but

in

suffered in consequence

suffered

upon

ready for setting out

not

have

yielded

all

grown

abundant

with

harvests

stimulatingand

nourishinginfluence of
The visitors of Saturdaylast,
the Romford
as
sewage.
the farm under
the guidanceof
they tramped over
its energeticproprietor,
had an
nessing
opportunityof witthe
these

abundance

crops.

Even

and
where

planted late,had
size,it

was

not

noticeable

of many

of

mangolds, from

ing
be-

excellence
the

attained
that

any
the

nary
extraordi-

plants

were

272

WHAT

OF

KNOW

space

in any

of tlie rows.

been

placed

in

give

good

with

The
and

view

the

an

carrots

heads

of the

the savoys,

round

and

cannon

as

vacant

plantswhich

thriven,and

had

would

been

cially
spe-

to

Walcheren

of unusual

hard

not

this crop had

as
white, and firm,and crispy,

while

was

forthcoming shows, the

enormous
size,and, like some
almost
assumed
gigantic proportions
were
very fine and well-grown,

cabbages,had

of the

had

Where
a

attained

had

All the

ground

return.

treated
roots

the

tliere

that

especially
yigorous,and

FARMING.

broccoli

as

were

the finest cauliflowers

size and

were
weiglit,

balls; and

some

;
as

of the

drumhead
for

cabbages, although equally distinguished

closeness and
firmness,were
largeenough in the

heart

hold

good-sizedchild,and might,as was

suggestedupon the ground, very well be introduced
into some
pantomimic scene
representingthe kingdom
of Brobdignag. Tlie Indian corn
had reached
the respectableheight of some
eightfeet,and, with
few exceptions,
each stalk carried
a
good-sizedand
well-filled cob or ear.
These, unless we should have
another
hot weather, will not
spellof exceptionally
ripen; but in their green state they are readily eaten
and prove excellent fodder.
by horses and cattle,
In the course
of their peregrinations,
Mr. Hope's
to

guests of
sewage
need

paid

course

is received

hardly
lake

before it ispumpedon

say that

of nastiness

but its odor

was

visit to the tank

by

no

the
was
means

appearance

in wliich

the

the land. We
of this miniature

anything but agreeable;

overpowering,nor, in-

273

SEWAGE.

deed, very offensive.

which

flowed
handed

was

limpid

in at

about

are

only a

this hideous

reservoir in

it in the

met

'^

from

the

short
a

very

carriers

"

the

as

pure

most

effective
of London

flowed

before

time

water

of which

some

in the windows

seen

had
dealers,

had

and

corner,

flows

to be

clear
bright,

tumblers,lookingas

which

stream

filtersthat

one

in

rill of

The

out

different state.

flowingalong in

of

We

dark,

inky stream, not smellingmuch, but covered with an

of the
of some
one
ugly gray froth which reminded
of sugar
details in the manufacture
most
disagreeable
and rum, or suggested
the idea that it had been used
for

Yerj

foul wash

With

indeed.

fresh in one's memory,

these reminiscences

it

requiredsome
courage
to comply with the pressinginvitations to taste this
'effluent water.'
There were, however, many
of the
party who braved the attempt ; and, by allwho tasted
it,the water was pronounced to be destitute of any
dry weather,this
effluent water, which
has passed through the land
and been collected by the drains,
after mixing with
the sewage, is againpumped over
the fields ; in wet
weather,it can be turned into the brook which is
-^
"^
^
with the name
of the river ~Rom.
dignified
We
have omitted
that the rent paid by
to mention
Mr. Hope is "3 per acre, and the cost of the sewage
(at2s. per head) "6 more."
except

"

here

mineral
slightly

I think

few

is the

germ

for the

In

thoughtfulreaders
of

Agricultureof
1 2'"'

flavor.

great
all old

will

movement

and

doubt

that

in advance

denselypeopled

274:

WHAT

FAEMmG.

OF

KNOW

ufacturing
communities,and that our youngest cities and manwisely consider it deeply,
villagesmay
if not earlyimitation.
with
view
to its ultimate
a
That we are not prepared to incur the inevitable expense

thoroughsystem of sewerage with reference

to the soil of all the fertilizing
to the application
that a citywould
elements
gladlyspare, by no means
should not
consider
and
plan with a
proves that we
of

view

the

to

ultimate

creation

and

utilization

of

Sewage.

XLYI.

MOEE

OF

IREIGATION.

thus far considered

HAVE

reference

to those

which

are

with special
Irrigation

limited,yet
traversed

streams, and, having

present obvious

level

very

or
or

considerable

tricts,
dis-

bordered

by living
face,
rollingsurslightly

facilities for and

incitements

to the

and
the

operation. Such are the valleysof the Platte,

of nearly or quite all its affluents after they leave
Mountains

Rocky

Arkansas

; such is the

valleyof

the upper

Smoky Hill and the

be conas
sidered
Republican,so far down
Irrigation
may
all these seems
to me
on
Irrigation
necessary.
and certain to be speedily,
inevitable,
ciously,
though capri; such

the

of
valleys

the

effected.
I believe

dam

across

either fork of the

Platte,at

favorable

any

pointabove

of the

surface

their

six

stream

fiftysquare miles
time
servingat the same

mills and

factories to
of

the need

could
few

of the

be utilized

constant

stream

water-courses

furnish

power
extent

and

per annum,

not

for
; for

of the

all of

Irrigation
valleysof the

needed

Thus

power.

as

to

but generally
incessant,

three months

or

ing
exceed-

cost not

considerable

very

is not
Irrigation

confined to two
the volume

completelynot
irrigate
of the valleybelow it,

less than
while

the
junction,
raising

feet,at

suffice to

$10,000,would

2Y5

IRKIGATION.

OF

MOEE

for

the

Plains

may

come

earlyday to employ and subsist a dense and

population,engaged in the successful prosecution
energetic
and manufactures, while
alike of agriculture
of
luxuriant
timber,
belts,
groves, and forests, choice,
of
bare
embellish regionsnow
and
will diversify
trees,and but thinlycovered with dead herbage from
June until the followingApril.
and look off
But, when we rise above the blufi*s,
where
the blank,bleak areas
no
across
livingwater
and its
more
difficult,
exists,the problem becomes
be much
solution will doubtless
longer postponed.
sterile ; and,
To a stranger,these bleak uplands seem
though such is not generallythe fact,the presumption
involve
will repel experiments which
a
large
railroad companies, w^hich now
initial outlay. The
own
large tracts of these lands, will be obliged
at

an

either to demonstrate
and
As

the

case

their

colonists to do
stands

value, or
it

most
to-day,

by

to

liberal

of these

incite individuals
concessions.

lands,which

276

WHAT

would

have

the roads
to

been

KNOW

FAEMIN'G.

OF

at five

dear

cents

built,could not be
with
the
even
settlers,

were

actual

of the dearth

because
sight,
because

also the

of fuel

sold

before

acre

per

at

any

railroad

in

and

price
plain

timber,and

of

renderingthem fruitful
their cultivation
aud
profitableare out of reach
of the ordinarypioneer. Hence, so
long as the
vitatio
valleysof the livingstreams
proffersuch obvious into settlement and tillage,
by the aid of Irrigation,
I judge that the higher and dryer plainswill
herdsmen
who rear
mainly be left to the half-savage
cattle and
sheep without
feeding and sheltering
them, by giving them the range of a quarter-section
to each bullock, and submittingto the loss of a hundred
head

in

after each

so

unavoidable

an

as

But

or

means

cold

storm,
snow-

of Providence.
dispensation

of time

process

great and
the wild

even

will be softened

into

plowing and
shelteringtheir

habitations with

herdsmen

replaced by regularfarmers,
and small grains,
seedingfor vegetables

their

children

in which
The

school.

to

Irrigation
; and

the

Plains
"

nowhere

are

desert

by slopes,and

"

swells,and

rangingfrom

change

on

be filled with
50 to 100

sending
involves
the

among

ways

fiat (as I
absolutely
is

sume
pre-

diversified

not),but

gentleridgesor divides,

facilities for

well,sunk

will
divides,

This

of Sahara

affordingabundant
A

trees, and

followingare

it will be effected

the

water.

or

the

the

crest

distribution
of

livingwater

feet.

of

one

windmill

at

of

these

depth

of modest

27T

lEEIGATION.

OF

MOEE

ped
placedover this well will be rarelystopWind
for want
of impelling power
:
being,
abundant
the
the thing most
next
to
on
space,
A reservoir or pond covering three or four
Plains.
be made
acres
adjacentto the w^ell at a small
may
and using the
cost of labor,by excavating slightly
dimensions

earth

form

to

embankment

an

The

windmill, left alone,will

the

windy

are

now

side.

lower

fillthe reservoir

during

with
water
Spring months
warmed
in the sun, and
soon
ready to be drawn off
of vegetable
as wanted
throughoutthe thirstyseason
growth and maturity. Carefullysaved, the product
of one
well will serve
and vivifya good
to moisten
of grass or tillage.
acres
many
Such
of
is the retail plan applicableto the wants
farmers ; but I hope to see
it supplemented
solitary
and
of
invigoratedby the extensive introduction
Artesian
wells,whereof
two, by way of experiment,

to

say

that

it is made

700 to
the

which

be made

than

more

top

will

downward

rise to

settlement
filla

thousand

or

and

modest

reservoir

cultivated

spectively
re-

well,farther

until

in

the

stream
a

is

stream

above

stove-pipe. Such

average

Carson

by boring to a depth
gularly
a 1000
feet,tubing re-

the top of the tube

to

Kit

and

the Artesian

describe

flowingover
large as an
supplyinga

Vrigatea

Denver

here

from
reached

at

not

ranging from

may

and

in progress

I need
than

Winter

the

on

surface,
often

as

well, after

with w^ater,
village
that mil sufficiently

acres.

Its water

wil'

278

WHAT

though obtahied from near

hence better adapted to Irrigation.
and will not
well is costly,
Of course, the Artesian
be constructed for uses
purelyagricultural
soon
; but
the Plains and the Great Basin
the railroads traversing
out
withbe compelledto resort
will sometimes
to one
having use for a twentieth part of the water they
than

be warmer
"usually
the surface,and

FAEMINa.

OF

KNOW

thus entice

from

the

of the

bowels

earth ; and

that

they cannot use they will be glad to sell for a

and
of verdure
moderate
price,thus creatingoases
roads
bounteous
production. The palpableinterest of railin dottingtheir long lines of desolation with
meadow
and
of field and
such cheering contrasts
their hearty
waving trees, render nowise doubtful
pioneer who shall
cooperationwith any enterprising
knowledge, and
capital,
bring the requisite
energy,
of the work.
to the prosecution
faith,
of methods
which
These
but hastysuggestions
are
will doubtless
be multiphed, varied,and
improved
in the light of future experience and
study.
upon,
which

And
of

when

the very

subduing

the

shall have

been

stillremain

vast

best and

Plains

to the

discovered
areas

as

effective methods

most
uses

and

free

of civilized

adopted, there

commons

for the

man

wiU

men
herds-

for the hunter of the Elk

sporting-grounds
and the Antelope,after the Buffalo shall have utterly
disappeared.
I do not doubt the assertion of the plainsmenthat
ing
rain increases as settlements
are
multiplied. Crossand

the Plains in

1859, 1

noted

indications

that timber

MORE

279

lEEIGATION.

OF

where
now
none
formerlyabounded
grows ; and
I presume
that,as young trees are multipliedin the
of civilization,
wake
finally
thickening into clumps
rain will fall,
of timber
and
beginninga forest,more
had

and

the

extension

of

to
But, relatively

easy.

become

woodlands
the

tively
compara-

country eastward

always be arid and

with
a
bracing atmosphere that will
thirsty,
pure,
form
attraction to thousands
a chief
sufferingfrom
lion
threatened
with
or
pulmonary afflictions. A milof square
is found
miles, whereon
no
single
or
bog, and not one lake that withstands the
swamp
of Summer, can
drouth
have a moist climate,
never
fail to realize the need of Irrigation.
and never
The
Plains will in time
give lessons,which even
of the

the well-watered
Such

profit.

Lake

border

always
to

the

valleysas
the

and

be

idly and
and

drouth
in vain.

as

of

and

may

thirsty clays

mountain
owned

and

cultivated

as

with

largely

traversed

either

on

ranges

read

by

by

hand, will
men

sible
insen-

profitof Irrigation.]N^or will such rich

those of the Connecticut, the Kennebec,

drouth, while

lessons

East

verdurous

level

Susquehanna,be

runs

will

Champlain, for example,

from

streams
not

Plains

Missom'i,the

left to suffer year after year

the water

which

uselesslyby.
loves

the

should

refresh

from
them

novation,
Agriculture repels in-

beaten

track; but

such

E^ew-England has received in the great

18Y0 will not always be given and endured

XLYII.

UNDEVELOPED

The

I consider

more

the

The

present

factory

Power;

of

inferior

Yet

wheels

and

or

to

all

of

her

children
her

mistaken

Nature
some

good-will

far

in

our

in

much

marvel

highest

more

at

the

as

impoi

to

as

the

know

than

proofs

achievements

liar

properly

ders
cylin-

impartially

learn,

to

heavier

factory's

revolve

them

yet, the

and

kind

how

others.

to

l\o

children
grand-

our

of
but

an

traverses

plow

is

of

yet

asserting that,
(a8o)

or

from
dance,
abun-

far

motion

the

speed

to

use

with

the

well, and, if

but

all have

we

at

ning
run-

his

content

in

machinery
as

the

great

turns

woolen-mill,

in

been

which

ready

as

will
evinced

its

and

power.

continual

supply,

calico-printery.

profit by
doubt,

limited

like

obtains

cheaply

with

of

farm,

culture,
Agri-

our

command

involves

has

farms

just

shuttles
of

all

many
is

it

of

discontent

my

manufacturer

stream

sets

is
and

farmer

the

skirts

nessed,
the

the

article, in

cost.

state

furnace,

or

supply

while

tlie present

tillage of

the

but

which

sources

POWEE.

sources

and

subjugation
of

OF

emphatic

more

farmer's

the

SOUEOES

stupidity
I

am

farmers'

not
con-

UNDEVELOPED

SOIJECES

trol of jN^ature'sfree
to that of

I have

been

trees ;

on

drained

my

yet fullysubdued
the Winter's
it into
and

and

producers.
of

good

will

judge that
aid to bring
lies

swamp

my

"

"

it is not

because

thawing
the

the

to be

presume

then

that

this Fall

plowing done

sweetened, and

And

absolutelyflat

class of

swamp,

freezingand

condition.

is very far inferior

power

other

nearlyevery

having much
orchards,for what I

in my
the

giftsof

281

POWEE.

OF

thaws

and

so

low

rains

of

Spring render

for Oats, or any

plowing it in season
other crop that requiresearlyseeding,a matter
of
All the land I now
doubt and difficulty.
cnltivate,
seek to cultivate,
has already been well plowed
or
than once
more
impedes prostump or stone
; no
gress
in the tracts I have plowed this Fall; yet a
good plow, drawn by two strong yoke of oxen, rarely
breaks

up

half

an

per week

acres

cost

of

cost

me,

$18

acre

about

for the

; and

per

day

what

has

been

and

plowman

I estimate

two

averaged,at

driver ;

oiFsetting
the oxen's labor againstthe work
done by the men
and elsewhere
barn
at the
apart from plowing. In
confident
that my
other words : I am
plowing has
have

would

first to

from

cost

last,at least,$10

still

more

if it had

per acre, and

been

done

as

that this
thoroughlyas it ought. I am quite aware
that sandy soils and
is high
dry loams are plowed
much
cheaper ; and that farmers who plow well (with
"

whom

I do not

depth

of four

rate.

I
Still,

rank
or

those who

five

estimate

scratch

inches)do
the average

it at

the earth
a

much

cost in this

to

lower

country

282

of

WHAT

plowing
I

and

twelve

land

confident

am

so

much

FAHMIN-G.

OF

inches

tliat it does

deep
not

$5

at

cost

acre

per
cent

one

less.

onlydiscouragement. There is not

so
thorough plowing among
us,
Fall,as there should be. The soil

'Nor is cost the

half

KNOW

nor

in the
especially
is,for a good part of the time,too dry or too wet ;
is inclement,or the ground is frozen :
the weather
the plow must
stand still. At
so
length,the signs
dition
ground is in just the rightconwould
gladlyplow ten, twenty, fifty
; and we
acres
during the brief period wherein it remains so ;
but this is impossible. Others want
to improve the
opportunityas well as we ; extra teams are rarelyto
be had at any price; and our
own
slow-moving oxen
refuse to be hurried.
Standing half a mile ofi^,
you
them
if your eye-sight
is keen, and you
can
see
move,
have
some
stationaryobjectinterposedwhereby to

auspicious
;

are

take
your
of

observation

an

soil is such

breadth

you
slow

much

course,

spans

the

you
that

sink

are

; but

that you

it is
can

faster ; but
to lose in

apt

will take

it to

the

travelers.

the

beam
never

as

much

as

If

ever.

horses, you

all that

you

get
gain

depth.

There

may

use

on,

be

in

plow right along though

; but

knew

they
a

are

span

sure

that

to

be

would

plow an acre per day as I think it should be plowed ;

though, if your only objectbe to get over as much
afflict and
titillate two
ground as possible,
you may
more
as
acres, or as much
you please.
letter to TTie Times
a
Now, I have before me
(London)by Mr. William Smith, of Woolston, Bucks,

inSDEVELOPED

who

that

states

annual

SOUECES

he

283

POWEE.

just harvested his

by steam-power,

has

cultivated

crop

OF

fifteenth
and

has

prepared his land for the sixteenth ; and he gives

details,
showing that he breaks up and ridgesheavy
clay soils at the rate of six acres
per day, and plows
lands

at the rate of fullynine acres

alreadyin tillage
day. He gives the total cost, (includingwear
of breakingup a foot deep and ridging65
tear,)

per
and

in

acres

6s. 6d.

"20

greenbacks,and
$2 (greenbacks)
per
our

twice

are

this would

acre,

be

Horse-power
work
He

is."

$4 per

30

item
"

as

labor

fuel

and

in

here.

acre

as

could

give at

not

this steam-power

tills 166

in

acres

I do not

believe

cost

any

such valuable

ridgingand subsoiling

all, making the

stubble-land

greenback). And

4^. 8^d. per

he

cost

of

(say

acre

gives this interesting

ISTo. 5, lightland,12

subsoiled

last year

acres,

for beans

land, after the bean-crop came

that

that

done

steam-plowing his
$1

considerabybelow

at $10
by animal
power
per
the difficulty
of gettingit thoroughly
not considering
Smith
done
all. Mr.
at
pertinentlysays :

could

this

"

less than

inches

Say

acre.

in

England, and
the cost of thoroughlypulverizing
heavy claysoil to a depth of twelve

make

by steam-power

still it falls

1870, at

call it $112

gold :

this country

in

dear

as

in this year,

in

$100

about

or

October

and

September

cultivatingonce

2s. per acre,

was

over

all that

was

ridge-plowedand

was

that

operationleft

off,in

with

so

nice

horses,at

needed

state,

cost

this Autumn

the

of
for

284

WHAT

wheat

next

wheat

The

year.

FAEMTNG.

OF

KNOW

drilled

was

four

days

back."
"

^^ow

involved

waste

best

of

shall be able to do better

enormous

the

as

Agriculture. I hope we
ere
long. I recognize the

in aid

of power

som'ce

Steam

commending

not

am

the

in

of

movement

engine, boiler,etc.,weighing several tons, back

and apprehend that it must
forth across
our
fields,
difficult to avoid

engineand boiler at either

stationary
hauling a gang of plows this way and

end of the

and

of ropes
for

from

but

farm

to

of these may
bound

are

we

till the
know

and

when

but, that

the end

America,

of wind

as

retain it

so

that

afi'ord a

its cultivation

on

little of what

is
and

the
has

reserve

morrow

been

"

to

sweeps
fund

or
or

much

not

in

not

and

un-

of

"

Europe

utilization
and

compress
a

over

farm

of power

thereafter.

devised

do

achieved, I

the
diversify
and

sweep

pulverize and

doing, both

gale which

the

to-nightmay
a

somewhat

which

things I

many

of power,

source

moval
re-

yet perfected;

to

will yet be

and

extend

to

lay
out-

field to field.

winds

employed

I know
done

the

the

among

been

means

in its

cost

from

even

by

field,

better in time.

soil,are

has

be

heavy

very

be the best device

and

doubtinglytrust.
what

farm, or

fields shall be

our

that

considerable

to do

Preciselyhow
over

and

machinery

Either

involve

pulleys,must

and

the soil therefrom.

compressionof

an

I know
toward

done

converting and transmitting,through the

of compressed air,the power
generatedby

for

medium
a

water-

UNDEVELOPED

fall

l^iagara

say

"

SOURCES

and

expended

OF

Minneliaha

or

utilized

at

source,

impelling machinery

the

of steam.

cost

done

the

not

for the

required
and

by

of

materials
the

as

through
us

and

will

and

and

water

even

agencies,the

which

is in time
with

not

economy,

But

doubting
predict

there

that

find

the

the

spontaneous

forces

Electricity
"

them

"

so

farmer's

in

producing

or

will be

the

live

not

may

readers

of

this

of
and

wielded

fields

Wind,

to

as

to

un-

who

will
us

by
and

Water,
all

of

lightenimmensely

which

our

Earth

of

it, I

see

probably by

all

man.

is

all around

quadrupling

of

to

essay

while

comfort

our

safed
vouch-

great body

labor,

by

source,

in its achievement

more,

and

ician,
mechan-

no

pulverize

movement

one

and

are

boilers

what

power

abundantly generated

utilized

the

sustenance

and, though

am

and

rapidity, perfection,and

faith

my

Steam,

bulky

so

from

anticipated by

now

farmers.

our

new

to

of

ginery
en-

that

as

fill the
I

guess

what

required depth

any

part

locomotives.

not

of

tion)
(that is,transforma-

which

steam

ment
employ-

cumbrous

hundredth

being

means

utilization

consumption

not

factories

our

and

generation and
a

by

power,

weighty

so

of

means

of

heavy

tenth

of

production

is

its

to

its
half

at

what

eye

be

from

kinds

of

vaguely
an

it may

of miles

all

of

Electricity,with

with
in

I know

that

so

"

distance

285

POWEE.

its

efficiency

ministers

to

the

Yin.

XL

EURAL

Complaint

is

of

Census

of

State

of

New

'New

The

the

York
total
have

so

that

constitute
Our

"

says,
We

hear

over

few

what

but
farms

run

of

and

merchants,

too

farms

one

are

that

and,

have

into

prevalent

is still the

(286)

J^ew

for

city

have

others
two

or

been

three,

body

every

for

been,

village or
other

or

capital,"

our

are

city

expected

lots ; while

way.

the

farms

land," etc., etc., yet,

be, divided, except

tendency

doubt

of

Many

though

large

too

much

the

though

1840,

formerly

were

country-seats

lawyers

of

State

doubled.

into

of

living wholly

the

in

were

in

Census

villages.
in

the

fewer

the

found

be

meantime

transformed

been

in

augmentation

wiU

the

presume

some

by

ative
rel-

out
with-

not

farmers

shown

farmers

there

has

population

more

incorporated
more

and

probably

were

and

than

consolidated,
now

and

people

are

to-day

no

considerable

their

there

bankers,

"

than

cities

whether

return

York,

very

of

number

districts

the

in

decrease

least, plausibility.

will

England,

1860.

in

1870

rural

our

at

or,

of

made

widely

population
reason,

DEPOPULATION.

An

can

to

the

ineffi-

RURAL

287

DEPOPULATION.
,

farmer

cient

dies

the sheriff: his farm

while
purchasers,
of

estate

some

farmers

are

oftener

than

for

now

I. Our

between

two

quiteoften absorbed into the

thriftyneighbor ; and thus smaU
and

westward

much

the obvious

facts

moving

Such

are

reasons

all
England,was originally
moval
heavy growth of forest. The re-

State,like 'New

by

involved

of this timber

in this

done

of which

much

of it by the present generation.When

traversed

has

hard

much

very

most

been

work,

century, and
I first

Chautauqua County,forty-three
years

two-thirds

from

by

out

it is

of the

covered

but

rarelydivided

is

sellingout
largeones.

some

is sold

heavilyin debt, or

to

of

three-fourths

her

acres

ago,
must

primeval forest a
tall,
heavy growth of B^ch, Maple, Hemlock, White
Pine, etc.,which yieldedvery slowlyto the efforts
of the average
chopper. Many a pioneer gave half
his
off

it

sixtyacres

not

the

"

in arable

condition

at

the

last.

of that county
the population
villages,
probablyas great in 1830 as it is to-day,though
of her tillage
not half what
annual production
was
of the

Outside

the

with

working hours for twenty years to the clearing

of Timber, Fencing,cutting out roads,etc., and

had

was

still covered

been

have

Her

is.

now

wood-lands

are

or

their

or

been

worth

are

made

now

about

as

much

; her

per

remaining
acre

as

her

ting,
comparativelylittle timber-cutland-clearing
; and two-thirds of the pioneers,

tillage
; there
or

farms

sons

is

who

sold

now

inherited

out, and

their

farms,have

pushed

further

sold out,

westward.

288

'WHAT

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

Meantime, Grazing and Dairying have extensively

supplanted Grain-growing; and farmers who found
work than they could do on 60 or 80 acres, now
more
160

320

with

I do

not

say

they ought not to farm better ; I only state

and
facts that they thriv^e by this dairy-farming,

the

manage

to

acres

ease.

that

not

exhausting their
is

Chautauqua
Counties

in

our

lands.

measurably

And
true

what

is true

half

of

are

of

rural

the

State.

II.

the only fuel known

to
was
Formerly,Wood
our
farmers, while immense
quantitiesof it were
At presburned
in our
at the salt-works,
etc.
cities,
ent,
wood
is scarcely
used for fuel,except as kindling,
in any of our
or
cities,
villages,
manufactories,while
the consumption of Coal by our
farmers
is already
very large,and rapidlyextending. All this reduces
the demand
for labor on our farms and in our
forests,
while
in the
increasingthe corresponding demand
Coal Mines, and on
Luzerne
the railroads.
County,
Pennsylvania,has doubled her populationwithin the
last twelve
of

our

III.

or

fourteen

years ; and

this at the expense

rural districts.
Our

implements and machinery

agricultural
time
and
at the same
effective,
annuallymore
grow
fold
more
costly. The outfit of a good farm costs fivewhat it did fortyyears ago.
makes
The
farmer
and secures
his Hay far more
rapidlyand effectively
than his father did,but pays far more
for Reapers,
Mowers, Rakers, etc. ; in other words, he makes
Winter

work

abridgethat

of Summer

"

^niakes

hun-

289

DEPOPULATION.

RTJEAL

dred

or
citysave thrice
days' work in some
village
This enhances
his
as
days'work on his farm.
many
but swells our urban, while it diminishes our
profits,
rural population.
IV. Much
has been said of the degeneracy and
of the IsTew England Puritan
increasingsterility

stock.
before

All this is shallow

and

absurd.

There

never

people who proudlytraced their

What
is
originto a 'New England ancestryas now.
true in the premisesis this : The l^ew England stock
is becoming veiy
widely diifused,and is giving
place,to a considerable extent, to other elements in
home.
its original
Forty years ago, at least sevenof New
eighthsof the inhabitants of Boston were
England birth and lineage; now, hardlyhalf are so.
The
descendants
of the Pilgrimsare
scattered all
over

have

were

many

wide

our

flowed

Canada,

to

since most
I^ew

so

country
in from

while hundreds

of the

of thousands

Ireland,from

Germany, from
relinquished
; and,

fill the

places thus
immigrants,whether

England,seek
of

their future homes

or

in the

out

of

time
spring-

mainly born to them

after rather than before their migration. The Yankees
have no fewer children than formerly; but they
in Kansas
born in Minnesota, in Illinois,
are
now
;
while

their
life,

those born

children

into

in New

are

England are, for identical

reasons, in largeproportionof Irish or of Canadian
New
are
England townships,
parentage. There
whereof
of the heads of families are
most
long past
the prime of life ; their children having left them
13

290

for

WHAT

farms

being
As

their

on

employes.
mainly by foreign-born

done

now

the work

and
localities,

attractive

more

FARMTNG.

OF

KNOW

generalrule,the boys first wandered

girlsonly the alternative of following,

ofi",
leadingthe

Marked
diversities of race,
dying in maidenhood.
thus far prevented
of creed, and of education,have
with
of the Yankee
any considerable intermingling
the foreignelement
by marriage. And what is true
or

of

'New

measurably

is

England

of

true

our

own

State.
I have
the

intended

not

by
that

assumption

these observations

people

our

to

bat
com-

generally

too

preferother employments to farming. The obstacles

to effective modern
ture
Agriculture that is,to agriculprosecutedby the help of efficient machinery
"

"

presentedby
bog, which

that

E"ew

characterizes

parts of New

York,

of rock

alternation

incessant

I have

and

England

alreadynoted

and
some

; and

they

cultura
discouragingimpediment to agriinterposea serious,
A
intersected
farm
or
by two
progress.
and brooks, separatedby steep,rocky
three swamps
with
times
pebbly knolls,someridges,and dotted over
giving place to
to-daythan
observation
farms

on

find ten
to

it

grandfather. So

to his

was

extends,there

which
acres

you
in

Corn,

Agriculturein

or

one

sterile sand, is far

capable,intelligentfarmer

the

repulsiveto

more

stripof

are

unbroken

sowing

the East

to

will

ISTew

more

cannot, than
area

far

on

which

as

always

Grain.
seem

my

England
can,

you

suitable for

Winter

of

ing
plant-

Hence,
petty

and

when
irregular
cultivation
here
the

brought into

of the West.

cheapty nor

so

tendencyof

with

and

moss

broken

and

up

difficult and

with

contrast

Grain

can

pasturesto

the

never

abundantly as

so

prairie

be grown

there ; while

themselves

cover

over

shrubs, unless frequently

reseeded,makes even
dairyingmore
worthless

'New

costlyin

border

western

our

291

DEPOPULATION.

EUEAL

than

England

almost

in

any

country.
Yet, these discouragementsare

and

along its

other part of

balanced

by

our

pensations.
com-

Timber

springsluxuriantlyand grows
pricious
rapidlythroughoutthis region; while our harsh,caclimate gives to our
Oak,
Hickory, White
White
unknown
Ash, and other varieties,qualities
to such
elsewhere,while prized everywhere.
grown
Apples,and most fruits of the Temperate Zone, do
cities and
well with us ; while
our
manufacturing
Potatoes
villagesproifermost capacious markets.
and other edible roots produce liberally,
and generally
command
good prices. Hay sells for $12 to $30
and is in eager and increasing
grown,
per ton, is easily
We
demand.
ought to produce twice our present
crop

from

pound

the

same

area,

of it ; for neither

and

have

cattle

our

our

of

every

sheep are

they should be.

is money
to be made, by those who
have means
and know
how, by buying JSTew England
them
larger
farms,tilling
better,and growing much
nearlyso numerous
In short,there

crops than
are

many

nor

so

their present
who

can

do

well fed

nor

need

occupants

better

in

as

have

done.

the West

There

; but

the

292

WHAT

KNOW

OF

FARMING.

stillmake
can
by farming this side
rigHtmen
money
of the Susquehanna and the Genesee
; and I would
of them
thousands
to try.
more
gladlyincite some

XLIX.

LAEGE

The

to

SMALL

is fascination for most

Theee

AND

young

FARMS.

minds

colonel,Avho

in battle,would
brigadeeffectively
command

great

; and

nitude.
mag-

hardly handle

can

like of all
the

tiller

things
of fifty
delights

ravishingdreams of the
inherent
in a great Western
farm, with its square
and its thousands
of cattle. Each
miles of corn-fields,
of them
is partlyrightand partlywrong.
There
are
generalscapableof commanding 100,000
such in his day
two
men.
Napoleon says there were
find the
^himself and another : and these generally
effort or aspirawork
tion.
they are fit for,without special
So there are
each of whom
can
really
men,
farm
a
township, not merely let a herd of cattle
it unfed and unsheltered,livingand dying
roam
over
chance : the owners
as
expecting to grow rich
may
This
ranching is not
by their natural increase.
properlyfarming at all,but a very different and far
I judge that the farmers who can
ruder art.
really
rugged

"

acres

has his

army

in naked

LAP.GE

till

or

so

to rv3alize

"

as

scarcer

But

even

graze
a

there

is such

it is

it, and
who

thing

takes

for those

all the

it

means

thousand

reasonable

of

care

his

both

small

farmer

good

balance

and

could
on

recommend

the

inherited

the

to

farm

has

large

stand
under-

thousand
will

head

usually
than

generallyfind

when

he

makes

up

year'soperations. I
into debt

run

him

out

for

great

of it ; but

acquireda largefarm, well

how

to

make

himself

Most

on

cheaper

will

to work

great farmer

sufficient envy.
he

of

man

or

stocked,and knows
cling to it,and count
But

it,and

right side

no

farm, expectingthat
he who

do

even

who

He

his Beef

his accounts

squares

could

and

Grain

land,

requires. The
of good
acres

of Cattle,is to be held in all honor.

grow

value,are

farming

as

good business

have

its

on

of

acres

capacious.

so

annuallygrows

Grain, and

thousand

fair interest

the farms

293

FABM8.

SMALL

several

"

than

scale ; and

farmer

AND

it pay,

fortunate

may

well

in its possession.

is

alreadyregarded with
boys would gladlybe such as

is ; the

energy,

in the case
is that they lack the
difficulty
and
self denial,repersistency,resolution,
quisite

for its achievement.

We

will leave

largefarms

themselves,while
and
opportunities

we

reasonable

and

mend
farming to recomconsider more
the
directly
of the small
expectations

farmer.
The
be made

cannot
impressionwidely current that money
on
a small farm
that,in farming,the great

fish eat up

"

the

little ones

"

is deduced

from

very

im-

294

WHAT

FAEMING.

OF

KNOW

tliat Grain and Beef

perfectdata. I have admitted
can
usuallybe produced at less cost on great than on
small farms, though the rule is not without
tions.
excepand
I only insist that there are
room
hope
for the small farmer also,and that largefarming can
enable
small
absorb
to dispense with
us
nor
never
farms.

I. And

first with

regard

to

Fruit.

Some

Tree-

Grapes,are grown on a largescale

it is said,with profit.But nearly all
in California
our
Pears,Apples,Cherries,Plums, etc., are grown
and are not likely
to
by small farmers or gardeners,
All of them
need at particular
otherwise.
be grown
a
seasons
personalattention and a vigilancewhich
seldom
be accorded
or
never
or
can
by the owners
small farms be genShould
of largefarms.
renters
erally
Fruit-culture
would
into larger,
absorbed
our
thenceforth
steadilydecline.
II. The same
is even
true of the production
more
of Eggs and the rearingof Fowls.
I have had knowledge
of several attempts at producing Eggs and
Fowls on a largescale in this country, but I have no
of a single decided
in
success
trustworthyaccount
such an enterprise. On the contrary,many
attempts
to multiplyFowls
have
broken
down,
by thousands
Some
seemed
tagious
consecure.
justwhen their success
Fruits,as

well

as

"

disease,some

unforeseen

sanguineexpectationsof
his

gold into
Yet, I judge that

the

blasted
disaster,

experimenter,and

the

muted
trans-

dross.
there is no

industrymore

capable

LARGE

SMALL

AUB

of indefinite

exfension,with

breeding on

demand.

in universal

are

alike
doubled

in

the market.

Fowl-

fair returns, than

They

Chickens

and

Eggs

scale.

moderate

295

FAJRMS.

luxuries

are

ciated
appre-

by rich and poor; and they might be

quantity without materiallydepressing
Our thronged and fashionable watering-

adequatelysuppliedwith them ; our

take all they can get and look around
cities habitually
for more.
I believe that twice the largestnumber
placesare

never

of Chickens

yet produced

ever

reared

in

others

should

1871,

to
profit

with

fail,the

in

one

year

the breeders.

be

Even

if

in

found

market

home

might

each

elastic.
familywould prove signally
itself to
commend
This industryshould
especially
their
widows, strugglingto retain and rear
poor
children in frugalindependence. A widow
who, in
lage,
the neighborhoodof a cityor of a manufacturingvilrent

can

cottage with

land,

sunny

tightlyas
roaming

to

who

and
a

can

warm,

make

which

confine her Hens

abroad

would

incur

the

an

of southward-slopin

acre

she

may

fence

therein,whenever

injureor

the expense

commodious

half

their

her

neighbors,
on
constructingthere-

annoy
of

so

Hen-house,

may

production of Eggs

almost
and

Fowls

tainly
cera

ly
profit.If she can obtain cheapfor feed,givingwith
the refuse of a slaughter-house
and
ing
accordit meal or grain in moderate
quantities,
that constant, personal,intelligent
supervision,
which
without
Fowl-breeding rarely prospers, she
her
reasonablyexpect it to pay, while affording
may
source

of continuous

296

WHAT

and
from

not

the

subjectto

occupation not

an

FARMING.

OF

KNOW

requiringher

to

capricesof

spend

her

an

days

ployer,
em-

away

home.

Though the ordinaryMarket Yegetablesmay

be grown
on
largefarms,the fact that they seldom
is significant.
are
Cabbages, Peas, Poled Beans,
on
Potatoes,are mainly grown
Tomatoes, and even
There
small farms,as they always have
been.
are
cash market
for Yegetablesexsections wherein
ists
no
be relied on ; and here they will continue
or
can
to the extent
to be grown
spective
only of the growers'rethe prevalenceof manneeds ; but wherever
ufactures
the neighborhoodof a great city gives
or
reasonable
of a market, they are
at
assurance
grown
a
profitper acre which is rarely realized from a
Grain-crop. No less than $100 per acre is often, if
not
generally,achieved by the growers of Cabbage
from
this not
this city; and
around
rich, deep
garden-mold,but from fair farming land, undermanured.
and liberally
drained,subsoiled,
that
The
careless,
slipshodfarmer may do better
is,he will not fail so signally in Grain cultivation ;
III.

"

"

there

but
than

within
small

have

are

few

been

sightof

more

decided

achieved
this

or

within

brilliant
the

City,and whollyin

I have

here

said

enough

yeare

of
tillage

the

to show

legitimateand promising field

other than that
enterpriseand effort,
a

last few

farms.

I trust
is

successes

for

that there

agricultural

wliich

contem-

297

DISTRIBUTION.

AND

EXCHAiq^GE

the ar^quisition
and rule of a township,and that,
plates
is to many
attractive
while farming on a large area
also for
and inspiring,
there are scope and incitement
that permits
for tillage
humbler
scale
a
on
tillage
weed
to
nest of caterpillars
to ripen seed,and no
no
that achieves
for tillage
flourish a month undisturbed
from small areas, and rejoices
largecrops and profits
of culture attainable
and perfection
in that neatness
only in the management of small farms.
"

"

L.

EXCHAKGE

The

AND

machinery whereby
into cash

converts

or

DISTEIBTJTION.

the

other values

of

farmer
that

our

portionof

in his house or
productswhich is not consumed
his farm, seems
to me
lamentablyimperfect.Let
illustrate my meaning :
After

three

all but

fruitless years,

we

have

day
his
on
me

this

lieve)
(I bethroughoutthe N"orth. Our old orchards being
for the most
dition,
still,
part,preservedand in bearingconwhile a good many
young ones, plantedten to
we
twenty years ago, begin to fruit considerably,
had, throughoutthe three Fall months, a superabun13*
year

bountiful

Apple-crop,

in this State

and

298

WHAT

of this

dance
should

have

mechanics
all the
without

KNOW

been

laborers

have

with

eaten

Each

her

of

constantlydisplayedon every
be eaten
as
a dessert,
raw
or

tub

of
be

drawn

or

five months.

and

How

; while

should

be

stored

last

have

rotted

eaten

by

under

animals

Apples

railroad

that

is 35 miles

Apples

of

should

we

runs

how
the

have
and

been

by

and

every

that

trees

so

value.
into this
should

of

milhons

many

sell for

I
distant,

than# most

to
cellar,

four
been
as

be

as

fireside.

realized this ?

to little or

no

in every

ples,
ap-

bushels

to

household

guess

cider that did not

the

day

in every

not

dozen

now

of dried

day during the next

In short,Apples should
have
August to next May, as common

nearlyhave

I will

should

barrel

use

potatoes,and

freelyeaten

for breakfast

milk

Winter

from

upon

and

her
apple-sauce,

both, for
good keepers

be, from

bread

provident housewife

or

bread

our

to

been

supper.

and

great body of

It

provide their families with

ripe,good Apples that they could consume
injuringthemselves by gluttony. Good Apples

and

have

for the

cheap

workingman's table,to
or

FARMING.

liomelj,wholesome, palatablefruit.

and

should

baked

OF

no

bore

them,

or
profit,

much

as

bushels

turned

been
into

it cost,counting

Living immediatelyon a
place
City,wherefrom
my
be able to do better with
; and

judge that
half my
of no
to me.
use
Apples were
Many of
them
sold in this Cityfor $1 per barrel,including
the
40
cents ; and, when
cask, which cost me
you have
added the cost of transportation,
can
you
guess that
growers

yet

EXCHANGE

I had

AND

DISTRIBUTION.

$1.50

surplus,after paying men

I
picking and barrelingthem.
no

vinegar-makers at fiftycents
"

sellers

many

pressingto get rid

they rotted
glutted.

was
a

dozen

in parts of
barrel

per

their
left

it

from

the

could

being

so

fore
be-

this market

even

for the farmer

worse

and

hundred

I have

heard

sold for

furnish

from

that,

cents
fifty

casks,and

tliat

Manifestly,this

apples.

could

Apples

they

considered.

hardly

nothing for

But

that

doubt.
can
city,none
Connecticut,cider was

was

cider-

of their windfalls

railroad

would

to

for

them, there

much

was

to whoever

size

If

their hands

on

That

miles

the nearest

sell

to

could

bushel

returned.

being

all I wished

take

not

casks'

the

apples

day for

per

all I

sold

per

299

'

have

been

dailysupplied to

our

citizens in such

as they could
veniently
conquantities
to seventy-five
cents per
take,at from fifty
bushel, accordingto qualityand comeliness, I am

poorer

City and

confident that this

.taken

Two

they have

the poor

and

they have

peck

other

as

been

the

rural

barrel of

or

be sold

is true

to

him

get for

barrel

the

of

would

Apples

urban

applesmust

for less than

rot

on

the cost of

In
set

so

dividing
from

that

consumer

once

them.

in

conveyingthem

cities.

for half

middlemen

respectiveservices
and

than

at

much

justlike

and

have

more

of other

as

pay

bushel

hucksters

the farmer's

by

same

requiredto

Apples

producer

portionof

the

their

high a priceon
up

of bushels

rarelybuy

I could

words

Millions

; and

done

But

Three

or

its suburbs

the

large

his hands

harvesting,

300

WHAT

tbe poor

while

KNOW

FARMmG.

OF

cities find them

of the

freelyeaten.
Nor are Apples singularin
like to

French

and
be

of

Turnipsper

getting $1

barrel

per

If the

railroad.

at the

this respect.

bushels

Swede

or

of

sure

thousand

grow

dear

too

I would

English (round)
if I could

annum

for them

of this

poor

to be

delivered

City could buy

by the half

Turnips throughout their season

I believe they would
peck at the rate of $2 per barrel,
than they do.
But they are
more
buy and eat many
soch

usuallyasked twenty-fivecents
is at the rate of $5 per barrel
them

hold

too
not

are

dear

; and

they rot

cattle

and

peck, which'

at this rate

So

every-dayuse.

the

or

grown,

off before

them

for

per half

nips
the Tur-

invited

are

to

worthless

become

they
clear
and

nuisance.

Quite often,a green

youth

undertakes

to

get rich

by farmingnear some
great city. He has heard
believes that Cabbages bring from $5 to $8 and
$10 per hundred. Squashesfrom $10 to $25 per
Watermelons
has made

expects

from

his calculations
make

to

ready

not

would
one

be ;

else

market

for market

and, when

seems

is

to have

glutted;

no

to

this

on

$50,

and

so

on.

even

dred,
hunHe

basis,and sanguinely

rapidly.

But

his

products,
short of his estimates ; they are
he expected they
soon
as
so
at lengththey are
ready,every

money

in the firstplace,fall

$20

and

rushed
one

seems

in ahead
to want

of him.
his

"

The

truck"

figure
; he sells it for a song, and quitsfarm
ing disgustedand bankrupt. Maybe, his stuff would
at

any

EXCHANGE

have
but

sold much
he could

it back

day

for it would
men

young

AND

better

next

afford to

not

after

week

bringit to

improve by-and-by.
have

this account

on

or

the chance

day, on

301

DISTRIBUTION.

the week
market

after ;

and take

that the demand

I

judge that

turned

more

their backs

farming,after a brief trial,than on any other.

They might have borne up against the shortness of
their crops, hoping for better luck next
time ; but
the necessity
for sellingthem
for a pricethat would
their cost,had they been ever
not have reimbursed
so
luxuriant,
utterlydisheartens and alienates them.
I preach no
crusade
men.
againsthucksters and middleI hold them, in the actual state of things,
benefactors
In so
to both producers and consumers.
far as they deal honestlyand
meet
promptly their
rather than
they deserve commendation
obligations,
I urge is,
that more
economical
and
reproach. What
efficient machinery of
exchange and distribution
ought to be devised and set at work
machinery that
would
do all that is required at a moderate, reasonable
on

"

cost.

I would

like

aged Railroads
at

any

might

to

see

advertise

of its stations
be

one

and
offered,

of

our

solvent,weU-man-

that it would

all the

farmers'

the

henceforth

produce

buy
that

highestpricesthat the
of the markets
would
state
justify. Let its agents
came
purchase whatever
along a basket of eggs, a
coop of chickens,a barrel of apples,a sack of beans,
a
pail of currants
anything that could be sold in
the cityto. which
it runs, and which
would
conduce
pay

"

"

302

WHAT

human

to

be

sustenance
"

not

and

of its transportations,

the articles

cash

transported.

at fair

buy

to

offered, paying

was

object should

increase

vast

profiton

extra

Its

comfort.

agents be ready

let its

FARMING.

OF

or

rapid

the

Freight

But

KNOW

ever
prices whatand

down,

pushing

everything purchased directly into market, so as to

back
with directly.The
the money
to buy more
have
edible

it

brought

system

that

on

and

bring

it to

down

for

it,at

the

would

give,"

is

Kailroad
deal

so

its

on

city,and

no

be

and
found

to

thus

with
but

were

other

use

would
the

advisable.

be

at

of

living

adapted to,

shall have

cash

afford

can

we

up

quadruple
business

this

to

the

to

its

which

proposal,that

producer

railroad

and

er.
consum-

entering a great

reaching it,this objection

in the actual

not

libertyto

railroad

this

monopolize markets, and

one

mode

am

present system.

would

terms

own

crowd
I

farmer

and

build

the

plausible,but

chose

double

opposition

managed

If there

would

in

urged,

there,you

sell at

inaugurate

every

highest price

rapidly

freights,and would
has no
parallelunder
It

would

do.

soil is best

your

station

our

often

will
that

whatever

and

buy

as
against itself,

rightbasis,saying to

Grow

"

it,

near

bid

Kailroad

would

middlemen

and

hucksters

confident

not

nearly everything

owning

market,

into

prices,and

uniform
of

thus

Company,

Railroad

or

start

dispense

ever
Who-

case.

an

opposition,

with

it

as

he

LI.

WESTTEE

The

dearth
is

great

dismissed
drift away

of

to

much

and

is

and

work

some

city,under
must

done

squander their

fruitless

quest

in Winter

means

of what

evil.

growing

from

being

employment

that there
so

WOEK.

the

on

and

so

and

at

E^ovember,

mistaken
rate

some

pression
im-

where

require service,

many

damage
there

is not

in

vague,

be work

ing
be-

Thousands,

farms

borers
la-

for farm

in

their morals

to be had.

When

Spring at lengtharrives,they sneak back to the rural

districts,
debauched, often diseased,
ragged,penniless,
and

every

For

with

deteriorated,by

sakes

their Winter

only,but for the

will employ and
those who
this drifting
to the
hereafter,

their

those

be

way

who
them

not

plunge.

sakes

also of

work

must

cities should

stopped.
In its present

Far

within

and

haul

my

to the

for the
and

fitted

magnitude,

it is

there
recollection,

saw-mill,wood

timber

was

to cut,

evil.

modern

very

to

draw, and

year'sfuel,with forest-land
for future cultivation,
even

to be

in

(303)

cut

pare
pre-

cleared

New-Eng-

304

WHAT

land.

Those

who

timber

to

of farm

number
the

ground

three
I

is

recognizetbe right of

twelve

or

and

hours

more

the

should

He

of

he

ought

But

he

the

on

from

that,so

farm

until

soon

as

one

should

is

the

of far

be obtained

crop may

first as

to Muck.

soughtit is likelyto
and

cultivator

who,

supply on
after

he

that, the

supposes

no

realizes that the

inferior

his

has

the
'No

working

to the

wherefrom

who

is.

land

see

tion
colleca

next

acres

how

must

secured,the

been

same

know

the

value

attention

one

mer
far-

fibrous substances

and

accessible this material

in inexhaustible

when

longer work to be
ground is fit to plow a-

harvest

from

his mind

recuperate when

utilization of the elements

and

to
visits,

hard

worked

who

of food

devote

has

improve

to

and

gravely errs

materials

cultivator

and

the next

throughout the
ter.
in Wineasily

more

Having

rest

to

manufacturer

raw

And

off when

given
tillageof his

the

to

the contrary, he who

On

is

larger

leisure to return

ground being frozen, there

gain.

larger and

crops

books, and

his

reflection.

must, he

day
his

have

by study and

done

rapidly

farmer, who

take the world

now

post and balance

the

per

saving

genialmonths, to

can.

is

annuallyturned
as
they may for

live

to

coal

is little

four months.

or

acres

So

team

or

ax

there

clear,and

to

laborers

with

Kow,

fuel.

as

freezes

work

to

Winter.

cut, littleland

supplanting wood

FARMING.

OF

chose

idle in

seldom

were

KNOW

larger
season.

has not

valued

dant
generallyabunI have
of

fair farm

found

it

pretty good
ten

years,

(as lie supposed)it

sold it because

find,"impliesthat

shall

rarelyfind

abounds, Muck
thousand

show

; but

And

there.

Begin
time, and

cut

outlet

an

can

that

dig
dryshod; thenceforth,

work

of

bed

house,
hen-

with

his outlay.
spare tiie
after
there-

you

may

and

pileon

spot of dry ground,

accessible

nearest

or

buy

on

exist

supposed to

it all Winter

deep

known
un-

Vs^ith

or

reward
generously
haying as you can

so

is

ribbed

it will
after

soon

as

rock

barn,his sty,his

from

draw

certaintythat

moral

of his

mile

and

dig

may

either has

who

he

within half

Muck

known

has been

it,though none

many

to find Muck

confidently
expect

I shall

rock, and

rock

covers

regionridged or

me

je
will

Where

Jersey sands, where

of

acres

seek

not

rarelywanting. It

is

of

Seek, and

fact.

is the

such

and

"

do

who

those

destitute

was

fertilization.

of extensive

this basis

ijiJO

WORK.

WINTER

the

be drawn

to

barn-yard and out-houses as opportunity

though you have done
presents itself. But, even
nothing till the ground freezes,do not say it is now
to the

away

late,but

too

Winter

where

set

to

you

could

and, in diggingMuck
are

not

Draw

all you

can

; but

do not
of

for months

cure

over-estimate

Muck,

well cured

before

at

swamp

to

be

so

before

well
you

the average
and

to
application

mixed
the

draw
value
with

at
soil^

with

Muck

of

warmer
one

water.
ey
mon-

no

left to

it.

well frozen

; for

more
as

season

bog

or

in

team

other

any

troubled

dig much

lawful interest pays

at

and

apt

often

can

not

from

you

over,

You

work.

dry

I think
cubic

yard

zers
fertili-

dollar ; and

306

WHAT

I think

there

States

who

few

are

Muck

FARMING.

OF

farmers

obtain

cannot

Where

KNOW

is not

Old

in the

it for less than

Thirteen

that.

had, I believe,the tiller

to be

to a
gravellyfarm who can get access
bed or bank of clay may
dig and draw this,
profitably
he wonld
Muck
if he had
to be used as
use
it,and
for direct application
to the soil. I do not think
even

of

sand J

or

this method

the most

clayspread

over

laid down

been

advisable

-yet I feel

gravellyfield
worth
fiftycents

sandy or
is

to grass

that

sure

has

that

bic
cu-

per

Hay is worth $12 per tun ; but I

would
wish to apply it not later than December.
He who has fit placesof depositshould draw all his
in
Lime, Plaster,and other commercial
fertilizers,
required.
Winter, so as to be ready for use when
yard

Mix

wherever

your

Lime

at the rate

of the

of

than

to mix

Lime

it otherwise
animal

combines

with

that

There

some

farmers

are

who

do not,

would

use

who

unless

Plaster

and

should

fixes it.

and

enough

all be scrutinized

put into thoroughcondition

which

as

Winter

for next

as

their stables

about

realize that

pig-pens. They ought to

of Ammonia,
impliesa waste
hardlyafibrd.
very rich,can

Fences

of Plaster

do, but twenty times

and
smell

far

use

case, since

sulphur

element

yard

careful not

in any
the

Muck,

cubic

Be

be.

manures

volatile

to

ready for

will be

whereas

expels Ammonia,

many

of the former

bushel

with

the kiln with

fresh from

latter,and the Muck

sooner

it

while

bad

farmer,

goes

season's

off,
vice.
ser-

WINTER

should

Fruit-trees
all

branches,
too

high,

for

the

spreading

or

trees

into

It

wide.

that

it to

towering
be

better

June

or

; but

likely

is very

season

it to

postponing

dying

or

may

May

in

pruning

dead

where

back

cut

too

defers

who

hurried

be

to

all

do

to

farmer

the

and

all

of

relieved

be

suckers,

307

WORK.

another

and

year

"

another.
There
which

scarcely

is
would

well

not

good

account

which

and

thinning
is cut

which

that

and

shapely,

is left

out

if

turned

be
Summer

to

fuel,

faster, taller,

grow

you

growth

trimming,

may

will

reward

to

later

or

bean-poles, pea-brush.

as

etc., while
more

for

pay

That

done.

of second

forest

doubly

for

farmer

can

your

pains.
These
to

improve

or

thought

that
nine

good

which

morals,
will

he

way

manage

Summer.

them

at

year

In
I

the

urge

employ

not

alike

interest

his

very

one

by

of

who
the

laborers

in

ing
exceed-

for

eight

good

year,

be

can

much

can

add
hour's

an

laborers

services

their

hire

give

best

price

every

will

he

The

secure

henceforth
to

if

subject.

will

months.

that

in

full

Any

suggestions.

upon
the

to

for

hired

as

but

are

"

crops
to
or

Winter

or

and

resolve
in
as

some

well

LII.

sin^iivimG

In

the

as

foregoing

calculated

seem

and

have

the

to

not

throw

to

happy

to

one.

rapid

know,

moreover,

might

they
that

it

very

might

farm

is

all

flatters

which

their

green,

that

word

one

(308)
.

false

the

farmers
the

of

all

that
he

to

that

they
and

grandest

the
utters

the

than

condemn
gods
demi-

were

the

happiest

hearer,

speaker
for, if

suit
pur-

farmers

purpose

I most

among

most

better

to

soil.

the

farming

"

though

when

likely

attractive, a

so

teachiug,
as

mortals,
feel

be

road

royal

are

men

lief
be-

uniformly

the

for

passes

live

and

and

not

few

the

induce

qaietly tilling

should

and

must

is

IJs

pensable
indis-

this

over

to

intellectual,

so

by

halo

they
careful

been

necessarily

what

calling

followed

have

tion,
voca-

which

action

means

that

by

better
Of

do.

and
ever

lot

that

noble,

so

as

no

know

wealth

great

is not

by

acquisition, and

amass

us

and

farmer's

the

ftdse, delusive

any

which

farmer's

the

of

mind.

my

clearly

as

knowledge

upon

rules

or

forth,

set

my

light

cast

to

caUing,
that

within

principles

suggested

I have

essays,

facts

the

could,

UP.

does
he

unless
n't

did,

lieve
behe

su:mmi]S'G

sion,
profesfarming,instead of livingby some
his auditors did not know
and talkingas tliougb
of this
from
chaif.
I regardthe Agriculture

would

be

wheat

country
should

as

far

very

of

than

they do, and

their

sons

below

cultivators

our

that

should

line of this little work

than

brought to
the

them

leave
have

fuller

with

theme

it will

Agriculture
"

theme

And,

its discussion.

'^

read

will

since

there

may

treatise for its writer's

could

not

elaborate

hope

"

be
and

sion
impres-

elucidate

my

greater ability
Then

why

not

all

work

studyand ponder

be

some

written
who

will read

"

do
"

upon

yet regarded it

should

sake

to

least

at

treatise whatever

any

be

theme,

my

ought

persuaded to
erudite

treated

will

as

read

to

written

read.
this

it when

like honor
I have

and

they
more

in

the

of inquiry
breasts a spirit
arousing in some
regardto Agricultureas an art based on Science
spiritwhich, having been aVakened, will not
of

againinto torpor, but which will lead on

perusaland study of profoimderand better
fall

struct
in-

Simply because, when

hardly have

books

whereon

have
far

can

have

not

jole
ca-

than

that their

and

knowledge

of those who

three-fourths

single

calculated to

others

that

field f '

who

written

If

men.

seem

to believe

them

fully aware

am

render

purpose.

my

wrongs
I

beg

better

would

rather
self-complacency

into

them,

better

it

"

great

farm

should

farming

better

the

that

hold

and

might

better citizens and

its readers

which

standard

the

reached

this have

ere

mass

with

309

up.

to

the

books.

310

WHAT

KNOW

FARMING.

OF

In tlie foregoingessays, I have

the

soughtto

establish

:
followingpropositions

good farming is and must ever be a paying

like all others,to mischances
and
business,subject,
and to the general law that the struggle
pnll-backs,
arduous
from
an
nothing to something is ever
up
In the few instances
and almost
always a slow process.
1. That

wealth

where

and

distinction

have

been

swiftly
they have rarelyproved abiding. There
won,
is more
envied and
are
success
pursuitswherein
dazzling than in Agriculture; but there is none
wherein
and frugality
certain to
more
are
efficiency
comfort

secure

2.

where

and

Though

the

poor

wealth

may

attain

though

he

it is nevertheless
at

grown

produced

are

poor

grow

amply

so

often

must

man

perfectionat

sometimes

may

fields not half

are

competence.

slowly,

go

bound,

compelled

seem

fertilized

to

at

loss.

crops, because

A
he

rich
can

till

they should be,

as

that bounteous
true
inflexibly
while half and quarter
profit,

and

man

crops
crops

afford to

may

afford to lose

by

his

He
cannot.
year'sfarming, while the poor man
than he can
to till no
more
acres
ought, therefore,
to sow
no
seed,plow no
bring into good condition
in expectinga good
where
he is not justified
field,
Better five acres
oughly
amply fertilized and thorcrop.
"

tilled than
but

meager

must

3. In

twenty

return, and

acres

which

which

partialif not
the
choosing a location,
doom

to

at best make

can

dry

absolute
farmer

or

wet

son
sea-

failure.
should

resolve

to choose

from

311

UP.

SUMMING

Roaming from State

section,is a sad and far too

for all.

once

section to

stone

merelj is it true that

gathersno moss," but the farmer

from

place

to

place

knowledge

of soil and

excellence

in

his

climate

The

who

rolling
wanders

is essential
read

cannot

expect rain,when
he could

days of sunshine,as

look for

which
He

vocation.
to

common

acquires that intimate

never

learn when

and

clouds

''

ISTot

mistake.

State,

to

he

if he had

to

the
may
lived

place. Choose your home

in the East,the South, the Center,the West, if you
will (and each section has its peculiaradvantages);
for all,
but choose
once
and, having chosen,regard

twenty

years

that choice

as

on

the

same

final.

responsiplunge into bilities

while they lack
too hastily.They buy farms
at once
experienceand means, incur losses and debts
and drag through life
by consequent miscalculations,
them
sours
a w^eary load,which
againsttheir pursuit,
'No youth
when
the fault is entirelytheir own.
4. Our

should
years

young

undertake
of

men

apt

to manage

trainingfor

capablemaster

are

of the

that
art

to

farm

task
of

until after several

under

tilhng the

the

eye

soil.

of

If he

advantageson his father's

enjoyed the requisite
be qualified
to manage
homestead, he may possibly
few who
at twenty-one ; but there are
a farm
might
wait and learn,in the pay of some
not profitably
cessful
sucI
for several years longer;while
cultivator,
instance of a youth rushing out of
recall an
cannot
old farmers
school or a citycounting-house
to show
has

312

WHAT

how
in

their work

FAEMINa.

OF

to be

ought

It is very

disaster.

done, that

well

did

know

to

Science

what

regard to farming; but no

thoroughlygood farmer who had

ever

some

years

in actual

5. While
too

not

seem

of

debt

one

every

with

contact

his

Men

at all chastened.

to-day,who

sellingoff so
use
profitably
all he can,

much

of

their

; but

everj

one

as

if in

not

spent
"

of

stagger under
land

loads

themselves

they

as

intent

seems

expectationof
And

was

neighbor, He
does
acquisition

relieve

might

man

the soil.

land,"the greed

much

in its market

of

says

result

not

with

teaches

farms

KNOW

by

cannot

on

ing
hold-

great advance

buy farms in
as
cheaply per acre as
every old State in the Union
they could have been bought in like condition sixty
their sellinghigher sixty
years ago ; and I doubt
'No doubt, there are
years hence than they do now.
lands,in the vicinageof growing cities or villages,
that have
in value ; but these are
greatlyadvanced
exceptions: and I counsel every young farmer,every
vate
cultiland than he can
poor farmer,to buy no more
such as he needs for timber.
thoroughly,save
value.

ISTever fear that there

when
but

you
shun

shall have
debt

forty acres

mortgaged.
undertaken

as

to

will not

you

be

the money
would

you

all your
1

yet

own

never

lifted

carry

debts,

more

for sale

land

wherewith
the

to

can

to

plague,and
square

mile

I have

mill-stone;but
and

they

are

buy it ;
prefer
heavily

fearfully

heavy.
6. I know

that

most

American

farms

east

of the

STJMMmG

Roanoke

and

the Wabasli

313

TIP.

have

too

many

fields and

of allowing
custom
prevalent
from
and forest,
cattle to prowl over
meadow, tillage
adequate
September to May, pickingup a precariousand insubsistence
by browsing and foragingat
and hardly consistent
large,is slovenly,unthrifty,
with the requirementsof good neighborhood. It is

fences,and

at

best

that the too

miseducation

of your

cattle into

lawless

justwhere and when all pasturing

wasteful and improvident; but I do
becomes
know
that pasturingfosters thistles,
briers,and every
noxious weed, and so is inconsistent with cleanlyand
will
acres
thorough tillage.I know that the same
tion,
feed far more
stock,and keep them in better condiif their food be cut and- fed to them, than if they
I know
that
sent out to gatherit for themselves.
are
the cost of cuttingtheir grass and other fodder with
modern
machinery need not greatlyexceed that of
drivingthem to remote pastures in the morning and
huntingthem up at nightfall.I know that penning
in a filthy
them ten hours of each twenty-four
yard,
where
they have neither food nor drink,is unwise ;
and I feel confident that it is already high time,
is worth $100 per acre, to
wherever
good grass-land
the center
small field,
limit pasturage to one
as near
and
shade
of the farm
as
be, wherein
good
may
water
timothy,
abound, into which green rye, clover,
successively
etc.,etc.,may
corn, stalks,
oats, sowed
shelter from a
from every side,and where
be thrown
cold, drivingstorm, is provided; and that,if cows
habits.

I do not

14

know

314

WHAT

here

be milked
c(;iilcl

7. I know

children

FAEMING.

left

are

ns

improvidently,and

let White

to

economy.

slashingdown
thus compelling

our
our

thrice the cost at which

at

have

shonld

might and
wasteful

timber

buy

to

well

as
tlirongh
niglit

good

of

that most

most

trees

and

be found

day, it would

as

OF

KNOW

I know

it.

grown

that it is

Scrub

Birch, Hemlock,

we

Oak,

Pine, Dogwood, etc., start up and grow on

with the seeds of
lands which
might be cheaplysown
Oak, Hickory,Sngar Maple, Chestnut,
Locnst,White
Pitch

Black
farm

in

settled

reallyaiford

growing
freelygrow

to

feel

and

Walnut,

sure

region is

to surrender

indifferent
choice

are

might

2:rowin2:of vahiable

presumption
a

not

life-time

largethat

so

considerable

cord-wood

few

farms

so

that
owner

I know

is wrong

it
as

therefor ; and
small

that

tion
por-

to the
common

will

turn
yield no rethat, if thickly

know

"

can

it would

that the

devoted

no

portionof

devoted
profitably

be

so

its

when

if seeded

trees.

land

that

I know

Pine.

timber

that there

of each

for

White

properlyseeded,it will begin to yieldbean-poles,

hoop-poles,
etc.,the fifth or sixth year from planting,
and

and more
ly
abundantyieldmore
I know
that good timber,in any wellforever.
but cut out
peopled region,should not be cut off^
but moderately and trimmed
thinned
judiciously
up,
and

thenceforth

will

"

so

that it shall grow

branches;
millions
ravines

of
and

and

tall and

I know

that

run

to trunk

there

are

instead

all about

of
us

rocky crests and acclivities,

steep
sterile sands,that ought to be seeded
to

acres

of

315

UP.

SUMMING

and devoted
forthwitli,
kept clear of cattle,

timber

to

tree-growingevermore.
8. I do

nnderdrained.
be.

Fields

that all lands

know

not

may

profitably

be

uplands,I know,
slope considerably,and

Wooded
which

that water

stagnates upon

never

could
so

near

or

not

larly
regutheir

surface,do very well without.

Light,leachy sands,
like those of Long Island,Southern
Jersey,Eastern
out.
withfairly
conviction
is strong that nearly all
cultivated will in
to he jpersistently

Maryland, and
Yet

my

which

Land

the

is

I would

time he underdrained.

plunge
drain
has

his neck

to

up

But

his farm.

experienceon

no

or
field,

the

wettest

to do

Carolinas,seem

urge

into debt
I would

in order

press

this head

farmer

no

every

to

to underone

who

to select his wettest

part of such

field,and, having

digestedWaring's,French's, or
the subject,
other approved work
on
some
procure
Fall to drain that field or part
tile and proceed next
of a field thoroughly,taking especialprecautions
carefullyread

and

againstback-water,and
fied that

it will

or

watch

will not

pay

the effect until

to drain

satis

further.

thoroughly,and at
being impelled by the
no
cost,without
unnecessary
and faster until they had tiled at
result to drain more
farms.
least half their respective
I doubt that there is a farm in
9. As to Irrigation,
States where
the United
something might not be
forthwith
done
to secure
advantage from
profitably
and
the artificial retention
applicationof water.
think

few

have

drained

one

acre

310

Wherever

WHAT

brook

or

OF

KNOW

runnel

FAEMING.

crosses

skirts

or

farm,

here running uselessly

Can the water
question
equably diffused
by be retained,and in due season
at once
over
some
portionof this land ?
presents
"

the

"

"

"

One

itself.
be

astonished

of

nearly every
that need

dam

thousand

ten

has

who

not

off

just enough
of water

inches

of

edge

upper

to maintain

providingfor

so

$20 will suffice

barrels of water,

along

and

cost

a
a

to several

of

acres

the

Hudson

can

such

tell where
the

of

have

doubled

hard

necessityof sellingor

crop

hold

to

back
be

led

slopeor glade,falling
gentle,steady current,

of
application

the

acres

some

that it may

so

exigenciesof crop and

require such irrigation. Any
when

which

will

irrigated. Often,

be

may

this view

with

with
facility

farm

off

the

the

at

looked

never

two

tillageor

season

just

grass

urgently

most

farmer

three

or

of

east

the

applicationwould

an

1870,

and

precluded

killingcattle

the

easily

not

replaced.
Of

course,

beginning. In time,
considerable
streams
mainly to

this is but

rude

we

shall dam

this

hundreds
end, and irrigate

from
on

and

into reservoirs whence

subjacentland

moment,

and

thus

rendered

of

acres

will be sunk

comparativelyarid
employed to raise

wide

areas

will be refreshed

the vast, bleak,treeless

Artesian

thousands
Wells

singlepond or reservoir.
plainsand gentle swells now
and
wind
steam
or
sterile,
or

even

and

water

On

very

of surrounding
at

the critical

bounteouslyproductive.
Plains of the wild West,

wells will be sunk

for this purpose

; and

SUMMrPTG

the

thus

water

well

as

the minerals
bounteous

but

it

of

our

beauty
And

from

desert.

Great

Basin

of the

savage

thrift

"

the

Hudson,

10.

As

to

wide

of fertility

source

of

stretches

Immigration

barren

now

will

yet thickly

of verdure

and

that,have

covered

the

and

which

with

oases

those

and

desolate

surpassingthe

yet, its easiest

in
right here

won

and
the

plenty;
valleys

fluents
af-

skirt the

Colorado
dreams

with

of

poets.

readiest

triumphs are to be
valleysof the Connecticut,

Susquehanna, and the Potomac.

I think I
Commercial
Fertilizers,

the

hare

of Gypsum (Plaster
paid for the application
Paris)to my npland grass at the rate of one busliel

been
of

crops

and

enriching the soil by

refresliment,
and insuring
it holds in solution,
which

great Sahara
will,long ere

dot the

will prove

obtained

as

worthless

and

31T

UP.

per

well

acre

with

per
it

cleaning,and
manures.

annum,

while

my

been

plied
sup-

by dustingmy stables with it after each

so
applying it mingled with barn-yard

Lime

from
(unslaked)

costingme from 25 to 30 cents

and
I have
applied liberally,
Pones, ground,(the finer

the

burned

oyster-shells
per bushel delivered,
I judge, with profit.
better)I have largely

used ; but my land had

advantageously
been mainly pasturedfor nearlytwo centuries before
of Phosphates,
drained
I bought it,and thus continually
replenished: so my experiencedoes
yet never
lands ought to
that the farmers of newer
not
prove
buy bones,though I advise them to apply all they
them very
Pound
cost.
save
or pick up at small
can
and

I think

tillagehas

818

WHAT

fine with
them

to

beetle

ax-head

or

fowls

jour

it pays

buy

to

if

less

soil will prove

your

FAKMING.

OF

KNOW

flat stone,and

on

they refuse

am

dainty.

part of them,
not

that

sure

Phosphate when
doubt not that,for

manufactured

any

give

instant

get Raw Bone ; though I

the Phosphate is far superior. As
effect,

Guano,

it has

can

you

fault of careless
that

any

that

will not

Guano
will

produced
he

that
he

apply

can

afford

can

it to

buy

to

better

he

of

he

After

Clover, I

doubt

Guano,

unless

more

I have

than

purpose

400

ing
noth-

has

purpose.

stand

good

one

wisely apply

provided
the

answer

the

sterile sands

with

may

acre,

per

be

may

application. I judge

deal

to

bring Clover,

else that
has

has

that

but

me;

unskillful

or

who

one

of

pounds

paid

not

to

yet

done.
I have
do

better

buying

as

at

and

you

must

them,

keeps even

pigs,and

many

fertilizers which
of

Lime

of

span
a

score

I would

patch
where

of

bog

or

frogs will

rather

miry pond
live

he

"

dryest time next Fall,two

Muck, which, having been
and

dumped

into

his flirm

"

any

dig thence,
hundred

dry qu

later,and

tuns

two

If he

on

left to
or

than

$200.

three

or

liis

have

to

can

high ground till November

up

can

buy ; but a good farmer

horses,three or four cows,
for $100
of fowls,can make

$180

Guano, costing him

farmers

most

saving fertilizers than by

Sulphur (Gypsum), if your

and

making

them.

soil lacks
who

strong impression that

has

place
in

the

loads of
the nearest
then

drawn

barn-yard,pig-pen,and

SUMMING

will
fowl-house,

will do

as

w^ould,and
he

has

as

well

be

out next
ready to come
Spring in
and, being liberally
corn-planting,
aj^plied,'
mucli
for his crop as two
of Guanc/
tons

for

season

319

UP.

will

strengthenhis land far more.

Muck, and no neighborwho can spare

no

not, let him

as

midsummer

at

cut

If

it

all the

weeds

growing on and around his farm, and in the

Fall gather all the leaves that can
be impounded,
using these as litter for his cattle and beds for his
pigs,and he will be agreeablysurprisedat the bulk
of his heap next Spring.
I
We

am

intense

an

send
the

pestilence.'No
enrich
He

his land

may

not

first; but
11.

for

excretions

Guano,

and

of

cities to

our

fer
suf-

bays,poisoningor driving
the air with stench and
filling

farmer
and

be

ever

defeated

was

able

t^riedto
yet intelligently

to

do

culture

is the

by

all he

efibrt cannot
persistent

Shallow

Production.

in rivers and

fish,and

the

away

miles

equallyvaluable

to w^aste

run

thousand

ten

in Home

believer

most

lack of material.
would

like to

at

be baffled.

crying defect

of

farming. Poverty may sometimes excuse

is stretched
it ; but the excuse
quite too far. If a
farmer has bnt a poor span of horses,or a lightyoke of
thin steers,he cannot
plow land as it should be plowed
double teams
wdth his neighbor,and
; but let him
plow alternate days on either farm ; or, if this may
not be, let him
buy or borrow a sub-soil plow, and go
around
with his surface plow, then hitch on to
once
the sub-scil,
and
another
fmTOw
in the
hotrun
our

average

320

torn

WHAT

of the

neither
a

rule,the

the bottom

are

the

the

and

meagre

will answer,

culture

freelythrough

by

the

exceptionsdo

nine-tenths

that

of

inmidations

plants run

of

intervales

few

yet distuibed

never

truth

so

of

roots

marked
the

FARISIING.

shallow

where

ages,

fertile earth
these

There

C"

soil,deposited by

the

because

KNOW

former.

rich, mellow
countless

of

plow
not

; but

date
invali-

tiUage

our

is

thoroughas it should be. As

of plants do not run
below
feeding-roots
of the furrows,though in some
instances

deep

so

nor

they do; and he

of soil will,under
often rainless for

who
our

fancies that

five

fervid suns, with

weeks, produce

as

or

six inches

our

bounteous

Summers
and

as

eighteeninches,is impervious
He
to fact or
reason.
might as sensiblymaintain
could draw as long and
that you
as
heavilyagainst
of $1,500.
of $500 as againstone
a depositin bank
of my
12. Finally,and as the sum
we
convictions,
fused
inneed
more
intellect,
study, more
thought,more
with less blind devotion
into our
Agriculture,
has long since
to a routine which, if ever
judicious,
which
The tillage
ceased to be so.
a
ing
pioneer,fightsingle-handedand all but empty-handed with a
do no better
he can
dense forest of giant trees,which
down
and
than
to
cut
burn, found
indispensable
their stumps and roots, is not adapted to the
among
of his grandchildren.If our
altered circumstances
farmers would
abstract ten hours each
most
energetic
their incessant
from
drudgery,and devote
per week
reflection with regard to their
them
to reading and
sure

crop

as

twelve

to

SUMMING

noble

calling, tlicy
and

purpose,

their

What

Know

week

each

live

task

of

pressing

duties,
the

illness,

completion.

Had

health,

were

there

bt

to

with

example,

better

mo.

through

unaccomplished,

in

the

and

in

despite

work

has

been

not

kept

ahead

when

too

ill

weeks
I

as

was

for

essay

multifarious

of
of

tell

to

brief

one

face

and,

undertook

is done.

Farming

18Y0

in

live

longer,

children.

self-imposed

My

and

would

bequeath

to

property,

UP.

severe,

tracted
pro-

prosecuted

to

of

in

while

it
have

must

left

write

to

it

even

or

stand.
I close
essays,

with

the

slight

and

of

thousands
their

calling
and

abler
sciences
progress
even

faintly

foreseen.

to

feel

on

its

perfection

that

trust

will

are,

loftier
in

interest

induced

be

to

they

as

livelier

works

minister

toward

will

many

better
which

joyful

my

farmers
take

and

of

imperfect

young

that

and

avowal

by

its
them

which

few

incite

pride

and
as

in

ment,
improveread

to

and

Agriculture
efficiency

these

the

impel
yet

its

Lave

320

tor

INDEX.

ACCOITfTTS"

AccoTTiTTa

cliap. XXXV,

207

failure,
of

time,

207

pecuniary
waste

from

author
the
farmers

found

has

omists
econrigid
urged
time, 20S; farmers
to lieep a rigid account
of how
they
dispone of tiaeir time, 208 ; keeping
it
a
208; what
diary recommended,
witli
should
contain, 209 ; accounts
farmer
should
the
neighbors,
209;
of
account
of the
keep
an
expenses
his farm, and
the receipts
therefrom,
of keeping
an
count
acimportance
209;

all

successful
of

with

crops,

the

210-T1

careful

accounts,

AGRICULTURE.

See

to,

AMMONIA,
AMJIONOOSUC,
ANTELOPE,

30.

See

Febtil-

Potomac

that

country
in

Its

north

of

supply

of

of

the

one

which

blossoms

an

such,

soil,
the
143-4

apple-orchard,
142-3

land
:

Moke

142
;

141

preparation
and

treatment

devoted
about

to

an

Apple

BALTIMORE,
BARLEY,

24=;,

BATAVIA

care

of

orchard,
Trees,

271.

130

264, 271.

143,232,

Birds,

Insects,
birds

the
;

should

sole

birds

best

our

allies

xxii,
chap,
sects,
against inof

destruction

the
cause

should

treated,
be formed
nests,
133;

protect birds,
323

recommended

stcEQ
216.

60.

kindly

the

a,

YAMS,

129

soil

s8.
165.
265,

BATTENKILL,
75,
BEANS,
210, 271, 29S.
BEECH,
19, 53, 60, 287.
BEEF,
37, 118, 220, 294.
also
See Roots,
BEETS.
BELGIUM,
70, 238.
BERRIES,
90.

not

the
of

262.

of

the
BARN,
use
in building

129

board,
sea-

213.

266.

BIRDS"
;

156, 178;

slope, 76, 157,

FIR,

BIRCH,

most
the
latest, yields, on
average,
ice
to
der
place unfruit, 141 ; storing
recommended,
141
trees, not
of
drainage,
importance
141 ; some
for choosim?
reasons
sloping ground
for

174,

138, 200, 238.

89, 97, 99, 116, 124, 173, 178, 179,

BALSAM

of the
portions
equal
area,
140;
States
Northern
the
admirably
kmdred
and
to
the
adapted
apple
ability,
adaptfruit-trees, 1 40; effects of such
orchard
the
an
give
140;
northern
ble,
possislope of a hill where

for

142,

cial.
Commer-

46.

BABYLON,

feature

coast,

the

193, 202,

192,

all other

surface

for an
orchard,
Fertilizers,

also

AUSTIN",
AUSTRALIA,
AUTUMN",

194.

holdings,
139 ;
elsewhere,
respect

and

excels,

tree-fruits,

as

upper

220;

river,

our

of, 2=^,36; the river,

river, 274.
AVELLS,
77, 277-8, 316.
fertilizers, 108-9, 127, 128; nsQ
the

ATLANTIC,

in

140

sumers
con-

75

farms

"dnequaled

to

preparing

See

distinguishing

loss

299-300.

State

ASHES
in

297-8-9;

producers,

48.

261 ;

73,

H., 52.
306.

of Northern

141

products,
and

278.
APENNINES,
267.
Fettit-Trees.
APPLE,
the, ^3 118, 129.
The
xsix,
Apple,
chap,
139 ; fruitform

productiveness,
un-

ravages,
dant
abunfruit
grovv'ers,
149 ; the
lishes
estabof 1870, 149;
apple-crop
to
of our
the capacity
regions
the
Apples, 149, 101,232,291,294;

ARTESIAN

the

earth's

their

farm

170.

104,

their

and

books

RIDGE,
39.
the, 45, 49, 79, 81, 156.

44,

of

apple-cropof 1870,3,8ahillustrationof
of exchanging
imperfect means

COMMEECIAl..

AMERICA,
AMBERST.K.

the

ter,
Westches-

causes

147;

in

apple-trees

147-8; caterpillars
ers
14S; duties of farm-

ARIZONA,

ALLEGHANIES,
ALPS,
75.
ALPS,
AUSTRIAlSr,

the

Y.,

Newcastle,

tiae

Farming

fertilizers.

ALLEGHANY

trees

N.
and

147

of

ARKANSAS,
as

IZEES,

supplied,

township

bear

^3.

ALKALIS,

be

211.

referred

practical,
ALABAMA,
50.
on

ALDER,

too
tall, 145; consequcnceG,
grow
should
be
set diamond
14^-6 ; trees
be
tended
atshould
fashion, 146; pruning
to
annually,
146 ; sprout:!
which
demands
valueless,
147 ; the
make
soil should
the
on
apple-trees

and

fields

several

far

to

and
tainty
uncercomplication
ered,
considaccount-keeping
of keepadvantage
ing
; the

210;
in

ar3
trees
apple
allowed
apart, and

145;

xsv,
too

planted

of

causes

loss

207;

chap,

'Farmtng-,

i:r

the

133.

birds

of insect
be

ravages,
and
protected

associations

132:

to

do

legal

so,

132

measures

ficial
; artito

"24

INDEX.

BLACK

ASH,

C01"TECTICUT,

30,

BLACKBEKKiES,
00, i^S.
BLACK
WALNUT;3T4:
BLACKWELL'S
RIDGE
BLUE
OF
BOARD

ISLAND,

See

269.

Fektiliz-

Commekcial

118,110,102,317.
174.

of, 121.
FLOUR,
167.
raw,

317.

farm

15,289.

near,

30.

260.

BUCKWHEAT,
BUFFALO,

21,

BURLINGTON,
BUTTER,38,
BRIDGES,

153,

J,, 166.
164, 167.
N.

ISLES,

and

178,245,

CABBAGES,
264, 271, 296, 300.
the river, 82, 262,
CACHE-LA-POUDRE,
263.

CALIFORNIA,
26,76,80, 159, 181,260.
CANADA,
48, 165,289 ; creek, 75.
"

CANALS,

105.

CAROLINAS,

the, 166,315,
Roots, also
the river, 81,83.
I s ; Pasturiug,
19-20

20;

See

treatment

of herds
Missouri

Mississippi and
rearing
157, 219,

of, referred
220,

143, 271.
;

Soilmg,

of, in the
Valleys, 20 ;

to, 35,

132,

150,

224, 20^.

CATSKILLS,the,i7i:
CENSUS
: the
Seventh,

150 ; the Eighth,

the, of 1S70,283.
CHAMFLAIN,
the, basin, 72 ; lake, 279.
CHAPPAQUA,62.
CHAUTAUQUA
Co., N. Y., 287, 288.
CHEESE,
167.
38,^164,
CIIEMly
TRY, HO, no, 196, 231.
CHERRIES.
Bee Fkuits,
also 129, 139,
150;

294.

CHESTER

CO.,Penn.,

CHESTNUT,

54,

55,

no.

60, 135, 136,215,314.

bee

also, Tkees.
CHEYENNE,
262.

CHICAGO,
CHICKENS,
CHLORINE,

164,
295.

"S'e(3Fowx,3

114,235.

CHLORIDE

OF
LIME,
128.
268.
CHOLERA,
CHURCHES,
250.
CINCINNATI,
156.
for the
CLIMATES,
American,
fruits,1^6.
CLOVER,
120, 153, 167,318.
CLUBS.

See

Fakmees'

permanent,

310;

tree-planting,314-15;

under-

321.

reference
gard
to, in relands, 24 ; Co-opesaTiON
IN
chap.
Farming,
XLII, 248 ;
is the
word
of hope
Co-operation
and
for labor, 248 ; its meancheer
ing,
munism,
com248 ; diliers radically from
of a
248 ; tlic difficulties
farmer
who
sas,
migrates to Kanyoung

CO-OPERATION,
to

CARSON,
CATTLE,

be

should

great haste

draining, 315 ; irrigation, 316; commercial

fertilizers, 317-8-9; shallow
the
need
for study
culture, 319-20;
and
marks,
reinquii-y,320-21 ; concluding

BROCOLI,27i,

CARROTS.

radically from

sponsibilitie
incurring re311 ; thegreedforland,
abuses
and
in fencing
common
310;
cattle-raising, 312-13;
tree-cutting

2S0.

BRITISH

Differs

location
the
too

189, 101,210.

278.
GRASS,

BUFFALO

river, 194,

Co-operation, 248.
CONCLUSIONS,
General, StimmingW
CHAP.
LII, 308 ; the facts set forth in
the
308 ; common
essays,
sentations,
misreprethor
308-9; object of the auin
these
writing
essays,
309;
the propositions
sought to be establishad
good
therein, 310;
farming
be a paying
must
ever
business, 310 ;
thorough
a
tillage advocated,
310;

flour

BONES,
BOSTON,
BOTANY,
BUCKEYE,

27, 171, 299;

valley of the. 317.

lake, 75.
SCHOOLS,
196-7,

COMMUNISM:

(London),
E. V.,DE,
253-4.

BONE-DUST,
BONE

COMMON

WORKS

EiJS,alSO
BONES,

COMO,
87.

MOUNTAms,8i.

BOISSIERE,
BONES.

279;

finer

Clubs.

COAL,
109, 283.
COLONIES,
adyantage of settling in,
23: the
to
course
adopt in organising
Colony, 262; its
one, 28; Union
location, 262 ; the City of Greclcv,
its nucleus, 262 ; irrigating canals
of,
262-4 ; fertilityof the soil at, 264.
COLONISTS,
English, 171.
COLORADO,
i3i72o6,3i7;
river, 46.
CONGRESS,
46.

wild

Minnesota

of the
tories,
Terristances
circumdiiierent
settlement
on
by
of cooperation
co-operation, 250 ; advantages
not
limited to colonizing
distant
benelit
tracts, 250 ; would
or

one

248-9 ; the
consequent

col'dred men,
as
an
2c,o-i
; fencing
of the
illustration
loss consequent
of co-operation, 251-2 ; how
want
on
co-operation would
remedy
it, 252;
further
application of the system,
252-3

Mr.

E. V.

Boissiere's

de

operative
co-

farming, 254-5.
of bread-corn
20, 21, 22 ; growing
CORN,
eastward of the Hudson, 37,43, 67, 63,
115,
81, 86,88,92,94,99,103,107, 1 13, "114,
East and
Growing"
Grain
Chap.
XX
West"
Vlli, 162 ; hoeing
162 ; the
best
to Corn,
use
is of no
to cultivate
and cheapest way
corn^
of the
Holds
162 ; the
IMississippi
in
productive
Valley are the most
the world, 163 ; the tillage, in some
provement,
susceptible of implaces, seemed
is the
163- the West
of the
East, 163; a change
granary
ty-three
imminent, 163 ; changes since twenthe
author
ago when
years
the
visited
Illinois, 1O4 ; tlie course

118, 147.

West

will

ultimatelyadopt, 164 ;

haustion
ex-

of the soil in New

England
York.
New
and
Eastern
164 ; in the
sylvania
PennGenesee
Valley, 365; Eastei*n

profits by

provident

tem
sys-

States
of husbandry,
165 ; the
will yet
Delaware
of the
this side
of their
to grow
have
a large share
with
breadstuff's, 165 ; can it be done
considered,
also, if the
profit now,
has
East
wisely, so largely aban-

325

INDEX.

doned

grain-,oT0wiT3pr,16^-9;

the
taken
into
account, 165 ;
"
Barrens
of "iew" Jersey
selected to Illustrate
the
profits of
grain-growing iu the East, i58 ; their
108 ; estimate
of
nature,
expenses
pated,
anticithereon,
167; the
product
conditions
167 ; the favorable
the
cultivator
would
enjoy, 168 ;
the
value
of his crop, 168;
money
could
be
achieved
great
economy
in the cost of cultivating, 169 ; conclusions,
169; also 177, 191, 192, 193,
laces
not
hG " Pine

228, 238,

210,

242,

246-7, 264, 265, 271-2,

COT'rOX,

200.

107,

CaRRANTS,

on,

25.

129.

DAIRTIKG-,
DANA'S

Southern, 118.
261.
a farm

288,
MUCK

ISIANUAL,
199.
the
State
DELAWARE,
of, 166; the
river, 152, 16;.
DENVER,
264, 27"/; Pacific Railroad, the,
DEPOPULATION,
DEPOPULATIOJf,

labor, 2S8; labor-saving implements,

ot
degeneracy
288-9 the supposed
Puritan
the New
stock, 289 ;
England
from
the
New
England,
migration
that
cans
Ameri289-90; the assumption
ing,
pursuits to farmprefer other
and bog of New
rock
291 ; the
iment
England form a discouraging impedto agricultural
progress,
290 ;
therefor, 291.
compensation
mended,
recomthe
DIARY,
keeping of one
"

31.

Andrew

B., 10=^, 106.

(of farm 'products)

DISTRIBUTION"
ExoHAifGE.

See

DOCK,
:

314.

depredations

their

203-4.

be

plied
ap-

EARTH

CLOSET,
STATES,
STATES,

EASTERN
EASTERN

189, 204,

2m,

on

sheep,

269.

294-5.

164,167.

ELECTRICITY,
ELK,
ELM,

pasturing in, 19.

the, 23, 25-6,37,179,

279,311.

EDINBURGH,
EGGS,
EGYPT,

123.

285.

278.
^9.

R. "W., 44.
ENGLAND,
70, 89, 164 ; (Western)
170,
178, 268.
ERIE
Co., Pa., 23.
EUROPE,
35, 74, 156, 168, 170, 171, 178, 180,
219,238.

EMERSON,

EXCHANGE

Exchange

chap. li, 297

for

disposing

of

and
;

the

bution,
Distri-

machinery

farm
ducts
proabundant
apple crop of 1870 as an illustration
have
thereof, 297-8-9 ; apples should
been
bread
common
as
as
or
toes,
pota298 ; the actual facts. 298 ; cause
the
waste
and
dearness
of
of both
loss
to
apples, 299-300;
consequent

imperfect,

surplus

297

; the

and

consumers,
299-300;
further
illustration, 300 :
of
disappointments
inexperienced
and
dlemen,
midfarmers, 300-1 ; hucksters
to have
a
301 : suggestion
railroad
purchase and sell farm products,
to be expected,
; results
301-2
a

My
Draining"
Own,
author's
the
farm, 62;
of the land
thereon
situation
ing
requirobjection answered,
drainage, 62-3 : difliculties it presented,
302
302.
; an
60 ; how
paired, EXHIBITIONS
re(AGPJCULTCRAL)"
63 ; blunders,
of the marsh
Agricultural
66; condition
Exhibitions,
chap.
attended
has
before draining it, 64; how
at
success
xxxviii,22t
; author
least
cess,
retarded,
Avas
they were
fifty,22^ ; concludes
67 ; evidences of sucthe reof 1870 on
not
what
claimed
be,
67 ; the crops
they might and should
ally,
Genermust
begin with the
land, 63; Draining
225 ; the reform
sions
public
chap. XI, 69; general conclupeople, 22^ ; the lot of the
from
to
the author's
is needed
experience,
speaker, 22^-6 ; what
useful
of land to be drained, 69 :
"annual
Fairs
and
render
our
69 ; extent
lands
aad
all swamp
instructive
nsarly all or
detailed,22G ; each farmei-

DRAINING
CHAP.

"

shortens
Fall
our
To-d
of
ay(i87o) ,
the
view
chap.
popular
of
and
cold
hot
189; the
seasons,
Summer
of 1870,effects
of the drouth,
of each
character
189-190; general
need
Summer, 190 ; proof that drouth
not
be feared
farm
by tliose who
dently,
pruthe author's
tions
observa190 ;
during a trip through Vv^arren
results
to be
tained
atCo., N. Y., 191-2;
there
by right cultivation,
inn uiry : how
the people
are
192 ; the
there to obtain
fertilizers?
swered,
192; an-

98 ; A Lesson
xxxii,i89;

producers
turnips as

232.

WOOD,

debt

193 ; irrigation might

profitably, 194.

286;
XLVIII,
the relative
population of rural districts, 2S6 ; no
since
of
increase
18^9 in the number
State of New
iu the
farmers
York,
in that
286 ; probable
slight decrease
of New
England, 286 ; consolidating
are
selling
farms, 286 ; small farmers
and
out
migrating, 287; reasons
character
therefor, 287 ; the changed
of the tillage,287-8 : the general
use
the demand
for
of coal
has reduced

DICKINSON,

to
of

chap.

alleged decrease

the

uses

should
69-70; no
one
for draining, 70 : tile
and
stone
drains, 71 ; draining
by a
Mole
Plow, 72 ; general directions,
covered
mams
72-3;
recommeudea,
question of labor, 73 ; a case
73; the
where
rudest
tlie
surface
drains
would
have changed
bog into decent
the
stone
drains
meadows,
on
132;
the
author's
farm, 2141 the author's
summing
up on. 315.
into

run

Ritkal

(RURAL)"

be drained
many

under-drains,

crops,

COTTON-GKOWEES,
COTTONWOOD,
CREDIT,
buying
CROPS,
Fall, 97.

DOGS

he

DROUTH-habitually

2Q0.

DO(i

other
kinds must
v^ell tilled, 69 ; the

some

"

X, 62;

326

INDEX.

himself
bound
to make
Bhovilcl hold
teresting
coatiibation
tJ nis,
220; aa inand
commentary
ruuumg
should
be given, 227-b ; liberal
miums
preshould
De
given for proiiprovement
ciency in farming, 228-9 ; need for imof the
in the
character
should
public spealcing, 229 ; counties
to
be
canvassed
enrol
exhibitors,
feel a
all in a locality should
230;
in their
interest
common
fair, 230.
som^i

EYE-SMART,

125.

in the United
States, 27;
in Illinois
incident
farming, 27 ;
to intending purchasers,
counsel
27 ;
land
vantages
cheap in every
State, 28 ; ad28 ;
of settling in colonies,
the first steps toward
doing so, 28 ;
of the lands, 28 ; laying out
division
it ought
the
town, 28 ; the progress
28 ; economy
of capital iiCto
make,
to
complished, 28; Preparing
farm,
intended
for
chap. IV. 29; counsel
unaccustomed
to farming
men
young

cheapest
an

29 ;

FABRICS,
FAIRS.

FALL,

of
173,

174,

illustrated,
193,

318.

Pay
Will
Farming
?
will it pay
considered,
of a man
without
case
tal,
capi13 ; the
difflculties
to all
common
13;
to, 14 ;
pursuits, 13-4 : Astor referred
dollars,
earning the lirst thousand
of remarkable
success
14 ; instance
of
in farming, near
Boston, 15 ; case
in !N orthern
i s-6 ;
a farmer
Vermont,
Professor
able
Mape's success,
14 ; profitfrom
the
return
a fruit farm
on
Hudson,
i=;-6; that shiftless farming
ing
farmdon't
admitted,
17 ; good
pay
not
ommended
recprofitable, 17 ; farming
to
a
as
pursuit
every
be dispensed
never
man,
17 ; it can
sential
eswith, 17 ; it is the first and most
of human
pursuits, 17 ; all are
and
interested
in having it honored
prosperous, 17 ; if unprofitable, it is
from
the
thor's
aumismanagement,
17;
aim
in thtsc
Good
17.
essays,
Bad
AKD
chap.ii. ib;
Htjsbaxdey,
considered,
good and bad
farming
18 ; necessity master
of us
all, 18 ;
in farming,
dictates
the line to follow
ple
18-9 ; application of the princiillustration
to pasturing, 19-20;
of good
for
farming, 20-1
; excuses
waste
on
insuificient, 21 ; truths
which
21
farming
depend,
good
;

FARMING

"

chap.i.

good

13;

crops

invariably

practicable,

increasfail to pay, 22 ; ing

soil the
of the
productiveness
fairest single test, 22 ; where
to farm
of the
considered,
23 ; experience
author's
father
the East
regarding
and
West, 23 ; circumstances
fying
qualiit, 23 ; the aifliculties of the
of an
pioneer's life,23-4 ; purchase
"
*'
in
recommended
improvement
certain
cases,
places
24 ; civilized
to be preferred for settlement,
are
21-2

rarely

ters,
matchange
may
fai-ming will pay
no
one
a
having
everywhere,
2s;
advised
to migrate,
good farm
215 ;
is made
near
by farming
money
24 ;

New

co-operation
24 ; good

in the West,
York
fast
as
as
is
where
advised,
migration
and
its advantages,
25 ; troubles
attendant
on
credit, 25 ;
on
buying
the
West
will grow
more
rapidiy
ty
twenthan
the East
during the next
migration,
im26 ; the
South
invites
years,
25; great inducements
eft'ort recommended,
oflcred, 20 ; combined
land
farming
26;
good
25;

29 ; value

haste,

over

Exhibitioks.

See

the, 126,

recommended,

patience

200.

30 ;

29 ; penalties
of experience

an

rienced
inexpe-

to
advised
hire
man
young
books, 30 ; general
out, 30 ; procure
advised
the course
counsel, 31 ; how
into debt, 31-2 ;
diflers from
running
and
essential,
practice
experience
theoretical
where
32 ; circumstances

study is approved,
32-3

he

not

until

wait

marks,
re-

has
mastered
to buy a farm,

is competent
farming
33 ;
33 ; exceptions,
should

qualifying

32

who

young
he can

man

buy

ample
acres
large farm, 33; twenty
extent
is
for $2,000 capital, 33 ; that
to
sufficient
test ^his aptitude, 33 ;
a
Buying
Farm,
chap. v. 34; it is
laud
better
than
to buy good
poor,
land
be turned
to account,
can
should
farm
the smallest
have
its strip of forest, 34 ; advantage
and countries
of
of New
England
fertile
like
surface
gions,
reover
very
est,
be divested
of for34 ; cannot
Acres"
"Ten
"Five
or
31;
''
Acres
not
sufficient, 35 ; exceptions,

34

poor

34;

want,

farms, the general

35 ; genuine
remark
"he
has
too
the
3s;

laud,"
for
adapted

much

counsel

3=;; some

large

circumstances
to a young

men

specially

vidual
farms,
3s ; indicontrol,
3s ;
man

intent

on

of baying
farm, 36; means
to be the main
guide, 36 ; capital the
farms
true
limit, 36 ; isiew England
as cheap
as
Western,
comparatively
36 ; migration
urged
only for those
the
Old
who
cannot
in
buy farms
of the
butterStates, 36 ; success
of
makers
Vermont,
36; also of
cheese
superable
New
York
dairymen,
36 ; in-

buying

barriers

cultivation,

by

steam

must

in

the

East

to

fective
ef-

37 ; cultivation

render

large

farms

not
growing
37 ; grain
necessary,
in the
East,
likely to be extended
to
West
be
the
of
source
37 ; the
to the
East,
supply of bread-corn
considerations
in buying
37 ; "main
land in the Eastern
States, 37 ; m the
is different, 37 ; Hi^cial
West
the case
a
considerations, 38 ; make
pennaence
confidinvestment,
nent
38: have
that industr}^ will be rewarded,
off
a
Farm, chap, vi,
38; Laying
and
surface
soil of a farm
39 ; the
be carefully studied,39 ; misshould
conception
of the similarity of prairie
farm
S;
farms, 39 ; a Northern
for illustration,40; preparalected
tory
ncsteps in laying off,40 ; care
-

327

INDEX.

cessary,

40 ;

selected,

40

the
this
from

great

one

cattle,
tree

it

error

42-^, ; it should
to
be
; fodder
"
too
much
43 ;

have

rude

brought
"

to

land
and
in chester
West-

planting, so; farming

County, N. Y., i^i ; management
"lands a test of farmof glass
ing,
The

152;

chap.

class,

Faemkk's

advised
spared to attain

good

Calling:

of farmers
183 ; merits
author
would
183 ; the

XXXI,

have
a

should
2^6 ; who
clnb to them,
the
form
club, 2s5: its rules, 2^6-7 ;
attained,
be
chief
end
to
the
2^7 ;
and
reflection,
habits of observation
need
of the
thereof,
evidence
257;
tion
intererit in their voca2^7 ; a genuine
is needed
by farmers,
257-a :
2^8 ; the
false fancies
to be removed,
officers
of
the
club, 258; grafts,
tribution,
plants or seeds for gratuitous distlowcr
annual
2^8 ; an
of Iruits,
exhibition
an
show,
259;
organization of a farmers'
259 ; the
howclub is the chief difficulty, 259
of the

to
be
first
should
be, 41 ;
to
iu relation

pasture

what

matter,
inseparable
41 ; weeds
of
a
pasture,
42 ; treatment

pasture,
shed, 43

as

of
manhood

one

his

sons

if

to become

removed,
2^9.
IMPLEMENTS"
FARM

tending
183 : difficulties atfarmer's
calling, 184 ;
for
recommending

chap.

farmer,
the

author's

reason

XLi,

237

Farm
labor

ments,
Implearduous

inefficient
without
adding
enough
improvements
implements,
237;
therein
during fiftyyears, 237 ; proofs
thereof, 237 ; the inferior implements
used
in the greater
part ot Europe,

vocation
to his sou,
in which
business
cess
sucis so nearly certain
as
it,184-s ;
to a reverence
or their
for
of inventors
237-8 ; the claim
farming conduces
ducive
agents to attention, 238-9 ; the stock
honesty and truth, 185-6; it is conmanliness
of
warehouse.
ot an
to
239; a
thorough
implement
cessary
nethe
character,
186-7 ; advantages
co-operative plan will be found
the needful
farmer
to secure
ments,
impleenjoys in that respect over
in other
therefor,
reasons
arsons
240;
pursuits, 187; iuci240;
to be
certain
are
ents of the author's
as
experience
greater inventions
for plowing,
dependent made,
a journalist in this
regard, 187-8 ; in241 ; inventions
er,
positionof the true farm241.
Fencing,
farmer
Fences
AND
188 ; dilnculties
a
FENCES,
Too-i.
young
excessive
encounters
fencing
as a pioneer, 248-9 ; considerably
chap.
xxxvix,2I9;
obviated
are
commonly
by co-operation,
219 ; fences
and
other
of wider
admits
ispensed with in France
250 ; co-operation
must
as
an
application, 250-1 ; fencing
parts of Europe, 219 ; drivers
illustration
of the want
of co-operathere
keep their cattle from injuring
tion,
American
the
wavside
operation,
adaptability of co219;
crops,
251-2; wide
E. V. ae
Boishave
railroads
largely superseded
2c,2-3 ; Mr.
will
siere's co-operative farm, 253-4; farming
cattle-driving, 220 ; fresh meat
from
the
Prairies,
in Colorado, 265 ; mistaken
lations
calcuultimately come
of
of
in refrigerating cars,
220
inexperienced
farmers,
; owners
be
should
animals
responsible for
299-300
; summing
up : the farmers's
bears
their
220-221
fencing
farming , 309 ;
calling, 308 ; American
care,
;
be a
with
ever
good farming is and must
special severity on the pioneer,
are
a
age,
tillwhere
221
necessary,
business, 310 ; thorough
paying
; fences,
a location,
deplorable necessity, 221 ; obstacles
choosing
311 ;
310;
and
ditches
to introducing
hedges,
prudtince enjoined, 311-2; the greed

farming
184 ;

no

as

other

"

general,

culture, 319 ;
312-3
; shallow
for study and
inquiry, 320.
FARMS
Large
and
small
Farms,
:
magnitude
chap. XLix,
292 ; naked
for most
has fascination
minds, 292 ;
farm
some
men
can
a township,
292 ,
large farmers, 293 ; the opportunities
er,
and
expectations of the small farmfrom
small
money
293 ; making
for
need

land,

farms,

293-4

; large

farming

can

never

smail
to
dispense with
thereof,
farms, 294 ; evidence
294 :
fruit culture, 294 ; the production
of
and
the rearing of fowls, 294;
eggs
oflered
inducements
to
fowlthe
breeders, 295 ; this industry should
commenditself
to poor
widows,
295;
the
of market
vegetables,
growing
therein; 296 ;
295 ; the proiits realized
enable

general
FAK.MERS'

us

conclusions,

Farmers'

CLUBS"
XLiii,

254;

222

have

too

Clttbs,

fences,

many

313.

cial
CommerCommercial.
chai".
Fertilizers"
Gypsum,
be
might
102
erally
gen; Gj-psum

FERTILIZERS,

XVII,

applied

to

cultivated

land,

it
where
ered,
considcosts
ton,
$10, or over,
per
used
in all
be
402
; it should
and
stables
yards, 102 ; on meadows
of
and
mode
and
pastures, 102 ; time
impels
application, 103 ; horo Gypsum
and
iuvigorates vegetaole growth,

with'pront,

296-7.

divide
farmers
into two
classes',254 ; characteristics
of those
do too little work, 255 ;
who
work
too
the
who
much,
farmers
255 ; illustration thereof, 255 ; value

chap.

walls,
wire fences, 222 ; stone
and
rail fences,
222-3 ! posts
for
boards
the cheapest material
are
Red
Cedar
posts, 223;
fences, 223;
Locust
posts, 223; posts set top-end
down
last longest, 224 ; general
clusions,
conof
the
forms
one
224;
ferent,
trials, 2m ; it is difpioneer's many
settlers
but
not
better, with
broad
on
prairies,251 ; co-operation
immense
would
secure
an
economy
in
be scrutinized
in, 252, 287 ; should
firms
American
winter, 306 ; most
Wabash
and
Roanoke
east of the
221-2

102;

the

case

328

INDEX.

its

referred
to, 103 ;
tically demonstrated
Paris,
tum,

value
in and

nature
the
chemists'
theory
effect assumed

:
303-4
104 ; the

104 ; its actual

procured,

io^-6

requested,
106:

Alkalis.

by means
successful
.Salt
.

effects,

its

on

10s

it
los;
its trial
proved
imbe

soils can
of calcined
clay,
trial
thereof, 106.
"

Ashes

Lime,

"

country's
XVII, 107 ; all our
he
improved
by .he
surface
might

CHAP.

fertilizers,

suitable

of

"use

but
acres
many
their
fertile
bv
exhaustion

be

might
use,
the

of

107

made

107

not
,

more

tive
; compara-

soil

soon

ders
ren-

fertilizers?"

necessary,

107-8

the

Hudson,

regarding
experience
of land, 113
manuring

be

discriminating,

recommended
Bones"
doubt.
III.

in;

ment
experi-

XX,
118; wasteful
outlay for fertilizers, 118; fertilizers
Guano,
needed

N. Y., n8;

unprolitable

used
where
use

careful
observation
recommended,
be
results
that
may
122;
expected,
earth
closet, 123 ; miport123 ; the

Cheei;ies

"

XXVII,

is6;

"

ability
adapt-

climates

as

why

1S7;

gards
re-

the

recommended

course

to

who
to grow
pears,
proposes
peaches, and quinces, 160-1, 168, 228,
of
fruit
descriptions
259 ; the
232,
by small farmers, 294 ; fruit
growri
should small
culture
decline
would
absorbed
into
be
farms
generally
of fruit-trees
larger, 294 ; treatment
in winter,

307.

GAMMA

GRASS,

GARDA,
GENESEE,

Lake, 7^.
Valley of the, 163,16=;,
292.

GEOLOGY,
GERMANY,

261.

190,231.

30,

289.

GRAIN,

35,

22,

107,

40,

no,

167, 169, 186,

132,

157,

239,
COEN.

264, 266; 291,

118, 125, 126,

206, 228, 235,
296. See also,

200,

293, 294,

See
16, 59, 140, 226. 294.
Feuits.
the. 138. 278,317.
GREAT
BASIN,

GiiAPES,

GREAT

BRITAIN,

GRASS,

22,

m2-3,

43,

40,

232,

191,

PaSTUEING

GBEELEY,

i;r Westchester
Co.,
not
needed,
119:
of Guano,
ceptions
ex120;

the

ot, 3^, 37, 107 ;

fruits, 129-30.

on

American

farmer

rule, 120 ;
general
the
other
author's
fertilizers, 120;
trial of Guano,
of general ap121
plication,
; not
and
121
;
experiments
to

mended,
recomvine3,"i59; experiment
precautions,
159 ; necessary

chap.

and

193

sections
of some
are
favorable
unvalued
most
tree
for the
servations,
fruits, m6-7 ; author's
personal obing
attenddifflculties
m7
;
of the liner fruits,
the growing
farmers
counsel
thereon
lo
m8;
in the
production
engaged
mainly
of grain and
cattle, it;7-8, grapeof neglecting
growing, 159 ; the mistake

160; the

where
therein
PHosPHATffis"

the

climates

more

to

culture
insects
Peaes

CHAP.

of

should
and
less seed
manure
be applied by most
farmers, 113 : the
after
soils deteriorate
cessive
sucrichest
law
of
Nature's
crops,
14:
rich
soil
Inflexible
exaction,
114;
exhibited at the IS. Y.
from
the West
chemical
Farmers'
alysis
anClub,
114;
made
of same,
114 ; Professor
the
remark
thereon,
Mapes'
114:
lands
of
mistake
fertilizmg poor
the
better
to
produce
only, 115;
from
sanie quantity of Corn
a small
in certain
than
cases,
area
a large
its use,
and
manure,
115; barn-yard
farmer
impoverished
ever
1 1 s-6 ;
no
of his
and
using manure
by making
has
Lime
manufacture,
own
117;
used
without
been
advantage,
ation
therefor,
m
reasons
; adulteriii;
advised
of Lime, in
; farmers

answered,

192;

fruit-growing,

Lime
ful
careas a fertilizer, no;
of Alkalis
of the value
gested,
sugFektilSoil
and
iio-ii.
a
CHAP.
XIX, 112 ; the farmer
IZEES,
112
opinion that
; the
manufacturer,
rich
lands
are
naturally
some
wheat
the
great
enough,
duct
pro112;
at the Salt Lake
City Plain, 112 ;
author's

"

GfvApes,

tests

imperfect

14;

of

ravages
Peaches

109-10;

the
the

12?
;

Maine
essayist on sourness
01 the soil
its remedy,
and
lor
232-3
; necessity
scientific
the effects
on
knowledge
of some
standard
of,232 ; importance
to go by in using, 234-^
digging
; the
and
of clay as winter
drawing
work,
ot clay for grass
land, ^ub
30J ; value
fertilizers",
as
procuring commercial
winter
^o6.
work,
FRUIT
the
fruit farm
on
: a profftable

good
farmer's
inquiry on the subject, 108 ;
soil
each
of
respectively,
the state
the true
guide in using fertilizers,
be
allialiue
substances
108.
might
prolit, 108;
universally
applied with
the
of ashes
considered, 108-9 ;
use
JMarls of Kew
Jersey, log ; Salt, log ;
author's
trial of,
the
Potash, 109;
them

128

the

remarks, 104 ; Gypsum

01 these
to be
extensively applied to
ought
pastures and slopes, 104-s ; a farmer's
observations
be easily

devices,

best,

fertilizers
to
in preparing
for an
orchard,
treatment
of
142-3
for potatoes, 173 ; fermuck
tilizers
swamp
for
when
potatoes
muck
be
cannot
had, 173-4;
quiry
insupposed
tlie
of
of
Warren
people
]Sr.r., "How
shall
we
obtain
Co.,

basis

may

kindred
is the
be
used

lime
oyster-sliell

of it,
as

of it and

ance

pracaround
of
Gyp-

York,

179, 238.
67, 68, 91;,107, no, 121,
238, 239, 264. See also

AND

Horace
i3-t

difflculties
in life, 14;

also

"

HaY.
Arrival

in

New

of the
experience
start
a good
of securing
own

remark

of

his

father

to,

the West,
23;
of exvalue
perience,
of the
evidence
own
from
is descended
30 ;
of tree- cutters,
several
generations
in land
for three
years
engaged
44;
on

migration

toAvard

clearing, 4.1 ; reference

H., liis birtliplace, 52

N.

Amheret,
dcsci-iptioQ

to
;

INDEX.

hi3
faiTQ, 62 ; drainage thereof, HOPS,
164.
iu Italy, 74-6 ; excarrots
perimentsHuKSES,
as food
; observalious
for, 182.
132;
in irrigation. 76-7 ; observations
on
HUDSON,
the, 16 ; a fruit farmer
the,
in "Virginia, bo ; experience
16 ; the
of
of
valley of the, 16s ; banks
the plowinj^ of his plut in Kew
York
the upper,
191 ; the valley of the
per,
upof

63-8

tries deep plowing,b8; plowcity,8^-S;

ins of the hill-sidfs on his farm, 94;
benciits
thereof, 94 ; judges that the
would
gravelly hill-sides of his farm

a'pplying200

tons

repay
pure

clay, loti; experience

121;

rais'inglocust

hay

product

in
hoed

haymaking

of
acre
per
of guano,

from

seed,

134;

igj,

GUANO,

116, 120, 121, 192, 318.

STKEAM,
178.
See
GYPSU:\r, 120, 121, 122, i7_i, 23-""3i7,3i8.
GULF

also

COilMEKCIAIi.

1)EKTUrlZEES,

the

river, 81.

the,
164,

Creek,

Canada

or

75.

State of, 37:

Northern,
163,
164: prairies of, 164, 246,264, 2b9.
INDIANA, 37, 163.
INSECTS"
Insects"
Btees, chap, xxii,

ILLINOIS,

his farm, im
; helps
from
ma
;
swamps,
in his boyhood,
162 ; observations
corn
cornfields
of the
the
on
JJissis;sippivalley, 163; observations
at Chicago
tAventy-three years
ago,
164; finds potatoes less prolilie on
his farm
in Xew
than
Hampshire,
of the
fpeaks as ajournalist
173;
diilerence
iu
estimation
popular
the journalist's and
between
er's
farmiu
calling, 1S7 ; observations
AVarren
county, N. Y., 191 ; the stone
his farm, 2:8; experience
wall
of
on
agricultural
exhibitions, 22s ; the
piovring on his f.;rm, 281 ; mentions
the sale of his apples as an
tion
illustraof the
of exchanging
imperfect means
farm
products, 298.
the city of, 262.
GEEELliV,
of

317.

194,

HUiUBOLDT,
HUMBOLDT,
HUNGARY,

129

; the

insects,

loss to
serious
birds
our
129;

farmers

from

best

allies,
what
good
they can
do, 130;
129;
of insects
not
entirely due
ravages
to the scarcity of birds, 130 ; degeneracy
of
our
plants largely causes
their

ravages,
130-31

other

the

C4ov. Packer
ot
;
observations
on,
thereof
wheat
and
case

130

Pennsylvania's
plants,

; a

131

against

war

sects
in-

continue
for a generation,
destruction
ot birds,
131 ; the
to
be adopted
measures
132 ; the
bo
against insects, 132 ; birds should
should
preserved,
132; associations
formed
tb do so, 132 ; artiiicial
be
must

nests,

133

legal

their

rat

proposed,

asures

Newcastle
township, "Westchester, N. Y., 147-8 ;
from
numerous
caterpillars, 148
of farmers
and
neglect, it8; duties
fruit growers,
140.
133;

in

ravages
"

INTELLECT
HAELEM

62,
EAILEOAD,
HAWK,
the, 132.
HAY,
68, 78,
20,
9^, 119,
122, i4;7.
Hat
and
Haymaking,
chap, xxvi,
,

importance

mo;

1^0

of

the

grass

crop,

the

into haj% i;o ;

portion made
and
its quantity, 150 ; the product
be
thor's
better, i^^i; auquality should
experience, isi ; the management
;

of

lands
is a
grass
152 ; haymaking
England
Ufty years
ago,
little grass-seed
is now
discrimination
little
too
of

farming,

criterion
in Nev/
too
1^2;

used, 1^,1;
used

in

the variety
seeds, m3;
sowing
grass
will be increased,
of good grasses

Intel.
(in Agriculture)"
AGEicuLTrKE,
chap. xxxili,
of rugged
manual
labor
19s ; years
to
essential
success
in hewing
a
out
farm
of the forest, 195 ; value
of
edtication
to the farmer, ir,6 ; our
LECT

IN

average
in not

schools

common

teaching

geology
leading

defective
istry,
chemand

196 ; the
principles
facts of these sciences
and
ought to
constitute
the reader
of the highest
class in the
common
schools, 196 ;
counsel
to
the
farmer
on
young
agricultural books, 107 ; their value
demonstrated,
193 ; a two-hundred
farm
to
be
found
will
acre
give
100
garding
reample
; instructions
scope,

too
in the average
is cut
particular books, 199 ; men
of
the
the
minds
and
best
strongest
consequences,
1-3-S4;
that
shortabilities
farmers
vciil be attracted
ing
are
to farmour
anded
in the summer
fast and
far as it becomes
so
so
harvest, m4;
when
of grass
treatment
intellectual, 100.
cut, 1^4 ;
of how
the
author's
anticipation
INTEREST,
relatively high in this
will yet be carried
haymaking
country, 202.
on,
for improvement
in
the
need
27,^163,
IOWA,
164, 168.
m^;
insisted
on.
planationIRELAND,
exhV.ymaking
is^;
170, 17;, 289.

grass

1^3;

late,

i=;3;

'

glea

191,

211,

thereof, 155. Also'167,180,

See
also
306.
288, 291',

235,

IRRIC4AT10N
and

Avc'.ter

HAYflAKmG.
IIE.MLOCK,
HICKORY,

See

19, 58, 60, 66, 223, 287, 314.

53. S4. 55. 59, i35. 13S.215, 291,

HIG'hWAYS,
HOES,
237.
HOGS,
143.
HOLLAND,
HOMESTEAD

Hay.

249.

238.
LAW

249.

Inr.iGATioN

"

Ends,
for

chap,

not
crops
author's

view, 74 ; the
in Lombardy

Means
need
of
often
kept in
observations
At74-^ ; the

xii,

"

74 ;

(Italy),
thor's
irrigation, 76 ; auexperience in irrigation, 76-7;
results, 78; irrigation of New
land
Engthat
farms,
78 ; advantages
would
result
therefrom, 78. PossiEiLiTiKS
OP
InniOATiON,
chap. xi:i,
Ip.ntic

"0

Slope

; natural

and

facilities for

irrigation

330

INDEX.

the
"wells on
general, 79 ; artesian
LANDS,
prairies. 79; weiiS in Caiiloruia, fee ; LARD,
in
LIEBIG'S
water
as
a fertilizer, 80 ; crops
of irrigation,
want
LIME,
Virginia sufiering from
80-1

counsel

to

farmers

on

irrigation, 81-2 ; great profits to be

realized
by irrigation, 02-3 ; need of
ISiidand
irrigation in the Eastern
dle States
considered, 83 ; the prairie
after
States
1900, 83; common
objections to irrigation, 8 1 ; it mnst
become
gejieral, 247 ; weils will be

public, 46.
1C4.

agricultural
104;

as

chemistry,

fertilizer,

ate

icg.

FKiiTiLi-

110,111,
COMMEECIAL;ate0,IO4,
in
oyster shell, 121, 122, 128; use
preparing for an orchard, 142, 143, 147,
167, 174, 192,211,
232-3, 23=;, 306, 317,318.
LOCUST,
the, tree, 53, S4, 55, 60, 134, 21s,

ZEES,
120;

223,314.

LOMBAEDY,
LONDON,

74,

75,

76.

269.

LONDONDERRY
the
(Ireland), 171 ; New
247 ; a steam
purpose,
for the pirrpi se referied
Hampshire,
171.
LONG
N. Y., 166, 251,
to, 247 ; irrigation will become
ISLAND,
315;
eral,
genWestern
Sound.
lEKiGATioisr,
247 ;
172.
262.
PEAK,
chap, xliv, 260; irrigation is practicable LONG'S
B. (of Mass.), 103.
Dr. George
LORING,
everj'whcre, 260 ; the
tion
porwhich
rocks
in creeks
cannot
LUMBErJNG"
are
of our
liow
country
be
cultivated
without
removed
irrigation,
by a Imnberman,
217.
260 ; its clim;;te, 260;
260 ; its extent.
it is spoken
of
desert, 201 ; the
MACHINES,
agricultural, 225.
as
of
readiest
means
irrigating the
MAGGlolv'E,
Lake, 75.
201
extent,
MAGNESIA,
2-^s.
plains, 261 ; their
; the
South
Platte
North
and
(England), 89.
rivers, 261 ; MAIDSTOISE
Union
1 2s,
Colony, 262; its location, 262; MAINE,
171, 232.
location
of
MANGANESE,
in.
Greeley, 3"32 ; the first
of Union
Colony,
MANGOLDS,
irrigating canal
271.
262 ; branches
and
ditches
from,
thereMANUFACTURES,
164, 243.
is deflectedMANURE,
262-3; liow the water
95.
MAPLE,
to
larger and
it,263; the
287.
at fiist
MAPES,
longer
canai,
Professor, 16, 8=;,114, 128.
263; doubts
See
also
entertained
the capacities
MAEL,
respecting
109, 120, 122, 142, 167.
less,
baseCommeecial.
of the
Feetilizees,
soil, 264; proved
of the soil, 264;
MARTINEAU,
Miss, 187.
264; products
in exthe
of irrigation is not
cess
cost
MARYLAND,
166, 2si ; Eastern, 315.
of cultivating without
it, 264 ;
massachusetts,"
171, 193.
it
demonstration
26^ ;
thereof,
Mccormick,
c, 86.
will
to expend
would
MEATS,
164, 167,200,201 ; meat
i-o,
gioperac're for
pay
in refrigerbe ultimately
ating
conveyed
England
lands,
irrigating New
grass
Moke
260.
op
Iriugation,
chap,
220, 266.
cars,
MECHANIC
dered
S, 243.
xlvi, 274 ; irrigation of places borreferred
to, 274;
Toy streams
]\IELON, 226.
Platte
for
offers
the
facilities
the
MEXICO,
172.
that
State
results
of, 163; Lake, 156.
MICHIGAN,
irrigation, 274-^;
may
MIDDLE
be
the
Plains, 275;
STATES,
attained, 27^;
139.
obstacles
to their cultivation,
MILK,
115, 167, 171.
27S-0;
the change
that will be yet efl'ecfed, MILLS,
249, 2S0.
MINNEHAHA,
the plains will be irrigated ,
the, 285.
276 ; how
operationMINNESOTA,
wells, 277-8; the co276-7; artesian
25, 26, 36, 3?, 163, 164, 168,
railroad
of
206, 249, 289.
companies
as
MISSOURI,
anticipated, 278; rain increases
valley of the, 20 ; State of,
settlements
are
multiplied, 278; the
168; the river, 260, 261, 279.
of the Plains,
20
MISSISSIPPI,
character
valley of the upper,
permanent
;
tracts
needing irrigation in the
38 ; valley of the, 45, 69, 103 ; the
279;
of the
thor's
auP-ast, 279;
river, 163.
summing
up
MOLE
views
PLOW,
the, 72.
on, 315-6-7.
N. .7., 166.
MONMOUTH,
lEOX,
242.
tree planting bv, 46.
MORMONS,
ITALY
(Northern),
171.
bu\ iug land
MORTGAGE,
on, 31.
MIDDLE
STATllS, pasturing in, 19, 25,
KANSAS,
21;, 26, 167, 249, 261, 264, 289.
the railroad, 262.
KANSAS
60, 142, 179. -"^4, 215.
PACIFIC,
in preparthe
use
valley of the, 165; MUCK,
KENNEBEC,
9=;, :o9, 116, 120;
ing
Muck"
for an
the river, 279.
orchard,
142.
Utilize
How
TO
KENTUCKY,
it, chap, xsi, 124;
5c.
able
mine
chemists
will yet be
to deterKIT
CARSON,
the, 277.
of all kinds, 124 ; use
the value
of employof
Dearth
muck
the
Farm"
thor's
auLABOEEPS,
ment
profitable, 124;
trial of it, 124 ; how
a
great and
for, in winter,
swamp
muck
forms, 124-5 ; its vast extent,
evil, 303.
growing
from
derived
16=;.
benefit
the Northern,
12:; ; little
plying
apLAKES,
it
the
true
Pcnn., no.
LANCASTER
COUNTY,
directly, 12^;
to adopt
to secure
turns,
LANCASHIRE
76.
good recourse
(England),
of
LAND.
126-7 ; practical evidence
See Faeming.
sunk
for
locomotive

331

INDEX.

be
to
course
value, 127 ; the
few
having
adopted
by farmers
with
salt
animals,
127-8 ; mixing
ion
lime, 128, 147, 167 ; divcibity of opinIts

about.
the

need

233

23-^-4

; as

an

of
illustration
edge,
knowlof
illustration
it is abundant

biore scientific

for

as

an

winter
work,
304;
and
accessible, 304 ;
305-6: value of muck,

thereof,

proof
30s

to

where

318.

procure,
MUTTON.

Sheep

Hee

also, 200,

220.

PHILADELPHIA,

PIP^I^s,

PILGlilMS,
PINE, 58,

ENGLAND,
25, 34. 36, 39, 45, 50,
69, 78. 79, 139, 152, 163, 164, 165, 171,
igo, 206, 214, 266, 279, 286, 287,289, 290,

HAMPSHIRE,

87, 140, 172, 237.

ern,
JEKSEY,
49, 85, 109, 165 ; South166, 167, 16b, 169, 190, 251, 305,311;.
NEW
Va., 86.
EIVEK,
YORK
NEW
(city), 13, 60, 87, 129, .?6o.
YORK
NEW
STATE,
37,
49 ; cheese
of. 36.47, 62, 68, 79, 102, 131,
dairymen
163 ; Eastern,
164,
140, 164 ; Western,
16^, 190,286, 200.
the falls of, 285.
NTACiARA,
NEW
NEW

266.
See Fektilizees.
OF
SODA.
122.

NINEVEH.
NITRATES.
NITRATE

NORTHERN

STATES,

48, 1^9,

140,

192,

297.

OATS,

67, 92,

210,

189, 191,

143,

"of, 37, 163, 220 ; valley

river, ^-5, 159.
; the
STATES,
the, 73, 249, 3^6.

OHIO,

State

OLD

of

river, 38

the

ONIONS,

191.

Lake, 156.

ONTARIO,
PACIFIC

PACIFIC,
broad,
PAC

118, 121,

94, 113,

24 1^,264, 265.

2s8,

valley,

loi.

F., of Penn.,

Gov.William

KER,

PARIS,

STATES,
178.
the
coast, 156 :

130.

103.

Pasturing

PASTURES"
in

the

Eastern

appear
diswill soon
Middle
and

States, 19; its pernicious cfl'ects,19 ;

soiling is preferable to pasturing, 20;
should
be the
first field
a pasture
it
selected
on
a new
farm, 40 ; where
should
be placed. 41 ; misconceptions
respectingindiscriminate pasturing,
of
treatment
a
pasture, 42-3;
41;
should
have
ashed, 43; appearance
there is bad
ing,
farmof pastures where
up of the author's
152 ; summing
See also
views
on
pasturing, 313-4.
Hay.

See

PEACH-TREES.
140.

PEARS.

161.
See

Fruits,

Fefits,

also

also

129,

139,

129,

156,

204.

PEAS.
-

8q. 90,

271,

PENNSYLVANIA,

296.
23 ;

Eastern, 165, 172,

the

river, 75.

PEMIGEWASSET,

of the,

289.

166.
;

Irrigation of,

316.

(Gypsum).
Fektilizees,

See
also

Commee-

80,

173,211.

233.

PLA'iTE,

the

of

PLOWS,
PLOVv'ING:
Low,

river, 82, 260, 261, 262

ley
val-

the, 274.
steel, 87.
CHAP,

of
reasons

aW

Plowing,
xiv, 87

or

beep
;

the

lands, not
therefor,

8^

was
Plowing
able, 8^-6; the primitive

plowing

in

New

shal-

ing
Deep Plowadvocated, 8^;

Deep

instances
unadvis-

plow,

Hampshire

in

8b;
the

author's

boyhood,
87; will Deep
pay? 87; author's
rience
expeof the
plowing of a plat in
York
city, 87-8; plows deeply
larEnglish
profit, 88-9 ; an
trial of Deep
Plowing, 89-50 ;
for
Deep
imperative reasons

Plowing
New
with
mer's
the

Plowing"
Good
axd
Plowing,
90.
Bad, chap,
xv,
91 ; misconceptions
regarding
Deep Plowing, 91 ; the
for Deep
right conditions
Plowing,
of
of
old
farmer
the
case
a
;
school
ing
cited, 91-2; how
Deep Plowwill
profitable to him,
prove
how
should
he
92-3;
proceed, 92-3 ;
subsoiling hill-sides, 94 ; author's
own
experience, 94 ; the revolution
that
steam-plov'ing will cause, 9s ;
of
Grass
land
considered,
plowing
of Gras-s land that has
0; ; treatment
been
plowed, 95; plovv^iug of a poor
man's
sterile
rugged
farm,
97-0 ;
Fall-plowing, 99-100 ; fences impede
favored
of
lot
tho
100
plowing,
;
the prairie in regard
on
to
squatter
of
plowing, loi ; the plows
sixty
thenloAv
susedinthe
ago, 237;
years
of
provement
Europe, 238; imgreater
part
in
plowing
inevitable,
bo
improved system Avould
241 ; the
in the
adopted
West,
241 ; steam
their
plows and
inventors, 243 ; at
work
in Great
Britain, 243-4 ; the
locomotive
that is needed
for steamof
losses
fiom
want
plowing,
244;
for greater
necessity
such, 244-=,;
demonstrated,
rapidity in plowing
observ"r
246; aclvice of a German
on
plowing for ( orn, 24t-7 ; author's
of the cost
and
experience
delcy of
or
plowing, 281-2; not half so much
theic
so
as
thorough plowing done
should
be, 282 ; the impeiiect means
of plowing,
in
282; steam-plowing
England, 283-4-s ; application of the
facts to this country, 284.
See also
Steam.
91

PLUM-TREES.

288.

descendants

the, 268.
the, 46, 101,261

where

303.

291,

the

PLAGUE,
PLAINS,

on

liTEW

122, 192.

23^.

223.

BARRENS,

PINE

232,

N. Y.,^a fruit farm

above,
16.
the
Hudson,
ASTLE
NE^VC
(township) , Westchester
Co., N. Y., 62, 147.

121,

S3.

ciAL

NEWBUr.G,

119,

118, 119,

PiTCH-Pi:\E.3i4.

27=^-9,

I, ^3, 292.
46, 76, 8-^,260.

also

TILIZERS,

PHOSi'HOKUS,

PLASTER

NAPOLEOX
NEVADA,

i=;6,
mo.
Se'e (.ommeeciaXiFee-

PHOSPHATES.

139. 294.

See

Fetjits,

also

129,

332

INDEX.

REAPERS,
American, 245.
RED
CEDAR,
58, 157, 223.
RED
OAK,
i9,j3, 60.
republic;
AN, valleys of the, 274.

PO, the river, 74-5.

PORK,
37, 99, 14-i, 186, 191, 220, 238, 291.
POTASH.
See
CommeeFeetilizees,
also

ciAL,

109.

EscTJLEXT
EooTS"
ROADS,
2^0.
ROBINSON.
their
xxix,
on
SOLON,
fencing, 219.
170;
versallyROCK.
uniAVcSton-k.
productiveness,
170 ; cultivated
in Europe,
ROCKY
MOUNTAINS.
they alone
206,261,262, 274.
170;
ROJIFORD,
form
England, 269-70.
part of the every-day food of
culture
of, 3^, 43 ; all seek heat
prince and peasant, 170 ; the poor of ROOTS,
them
and moisture,
New
on
depended
England
98, 126, 168, 206, 228, 242,
cut
Turnips
the grain crop
Beets
when
26s ;" Roots
was
short,
Carrots,
part of the regular supchap, xxx,
178; British
per
171 ; formed
and
climates
American
in farmers'
the history
as
homes, 171
compared
of the Potato, 171 ; it is essennips
tially
regards turnip culture, 178-9 ; turmountainous
be profitably grown
in the
a
plant, 172 ; it
may
United
wild
cattle
the sides
State's, 179;
breeders
on
mayhave
grown
should
of "the great chain
each
with
commence
one
or
traversing i^pantwo
there
ish America,
beet
acres
everything
172;
179 ; the
per
annum,
better
climate
than
congenial to it,172 ; results attained
adapted to our
in growing
the
to Europe
turnip, 180; its value
by the author
potatoes,
which
insure
as
a sugar
for
a good
producer, 180 ; reasons
172 ; conditions
muck
treated
that
beet
will
come
bedoubting
as
crop, 172-3 ; swamp
sugar
excellent
American
tilizer
feran
ple,
staan
described, malies
important
180-1 ; beets
to
act
where
will be
for, 173 ; liow
extensively
under
Bach
is not tol^e had, 173-4 ; instructions
a better
age,
grown
system of tillto
181 ; the author's
farmer
of
a
a
having
experience
poor,
field of sandy
181 ; reasons
worn-out
loam', 174;
for
growing
carrots,
not
eminent
achieving
success
objections thereto
considered, 174-=; ;
the potato blight, 17S-6; the kind
of
therein, 181 ; the carrot
ought to be
to plant, 176; drills are
seed
for
horse
ing,
feedextensively grown
able,
prefer182 ; its value
in
the
author's
as
judgment,
such, 182 ; the
oat
in very
degenerates
hot, dry
176-7; prcparatloii of the soil. 177;
182 ; roots
varietiL'S
versify
considered,
valuable
to digrowing
summers,
177;
from
tubers
tends
to
food, 182.
degeneracy,
RUTA
tlie originator of a valuable
BAGAS,
new
177:
143.
RYE, 21 ;_winter, 43, 92, 143, 191, 192.
potato entitled to a recompense,i77:

POTATOES,
88, 09.
CHAP,
PoTAT03:s,

"

"

"

"

also, 189, 26.1,

296.
POTOMAG*^
river, the, 53,
valley of the, 317.
PORTUGAL,
237.
POWER"

Undeveloped

Power,

chap,

73,

140,

Sotjkces

xlvii, 280; the

159;

of

261.
SAGE-BUSH,
ST. LOUIS,
m6.
N.J:, t66.
SALEM,
See
SALT.
Fertilizers,

er's
farm-

and command
of power
less than
the
280 ;
manufacturer's,
both
have
the
same
opportunities,
280 ; author's
of the delay
experience
cost
of plowing, 281-2 : furand
ther
of the
illustrations
imperfect
of ]"lowing. 282 ; steam
means
ing
plowin England,
not
282-3-4; steam
commended
of power
to
as a source
the
farmer, 284 ; reasons
therefor,
of
source
as
a
284 ; wind
power.
further
the
284-5 ;
anticipated
of the
285; the triumphs
sources,
future, 28=;
PRAIRIE,
24 : prairies,the, of the West,

ciAL

sources

213
PRAmiE

the, 261.

PUBLIC

146.

LANDS,

PURSLEY,

QUINCES.
RAILROADS,
progress

24,

46.

125.

^SeeFETJiTS.

RAG-WEED,

I2';.

their
of the
to have

influence

West,
one

act

46.
CITY,

LAKE,
LAKE

SAVOYS,
SCHOOLS,

products, qoT-2.
RALEIGH,
Sir Walter,
RANCHING,"
2Q2,
"

90.

26,
as

the

on

suggestions
factor
of
10^

114,

CoMMEit-

122,

127,

12S, 143,

SCIENCE

112.

271.
249, 2=;o.

IJ? AGRICULTURE,

32;

AOEICUIiTTJRE,

IN

ence
Sci-

Cliap.
being

disclaims
xxxix, 231 ; author
have
a scientific farmer,
men
231 ;
raised
ing
nothgood crops, who knew
of science, 231 ; science
is the
base
of
efficient
true
cultivation,
the
elements
of every
plant,
231 ;
knowl231 ; necessity for scientific
e'dge,232; author's
personal experience,

assertion
ot
a Maine
illustration
of the
of scientific
need
information, 233 ;
the
diversity of opinion as 10 the
value
of swamp
muck,
as
a further
illustration, 233-4 ; analysis of soils
the
considered, 234;
necessity for
standard
to go by in manuring
some
land, 234 ; lUustration
thereof, 234-t; ;
science
the
impovcTishexplains
nient of soils, 23^ ; author's
ny
testimoof science, from
value
the
on

personal

tarm

RASPBERRIES,

SALT
SALT

essayist,

46,83.

109,

147. 174-

the

232;

STATES,

PRUNING,

also

is

171.

as

an

experience,
reserved

fully conversant
236.

for
with

236

; a

tence
compe-

young

men

agriculture,

333

INDEX.

SCOTCH-rRISH,
the, 171.
SCOTLAND,
178, 269.
SCRUB
OAK,
314.
8CTTHES,
2^9.
^'ee Dkouth.
SEASONS,
Dry.
SEWAGE
Sewage,
chap,

STARK
STEAM

xlv, 266;

"

which
doomed
ancient
pires
emto
decay, 266 ; illustrations
receive
thereof, 266-7 ; the soil must
back
the
elements
taken
from
it
267; obstacles
thereto,
267; loca
tion
of ancient
and
modern
cities
267 ; inipsrative necessity for cleans

cities, 2D7-B

great

given

meaning

in England, 268 ;
scM^age
conditions
for its equable
necessary
dltiusion
the
soil, 268 ; applicaover
tion
of sewage,
268; difficulties of
utiliKiug it, 268-9 ; the
progress
taken
made, 200 ; the measures
to
1
utilize sewage
at iomford,
England,
whei'eon
it was
269 ; farm
used, and
the
results
attained, 269-70-1-2-3 ;
conclusion
therefrom, 273-4.
Sheep
Wool
SHEEP"
and
Growing,
of wool
in
xxsiv,
200
; production
United
States
the
insufficient, 200 ;
they might profitably grow
as much
as
for,
there201
they consume,
; reasons
201
ton
price of mut; the increased
will make
up for the reduction
on
wool, 201 ; sheep-growing in England
to

illustration, 2oi; sheep

make
for the outlaj^ on
soon
a return
them, 202 ; they successfully contend
with
bushes
and
briars, 20s ; more
as

an

against

precautious

203-4:

in
the
the, relative
change
values
of mutton
and
wool, 204 ;
the relative
prices and p'-nduct the
farmer
must
expect in the future,
near
205 ; growing
sheep for mutton
New
York, 20s ; profit thereof,
20s
;
is
no
sheep-growing
experiment,
204

sheep

growing

thereto, 20^-6

other
206.

in

Colorado
and
its

Territories,

SICILY,
SICKLE,
SILICA,
SlUITH,

and

future,

267.
239.

233.
"VVltLiAM

Eng.),

(Woolston,

283.

SOCIETY,

Agricultural,

FAE3IEF.S'

SODA,
SOILS,

SOUTH,
the

228.

See

ahalrsis

cf, ^%",.

"stalks of,
125,
2^

43.

she

SPANISH

AJMERICA, 200,
86, 237.
AMERICA,

SPRING,

oners,

26

26-7-8,

206.

303, 319.

SPRUCE,

223.

SQUASH,

226,264.

Steam

9;,

steam

in^

of

246;

German

server
ob-

rigation
plowing, 246 ; irbecome
general, 247 ;

will
the
locomotive
referred
to above
could
be
used
for
sinking wells,
247 ; steam
plowing in England, 283-

STl^AM

PLOWS

STEEL,

242.

See Steam.

STEUBEN

COUNTY,

STONE
xxxvi,

Stone

212

diffusion

N.

ow

213;
213

facility,but

Y., 10=;,
Fabm,
chap,

formation
of the earth,
of
stones
the
over
sometimes
are
; these
a
oftener
an
impediment

to efficient agriculture, 213 ; no rock

the surface
of the
on
great prairies
oi'the West, and a portion ot the valleys

andplainsof
213;

advantages

the

Atlantic

slope.

and

disadvantages
pioneer, 2.4 ; less use
than
formerly, 214 ;

thereof
to the
for stone
now
the
stone
Eastern
on
fanis
to bo
yet utilized. 214-; ; verv
stony laud
should
be
planted with
trees, 21^;;

rough, unshapcn

stones
Avill be mole
and
used
more
for building, 21^-6 ;
instructions
for
barn
building
a
stone
partly with
216: its
concrete,
advantages, 216 ; blasting out stone
considered,
216-7; the mode
berman
luma
employs to remove
rocks
in
creeks,
the author's
217;
experience
the
regarding
fencing of his farm,
21S ; his stone
walls, 218.
STONES
249.

the

hect,

104.

SU-MMER,47,

59, 64,67,78,83, 84,

85, 88, 59,

103,124,126,130,1^4,173,178, 189,
260, 264, 270, 2fc8.
SUPERPHOSPHATE,
174.
SUSQUEHANNA,
the, 279, 292
SWAMP

190,

202,

of

172.

67, 70, 73, 7:;,76, 78, 81, 87, 88, 99,

126, 127, 134, 13=,, 136, 137, 140, 141,
193. 194. 202, 258,
150, 168,171,173.174.
III,

of

regarding

loi,

SOUTH"
SPAIN,

tion
cultiva-

application

rapidly demonstrated,

plow

SULPriUR,

232.

Inviting immigration,

inducements

no.

STRAWBEliEIES,
16, ao.
SUGAR,
production
of, from
180 ; maple,
10, 314.

23^.

SORGHUM,
SORt?EL,

an,

CLIJBS.

37 ;

recommendation

encouragement

20s;

to

surface,

should
be consumed.
202-3 ;
all farmers
not
counseled
to
are
of
grow
sheep, 203;
depredations

Ohio,

AGRICULTURE,

to
Ageicttlhave
TUEE,
chap, xli, 241 ; farmers
been
slow
in utilizing the
natural
forces
arouud
them, 241 ; evidence
of
thereof, 242 ; steam
as
som'ce
a
is hardly a ccutury
old, 242 ;
power
it has
the revolution
eflected, 242 ;
it will eflcTt still greater, 243; steam
has
contributeel
little to
very
paring
prethe
soil, 243;
disappointinents of inventors
of steam
plows,
steam
in Louisiana,
plowing
243;
steam
iu Great
Britain.
plows
243;
that is needed
243-4
; the locomotive
for steam
plOAviug, 244 ; the saving
it
would
American
eflect, 244-5;
in England, their value
reapers
preciated,
apfor a machine
24=; ; neecl

"

mutton

dogs,
tliem,

IN

by,
plowing,

causes

ing

COUNTY,

; the

ley
val-

the, 317.
LAND

about

=;o,ooo,ooo

acres

old
States
of, in the
(including
Maine), 125. See Deainixg.
SWINE,
143.
SWITZERLAND,
139 ; Northern,
171.
SYCAMORE,
59.

33i

INDEX.

TAMARACK,
22^.
TERRITORIES,the,
TEXAS,

206

43, 20^,

TEXTILE

260.

(Western),

FABRICS,

THEBP;S,
THISTLES,

242.

266.
42.

THREAD,
TILLAGE
xvi, q6

200.

Tnop.OTiGH
Tillage,
chap,
of the aucharacttr
rocky
thor's
ofl'
fields,96 ; clearmg
own

"wet

lauds

man

with

96;

without
the
97;

cultivating
draining: unprofitable,

conrse

mgged,

a
poor
sterile
farm
sliould
reclaim
plow
97 ; shonld

should
adopt. 97 -,
field each
one
year.
often, deeply and thoronghly, 98-9
therefor.
Fall
reasons
plowing.
90;
enriches
the soil, 99-100
: fences,
99;
favored
lot of the squatter
100
; the
the prairie, loi.
See also, Plowing"
on
Dbaixing
Fauming.
THE
TIMES
(London), 282.
See Trees.
TIMBER.
GRASS,
TIMOTHY
38, ms.
TOBACCO.
191.

"

TO^iIATOES,

264,296.

TRIBUNE,

the. New

TURKEY,

York,

land

t;7 ; poor

peated
^7

",

profitable,

stones

of wood,
bj^ growing

crops

improved

206, 240.

188.

86.

See Roots,
also 178,264, ^00.
clearing off timber, 30: New
must
England
ed,
always be well wood-

TURNIPS.
TREES:

and

f-prings

tunber
will

streams

on

be

it,

dered
ren-

enduring
and
more
equable
be
should
bv tree-growing,
^7 : trees
all hill-sides and ravines,
set on
57 ;
s8 ; they
accumulate
trees
manure,
be placed so as to modify agreeably
can
of a farm. 58 :
the temperature
author's
experience, 58 : trees on the
on
the crops
of a hill improve
crest
be placed
the slope, ^9 ; trees
may
of rivers,
banks
with
on
advantage
ily
thriftas
frc, 59 ; a good tree grows
of.
thereone,
as a poor
^9 ; evidence
60 ; diversity
profitable, 60 ; woodshould

lot

cleared,

cutting,

when

considered

thereof,

60

tree-growing

appear,

and

60:

plantation

not

be
evidence
nishes
fur-

at
all seasons,
will make
springs
rain
61 97- About

employment
61 ;

out,
should

thinned
future

be
the

60;

cause

chap, xxlii, 134;

cust
in raising Loauthor's
experience
on
plants, n4 ; general counsel
other
the raising of locust, and most
and
seed
raising
trees, i-^s ; sowing
plants therefrom, i3s ; the raising of
Oak, 13^-6 ;
Hickory, White
Chestnut,
a
rugged,
how
farmer,
having
a
act, 136; profits
hill, should
stony
Trse-Planting,

ity
-Woodlanps
be realized, 137 ; the utilv.'hich can
the
author
of forests, 137-8 ; tree-planting as
44:
sentimental
not
the
demen
adventurous
regarding
a field for
young
structio7i
of 44 ; utility the
proceed, 138
reason
138; how
they should
end
and
of vegetable
the great profits to be
growth,
realized, 138
44 ;
the
be
consideration,
as
drouths
expected
profitthe main
44 ;
may
the
and
denuded
of trees, 44 ;
beauty
and
is more
more
grace
country
New
section
in
how
a favored
England
of its forests, ino;
stony land
used
vantage
for
regard to tree-growing,
be
advantageously
45 ; disadmay
of prairie land
of
in that
treatment
spect,
retree-planting, 21:,;
the
in winter,
on
forests
summing
grew
307:
up
4^ ; trees once
I'lains,"46; trco-pl.vnting in Utah,
views
of the author's
on, 314.
and its climatic
Apples
influence, 46 ; failure
See
and
TREE-FRUITS.
of Congress
to pass a bill encouragFrttits.
ing
tree planting, 46; mistake
of the
See Trees.
TREE-PLANTING.
New
York
dairv farmers
in destrov262 ,
ing trees, 47 ; Spain, Iti^.ly.and porUNION
COLONY
Its location,
tions
of France
its nucleus,
262 ;
the
snffering from
the city of Greeley
destruction
of
their
forests,
irrigatingcantils of T nion ( olony,
47 ;
other
illustrations of improvidence,
of tlie
"'f the f.^rtllity
262-4 ; doubts
Growing
Timber
48.
Tteesoil
of
its location,
204 ; proved.
Planting,
chap, viii, ^o", proporgroundless. 26 J.
tion
of a farm
that
should
bo devoted UNITED
annual
STATES,
27, 53 ; the
to trees, JO ; the
of. mo,
hav
question of
151, 3m.
crop
"too
much
la' d"
and
tiee-growUTAH,
46, 76, 181.'
of
Wcstchi
ing, so-i ; the case
ster
to
cited, in regard
culture
tree-growing,
VEGETABLES,
of, 35, 37, go,
its general
the growtT-2
;
application, S2 ;
ing
107, 168, 2r8, 261, 26^,266;
timber
should
be culled
out
of profit,
rather
of market, as a source
than
cut off, ^2 ; the
of Rpple
case
trees
applicable to all t -ci s, C2 ; some
VrNI.
E, 74the
woodlands,
farm
in Northern
A grazing
ciieapest property
VERMONTUnited
In the
States. ^,3 ^ auothe'r
Vermont,
15, 25, 36, 48, no,
i^g,
profitable field of labor, :;4 ; pla:
34,

Trees"

37.

Foe'ests,

"

chap. vii.

"

"

"

172.

thickly,

^4 ; a

swcred,

\i

objecti'^^

common

th

Far

.-

andiriC'

tf-^Vc^RUiT

VIMJIN*^,

80, 86, 140,

WALNT^T',

^i,

6n.

166, igi,

237.

nd
_

planting, k^. Planting

T\'est

VINES

Treks,

chap.

ix.

^6 ; timber
eral
gen=;6; suggestions
for locating
t6 ; trees
tre s
once
planted cost nothing for cultivn I ion,
after re56 ; the soil is richer
even

i.fG

on

most

farms,

13=;,

T36.

N. Y., im,
COUNTY,
102.
of
on
drninage, 72 : clemtnts
on
di'ainage,
agrJcalLure bj
199;

T/AfJ^FN
WARING,

315-

335

mDEX.

"WATEH,

Ses

231-2.

pastures,

the,
16

20,

142

tile

Great,

62,

118,

67,

the

N.

T.,

49

22,

21,
131,

162,

Ikki-

Si'e

also

92,

37,

242,

113,

245,

Winter
303

is

WHITE

BIRCH,

314.

WHITE

DAISY,

42.

WHITE

MAPLE,

WHITE

MOFNTAINS,

291.

and

WHITE

OAK,

WHITE

PINE,

N.
54,

5=;,

48,

30,

;
no

H.,

13^;,

2m,

53,

54,

2;i,

55,

172,

as

an

illustration,

to

be

substituted

to

be

287,

3o5;

WY'OMING,
Eli,

had,

306;

forestsr307;

304-s-i)
where

of
:

the

ZONE,

300;

genei'ai

fruit

counsel,

206.

THE

END.

temperate,

46

work
not

commercial

86.

59.

304

mlick

is

muck

procuring
fences,

there

done,

preparing

is

working
hard-

that
be

to

303
it

leisure.

to

supposing

and

the

303-4;

work

drawing

303

claun

in

errs

winter

winter

evil,

growing

evil,

modern

fertilizers;3o6;

314.

215,

he

of

thereof,

the

^3.

Woek,

dearth

farmer's
304

ASH,

163.

Sheep.

See

great

264,265.

298.

173.

"

179,

288,

Sheep.

WINTER

quite

I2T,

147,

GROWING.

work

COEN.

WHITE

^\W'l'NEr,

112,

94,

238,

263,

Wintee.

12b,

11.

135,

178,

Eastern,

i=,9;

See

126,

171,

262,

AVoek,

ashes;

chap.
See

169,

167,

power,

113,

1^7,

2^8,

consequences

WHEAT,

for

89,

156,

222,

2s

WORK,

12^.

119,

20q,

164.

81,

73,

154,

1,0,

See

WOOL,

GATIOfi.

WILLOW,

206,

WOOL

IRlilGATIOX.

T\-ESTERN

IQ3,

WOOD

163,

203;

COL^TT,

WESTCHESTEii
52,

Fur,

the

141,

WISCONSIN,

4s,

East,

the

59,

47,

140,

WINTRIi.

37,

311.

291,

241,

36,

27,

growing,
of

granary

to,

fanning
26,

2^,

tree

168,169,179;

165,

good

23,

regards

as

55,

of

from,

drawn
41

migrated

who

illustration

winds

the

Utilizing

WINTER.

43.

farmer

276-7.

WINDS"

81.

river,

in

WEEDS,

WEST,

"WHSTDMn^L.

300.

the

WEBER,

Iebigation.

also

MELONS,

WATEK

torrid,

46.

trees,
307.