The Portland gazette., 1822-10-29


bour, Bui in this country he cost must chief
ly depend on the prices Of labour as more
Is pad for labour than rent rent. labour, and
pFch ot stock, making in all countries the
Whole cost of an article.-For these reasons.
articles which require much labour, are cheap
er III England than here and practices which
are benehcial there, are Improbable here !;
their object being TO save rent, ours 10 save
la5our- does mol so much concern us 10
know how much we can get from an acre,
where land is SO cheap as how much we can
get for days work, where labour is so dear
The farmer has much more need, than the
merchant, To keep profit and loss account,
in all bis transactions aud it is chiefly for
want OF it. that many young and theoretc
farmers find agriculture Improbable, and ma
ny of the old and experienced never abandon
the habits Of their ancestors, however iniuri-
ous-But no vie man will IMPLICITLY adopt
the opinion Of another, if he can readily test
its truth by his own experience.
Though the great principles of agriculture
must remain immutable, so long as God shall
please TO uphold the present order of nature !;
yet il must be obvious, that our local situation
renders the practical knowledge of others of
but little use to US. Ii is necessary that we
should make experiments for ourselves; and
accurately ascertain those facts, which suit
our particular sluation.-We should ascer-
tain, lor instance, whether we have any nat
ursl Lnanures, which we can proftably apply
to our lands whether our lime be Of saIu.
tary or injurious quality; TO what soil it is
suitable, and TO what prejudicial, in what
quantities it should be used whether we
have marie or other like substances what
sons are most in want of plaster, sand, gravel,
clay, raw or burnt, swamp muck, peat-ash.
es, SC. whether compost or raw manures be
IN the end most profitable in what circum-
stances surface and underground draining and
irrigation, will pay the expense whether
woad, madder, and other dying drugs. as well
as new roots, grains and grasses, will pay
the expense of cultivation which breed OF
horned cattle are most nclinded 10 fat, which
10 milk, and which is best for lsbour. We
want 10 know the comparative merit of the
different breeds Of horses, sheep, and hogs
The comparative value of succulent roots.
grains, grases, and esculent vegetables I; and
len thousand other things. Now though we
may get much light on these subjects from for
eign publications, yet we ought to know them
from our own actual experiments for THOUGH
the great Sir Humphrey Davy, e. the French
chemists, have ably analyzed most OF the sub
jecls Of The mineral and vegetable Kingdoms /;
yet sometimes happens, that from some un
known cause, actual experiments in agricuI
iure, do not exactly agree with the chemical
theory, aud therefore experience must be The
only sure guide. This experience we want
and this is The object Of our society.
But bow shall This great and important ob-
ject be obtained Shall we trust il to the
unconnecied exertions Of insulated individuals?
True there have been many who have Civ
en- 10 the subject, a great part of their time
and talents and are worthy the respect and
homage OF mankind; for the man who adds
10 our productions one new plant TO our
manures one new article who correcls one
error, or invents one machine, by which the
labour now performed by rational beings, may
be transferred 10 The brute creation and the
elements; confers greater benefit on his
race, than all the conqueroTs who have ma
butCd tbC VIII UiOOu, uUiU ltfnDTOO 10
Napoleon. When men shall cease TO honor
their destroyers. and shall be grateful TO their
benefactors, the name of many a Rural So
crates shall be rescued from obscuriiy while
The names of those scourges of mankind, shall
rot in oblivion. or only be remembered TO he
execTated.
"Oh spring to light, auspicious day."
when the instruments of war shall be convert
cd into the implements of hushandry, and
mankind shall form one great agricultural So
ciety. But the joyful anticipation of that
glorious period, which certainly and perhaps
soon " I'll arrive, has hurried me from my sub.
ject-I ask again shall we trust the inter-
ests Of agriculture and IFS Improvement, TO in
diyidua exertion? Let Us remember that
though the duration of mans life, nav be
sufficient for the conquest of the world, it is
not long enough for the acquisition of the art
of agriculture and in our present situation
we have hardly any means, whereby the ex-
perence of one may benefit another or de-
scend to posterity. Now, when man dies,
his knowledge and experience die with him
aud all lie leaves az a memorisl is his exam
ple in narrow circle, and his well cultivated
farm; which in one or two generations degen-
crates to The common level. Search now, and
see, if Won can fnd, the farm of Cincinnatus,
or OF Cato the censor. Alas the same tide
of war has overwhelmed and swept away, as