The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-06-26
PROPOSALS
BY THOMAS W. SHEPARD,
FOR PUBLISHING, IL BOSTON,
AN AGRICULTURAL NEWSPAPER,
To be entitled the
.Ne1c- England Farmer.

=
a GRfcULTURE, within a few
4 a years, has been improved with rapidi-
y without pfecedentin the annals Of art; and
new discoveries and processes, in its various
branches, are still in a train Of successful de-
yclopement. These Improvements are Of par
amount Importance. not only 10 the practical
farmer. hut TO the tghnle442- ai,ait E-r4ryr
human being has an interest in that art which
IS the foundation of all other arts, and the ba-
sis Of all civilization.
Skill as well as industry is at least as
requisite in agriculture as in any of The finer
but less useful arts. The head must direct
the hand of husbandrY and in cultivating
the earth, the most incessant toll, without the
guidance Of knowledge, and the superintend-
epce of intellect, is of little avail. The sci-
ence OF agriculture is in great degree founded
on experience. 1t is therefore OF consequence
that every farmer should know what has been
done, and what is doing by others engaged in
the same occupation, and that he should inn
part to others the fruits of his own experiments
and observations. knowledge of this des-
crIptIon canin no way be so cheaply, bene-
hcialiy and generally difused as by newspa-
pers chiefly devoted to those topicks which are
particularly and appropriately interesting to
the cultivators OF the soil.
Publications of this kind have been
found to be of great utility in Europe and in
the United States. The .fmericoa Farmer. at
baltimore, and the Plough Bcg. at Albany, a.
bly, conducted and literally patron:zed agri4
cultural papers. have rendered services to the
country which are generally and highly ap-
preciated. Those papers, however. cannot
be so conveniently circulated in New England.
lie n1rbl 80 \
Metropolis. Besides, the matter contained in
those papers is not always adapted to the soil
and climate of the Eastern States; and corn-
munications proper for an agricultural PAPER
cannot ba Transmitted several hundreds Of
miles without more delay, risque and expense
than most are willing to encounter, with ne
other remuneration than prospect of benefit
to the publick.
Tha NEw-ENGLANp .FARMrn- rs;Il la "a Z
tied by gentleman OF science. conVerssnt
WIZ riIe Practice as me TrTUry
bandry. The proprietor has likewise been
promised the assistance of several gentlemen
who have been distinguished for successful ex-
periments and able essays calculated to inn
prove the agriculture of New-England.
Although this paper will be principal
ly devoted TO agriculture, it will likewise con-
tain concise summary of news, ard sketches
of topicks common to newspapers in general.
Indeed, as mere vehicle Of intelligence.
without reference to its agricultural contents.
it is presumed it will prove more useful to
country subscribers than those papers which
are nearly filed with ship-news, mercantile
advertisements, &c. Of little or no value to
those who live az distance from our sea-ports.
And the proprietor engages that no more than
one fourth part OF his paper shall, in any case,
| be filed with advertisements and in general
| still smaller portion of it will be occupied
| by advertising customers Party politicks,
| and polemcal divinity shall be likewise abso-
lutely excluded from the columns Of the
| New-England Farmer.