Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1840-08-11
From the Maine Farmer.
IMPORTANCE OF AGRICULTURAL EXPE-
RIMENTS

MR.. HoLMEs:--A spirit of agricultural
improvement is abroad IN our country, and
the subject is beginning to excite the at
tentlon OF government. Anabundance has
been said, and justly too, IN praise Of ag
( riculture. Other branches of industry are
indeed necessary in order 10 advance the
| great interests of the country, but it is
truth controvertble, that agriculture lies at
| the bottom Of every other interest. Agri-
culture furnishes the means Of increasing
or extending every other branch Of nation
al industry, also the means Of prosecuting
every kind of public improvements; some
political economists have attempted oprove
! that commerce is superior to agriculture in
point of utility, and some writers have
placed the mechanic before the farmer,
but the arguments Of both crumble at the
touch of truth. The farmer and the me-
| chanic are creators Of the materials from
which the merchant derives his wealth,
! and the mechanic, what is he if the far
mer refuses his aid? A skIIlul mechanic
| (especlaly one who manufactures superior
| implements Of husbandry) is a public be-
netactor; but of what avail is the most con-
suma,e skill, if the farmer neither purcha
ses nor consumes? Agriculture furnishes
healthlul and profitable employment to
three-lourihs Of our population. No en-
ployment conduccs in SO high degree to
preserve the moral health Of the communi-
~. Where can rational liberty find a safer
asylum than in a country where the great
body OF the people are actively engaged in
agricultural industry and agricultural i'm
provemsnts? Every branch of industry,
except agricuture,.is liable to be overdone
and when this happens, distress more or
less severe is sure 70 follow. This coun-
try is now grooming under the effects Of
excessive foreign trade. Who ever heard
of a national distress occasoned by a spi-
rited agriculture? If the merchants who
imported silks and other gewgaws from
Europe, and by so doing involved our peo
pie in debt, had been skilful industrious
farmers, who will pretend that the country
would have suffered as it now does? Sci
ence is indispensable in order to the sue
cess of agriculture, but experiment is the
lever of Improvement. The business of
science or theory is to reason on facts:
who can be good farmer without reason
ing? The business of experiment is 10
test the truth CT theory, and thereby come
al certain knowledge. Every farmer who
tries experiments in agriculture for the
public good, deserves the gratitude of the
whole country. But individual efforts are
insufficient, there must be union of efforts
in order to meet with great success. Sup
pose that 100 farmers in different parts Of
this State can be found, who would be will
ling TO appropriate each one half acre Of
land for the purpose of trying some expe-
riment in the culture of wheat. Suppose
these 100 farmers can act in concert, and
each agree to try some different expert
ment, and continue their efforts we will
say for five years, varying the mode of ex-
pertinent each year, only think! five hum
dred different experiments skilfully con-
Quoted: who can tell what such course of
managementmay accomplish? But if 100
farmers acting untedly can accomplish so
much or try so many experiments without
imposing heavy burden upon any indi-
vidual of the association, what may not
the whole State accomplish for every
branch of agriculture, if backed by the en-
ergies of government. That government
which produces the largest amount of hui
man happiness is certainly the best, what
ever may be its style or the name by which
it is known. Human happiness should
certainly be the object Of every good GO
vernment. In this country more than any
other, We expect the measures of govern
ment to be such that the happiness Of the
people be directly promoted. Every per-
son in the community, is directly, or indi-
rectly benefited by an improved agricul-
ture, and If we have any regard for the
democracy Of numbers, certainly the agri- |
cultural interest should be always in the |
front rank. An active government in a
country possessing such facilities as the !
State of Maine, cannot fail TO cause to be |
made agricultural improvements Of We
~ high order. However the case may be |
with a sluggish government, some indeed |
NAV be found in our State, who think that |
the government should do nothing to push |
forward agricultural improvements; but
whether such opinions arise from " con-
tinuaI scruples," or whether il is thought !
to be bad policy, in which the State should
not engage, am not able to determine
! think that sound policy and justice require |
that The government give spirited support |
to the agricultural interest. Let the uni |
ted voices Of our yeomanry from one ex~
tremitv of the State to the other be, we de- |
mand it of YOU. JOHN +. ROLFE.