Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-23

thus furnishes three times as much Subsistence
as when pastured, and the additional expense
of cutting is abundantly repaid by the rich
manurcs which are thus saved.
There is one other branch of farming, which
has scarcely made its appearance in this co,;i,-
| try--It is
5th. Irrigation. This is, probably, the most
profitable, of all modes of culture. When
ever the situation of land will permit of its
being covered with stream ofSatcr, the di-
rect nOurshmeut to the plant, the minute sub
division of the soil, aud the deposit left by the
water, these combine to produce an amazing
fertility. In Lombardy, for instance, the irri-
gated meadows afford four abundant crops of
grass. In the dry climate of Spain, they are
still more productive. 1t could scarcely be
believed, We're it not vouched by the personal
observation of Arthur Young himself, that in
the watered fields of VaIencia, there are ac-
tually cut, four, Eve, six, and seven crops or
lucerne, from two and a half 10 three feet in
height, and yielding ten tons of grass on an
| acre at each cutting: So that moderate
average acre yields no less than fifty tons
| OF grass, and when hroken up, gives three crops
IN the course of year. 1t is not wonderful,
then, that in that country the greatest efforts
have been made to water their fields that
| reservoirs have been constructed, canals cut,
wells dug, and machines erected for raising
"otCi HUH thC IheISy WuOle rivers
themselves, instead of Fastening to the ocean,
have been made to pause and deposit their ex-
traordinary fertility. To us the example is
peculiarly interesting, since our climate re-
sembles that of Spain in its dryness-the de-
feet which irrigation is most calculated to re-
pair. 1t is now almost an established law of
this climate, that in midsummer there shall
| arrive critical season, during which the in
tense Aeat OF our long days is not relieved by
rains, and our crops, just as they are vergng
to maturity, are suddenly checked and njur-
ed, and sometimes destroyed, by the burning
influence OF the sun. But Instead of strug-
Cling TO overcome this danger, our farmers,
with want of the characteristic spirit of the
country,sit down by the side OF the most mag
nihcent rivers and unfailing streams, and la
ment the decay of their haryests, touching
the river banks, without one effort to convey
| To these fields the water which is passing at
| their ieet. In this finely watered country, we
should surely be able to equal the improve
! ments of Spain and Italy ; and he will be Il
great beRefactOr, who SHALL exhibit cheap
| and efficient mode of irrigation. IL the first
expense be beyond the means of an individual,
! t may be accomplished by the union of inter-
| ested neighbours, and almost any expenditure
would be justified by the success of plan,
wh,ch would at once render our fields twice,
| or i've, or ten times more productive.
The prevailing opinion however is, that even
with an improved culture, the high price of
| labor IN this country renders farming an I'M
productive and hazardous Investment of CAPT.
tall This belief has contributed much to re-
tad our husbandry. 1 myself think it entire
~ erroneous. My impression is, that Ca
pllal employed in .judicious agriculture, would
yield quite as safe and abundant return, as
| IN most OF the other pursuits of life among
| us, and probably superior to the profits of
farming IN other countries. For instance, the
| average profit on farming in England, with
which we are most Infatuated to compare
ourselves, Is from Ten TO fifteen per cent
NOW, III this country, the profits ought to be
greater. The question might perhaps be de-
clded by the single fact, that while the great
er part of our farmers live we'll and educate
large families from small farms, the same class
Of persons IN England, the renters of farms of
| about fifty acres, are universally allowed to
be IN miserable situation and on that ac-
count they were actually exempted from the
income taxa forbearance which describes,
at once, the measure of-that wretehedness
winch could appease or defy even the spirit
OF The Exchequer. But the inquiry is sufiic-
emily interesting To tempt us into compar-
SOD, between the arabic farms, within reach
] OF the markets, OF London and Philadelphia
their respective expenses and profits that is,
Inc prices at which they may be obtained and
cultivated, and then the prices of the pro-
duce of them. The first naturally resolves
itself into the heads of rent and taxes, and la
Dor and manure.
| The rent of land within twenty live miles
OF London, varying it does from two to fiji
| ~ dollars, 1t IS not easy to estimate with pre-
cisI0n but we shall err ON the side of modera-
| Ton, II we place the average rent of good ara
1 bic land at ten dollars. The taxes and tthes
as they are stated by Sir John Sinclair in 1821,
| would be Gfty-three per cent. on this rent,
say five dollars making the rent and taxes on
| a farm OF 200 acres amount to three Thousand
dollars. Now, five except ouf alluvial mea-
dows, the average rent of land within the
same distance from Philadelphia, cannot, |
| think, be estimated beyond three dollars. OF
tithes there are of course none and the tax
1 es of all kinds, Judging from those of Bucks
county, do not exceed twenty five cents per
acre; making the rent and taxes of farm of
two hundred acres six hundred and fifty dol
lars.
In the memorial Of the English Agricultural
Committee of 1919, il is stated, that the tithes
and taxes amount TO one-third of the market
price OF agricultural productions. In this
country they form proportion SO nconside-
rable, that single acre of good wheat will
| pay all the public demands on farm of one
| hundred acres.
With regard to labor, know it is against
all our received opinions, but incline to think
that farm work in Pennsylvania is very little
dearer, il it be not actually cheaper, than in
England. The comparison is difficult, because
at this distance we have not yet seen all the
effects which the embarrassment of the last
| two years have produced on the rate of wages
| -because their nominal wages are generally
swelled by perqulstes, and because in cOun-
try, where every sixth or seventh person is