Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-08-30
From the Winchester Gazette.
AGRICULTURE.

HE author of the following observations,
has, for number of years past, been of the
same opinion that he now is, respecting the
mode of cultivation practised in the United
States; and having abundant proofs to induce
HIM to believe, that his opinion is well foun-
ded, has for some time thought that advanta-
ges would result to the community, from the
subject being more generally considered but
feeling conscious of his want of those literary
qualifications, necessary in order to escape
the criticism of this refined age:
lie, for while, contented himself with ex-
pressing his sentiments occasionally to some
OF his acquaintance; but at length, rejecting.
that if there was any thing valuable in them,
and he should leave the world without max
ing them public, he would in some measure,
fail short in his duty, of contributing all in
his power to the happiness and comfort of
mankind he therefore concluded to commit
them to writing, and leave it entirely to some
of bis friends (whose judgment he preferred
to his own to say, whether they were worth
publishing or not. They have advised the
measure-And now, having been actuated by
these motives, and taken these steps, il the
language should prove sufficient to convey the
authors meaning, and. his observations should
have any tendency to turn the attention of the
public to the subject, he will rest entirely ca
sy respecting what critical reviewers or lite
rary conoisseurs may say Of the performance.
But at the same time, solicits any useful hints
that can be offered on either side of the ques-
ton; for having had many proofs of his falli-
bility, he will feel but little modification if
he should even be found on the wrong side,
provided his fellow citizens are benefited by
the investigation.
r. MOORE.
Retreat, Montgomery County,2
Maryland, Sth Month, 1911.
Fl EJUDlCE, that great bar to improvement
| in ,e arts and sciences, perhaps no where
exe4s its baneful influence with more mis-
chieEous effect than in the practice of agricul
] ture, particularly on this part of the Ameri
| can continent. Our predecessors emigratin.
| from the different European countries, eacl
| brought with him the prejudices he had i'm
bibed in his native land, and adopted tn
practice in this country, that he, and perhap
| his forefathers, for ages before him, had ad
| hered to, notwithstanding the great difference
of soil and climate absolutely requiring a very
different course of'conduct These prejudi
ces acquired strength by time, and practices
became venerable for their antiquity: and
being accustomed to consider ourselves as the
children of the countries from which we des
cended of course we looked up to them as the
only legitimate sources of improvement, the
consequence of which has been, that notwth-
standing considerable improvements and dis
coyeries in agriculture have been made in
Great Britain and other European countries,
we have not derived those advantages from
them, which might have been expected Ma
ny of them having been implicitly adopted
here without the necessary variation for the
difference in soil and climate, have failed
These unsuccessful experiments have tended to
confirm the people of America in their for
mer pre- udices, and to induce them to treat
with contempt every appearance of innova-
ton in theory or practice.
So that, till very lately, person in Amer
lea would be almost as much exposed to rIdi-
cule by attempting to teach the art OF plough
ing as that of walking, or any other COM
mon animal function. But happily for us
since the revolution, some of the citizens OF
| the United States begin to think for them
selves. and to seek in their own country for
improvements and during the short period
of twenty years since that event, greater ad-
vances have been made in American agricul-
ture than in century preceding
Under these auspices, am encouraged to
hope that at least part of the community
will not condemn the following observations
unheard wish my readers to divest them
selves of every prejudice, as fully as if they
had never read treatise On agriculture, or
were acquainted with no system of practice,
until they have fairly weighed the arguments:
then compare them with their own experience,
ard according to their merits let them stand
or fall
The native soil of great proportion of the
United States, SO far as / am acquainted, or
have been informed, consists of a black mould
from one to four inches deep ION river bot