The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1821-11-13
AGRICULTURAL.


From Tie .Nezy Hampshire Patriot.
Though farmer should enclose IFS land
with substantial fence and frequently plough
Il. yetw ,thoAt malme his crops would, in
tie course Of . few years, exh4ust the soil
and reduce his land 10 state Of poverty and
barrenness. y Is not III the nature Of things
70 expect continued product without con
tinue1 supply The largest fountains aud the
greatest rivers ~ constant discharge OF
their water, without I'd equal supply, would
soon become empty. The richest pubIck
treasury and the weallhiest individual, by the
constant expenditure Of money, il in the mean
time they received none, would soon fail
The strongest men and Tie hardest animals
cannot, for any considerable time, perform
! labour without receiving both rest and susie
nance. u Is equally 50 with tie eaIh-n
must receive food, or II cannot yield susie
nance 10 either man or beast. HE richest
soil, says the Encyclopedia, + must be that
which contains the greatest quantity Of pu-
irid matter, ether animal Or vegetable and
such is the earth into which animal or veget
able substances resolve themselves. Was ibis
earth to be had Ia perfection, i is evident it
could not stand in need Of manure Of any kind
or De the least enriched by ii tor containing
an immense quantity Of pulrid matter, il would
fully communicate i 70 the vegetables planted
"a 81, which would grow IL the most luxurian!
manner, without requiring any other care
than that Of keeping them constantly supplied
with water. Il We suppose The crop lett Up
on The ground to purify and nix with The
earth as before, the soil will contain the same
quantity Of purid matter tue second year as
the FIST, and be equally prolific but if the
crop IS removed 70 another place, and moth
ing Is brought back 10 enrich The ground IN
rs stead, il Is evident that il will contain less
Of Ibe True vegetable food The second year
than 4 did the first, and consequently be less
prolihck. For sometime, however, the DIFF
terence will not he peTcePibIe; and people
who are 10 possession Uf such ground may
imagine that they enjoy s9l which will be
perpetUalIy FERTILE but long experience has
taught US, that the richest soils will al last be
exhausted by repeated cropping without ma
nure-When the ground has been suffered to
remain uncultIyaiet for ages, producing all
that time succuient plants which are easily
purified, and trees, The leaves Of which like
wise contribute to enrich the ground by their
falling Of aud mixing with u, the soil will 10
manner be totally made Up Of pure vegetable
earth, and be the richest when cultivated, that
can be imagined. This was the case with the
lands Of America. They bad remained IN
cultivated perhaps since the creation and were
endowed with an extraordinary degree OF fer
ullty /; II IS nevertheless certain that such
grounds as have been long cultivated, were 50
much exhausted, as to be not much better than
the generality Of cultivated grounds in France
or England"
II Is evident. therefore, that manure. i 10
the agriculiuralist an object Of great impor
lance. = % this, says Mr. Quincy, " more
than on any thing else, depends The wealth
OF the iarmer-this is the best criterion Of his
present, and the surest pledge Of his future
success" Il IS tins which produces large
and abundant crops 70 reward his care and
labour " The great secret J" says Mr. Rose
7" 81 good farming IL to enlarge the dung heap.
Wherever manure can be made in abundance.
the farmer has his crops at command. Who
ever will lake the trouble OF examining and
comparing the richness and greatness Of The
crop OF a single acre Of well MANFRED land. /
with one that has not been MANFRED, will be
convinced OF the use and importance Of this
article. The contrast that such lands exhib
IL, though under similar cultivation. will con
vince BIN that there are few things in which
our farmers are more deficient than that Of
msnurDg their lands. For want If that care
and attention that is requisite to procure
sutflciency Of manure, much of the labour is
lost-tOr want Of this, he performs much more
labour, and cultiyaies three times as much
land as would otherwise be necessary, and
obtains but scaniy crop and poor living. |
Yet too many OF our farmers appear TO con- |
slder the preservation and increase Of manure |
unworthy OF their notice-they neglect II with |
as much Indifference as If 1t was useless OBJ |
ject. But every considerable farmer will be |
careful not only TO preserve and increase, but
prepare manure, 80 as 10 render Il most useful. |
he will neglect no means that can effect Ibis |
purpose. II Is said ihatin China, where the |
cultivation OF the earth, from The necessity OF |
supporting their numerous population, pre-