The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1840-03-24

From the american Farmers Companion.
IMPROVE THE SOIL-AND GO AHEAD

IMPROVE THE SCOTLAND GO AHEAD.
No farmer 'go ahead unless he raises an
abundance ofgrass. Where there is but little
grass there is always short purse, said man
OF extensive observation and great experience;
the reason of this must be so obvious as scarce,
iy to need an explanation, tor of grass comes
manure, and manure is the philosophers stone
which turns every thing into gold, provided it
is well husbanded and judiciousy applied to the
soil. The experiment of trying to raise profta.
bic crops on worn out lands, without manu- re
has been made thousands of times and always
resulted in the same way, it is therefore unnec.
cessary to repeat it again, for disappointment &
shame will always attend it. But, says the man
of the poor farm, now am TO help repeating this
everlasting abortive experiment? Why; in the
way you help doing any thing else which you
know to he wrong; by not doing 1t. Well, how
AIN to live if don't go on in the old way?
Go to work in earnest, determined to reform, g.
do better instead of spreading your manure over
htteen or twenty acres; cultivate but one third
or one half the quantity of land; go just as far
as you can do justice to the soil and to yourself,
and no further. Don't go one inch beyond,
make your land feel the effect of the manure,
don't tap'aize it with a mere smell of it. What
would you think of aneighbor inviting you TO
dine and when the time arrived you were only
permitted to smell the good thing but obliged TO
keep hands off. You would not go into the trap
again i'll vouch for it. Now if your old worn
out fields could talk and tell what they Think of
their owners, vociferate their grief what tale of
woe would they not develope? 1t might be
something on this wise. That mean, stingy,
stupid old fellow has heen scratched over me
these forty years and more, and though provi.
dence has always berevoenty furnished me
with plenty of drink of the purest and best kind
yet have never had a full meal during some
where near half century and tor more than
four fifths of that time have been left to snuff
the air and shift for myself without any susten'
ance being offered me, and yet it is expected OF
me to produce crops equal to what rendered
in the days of my youth, when my belly was full
of meat and my homes full of marrow. Vain ex-
pectaion! it is nearly over with me unless help
comes from the dunghiil or some other quarter.
This everlasting scratching my hide may go on
to all eternity with still less success, till my own
err: and all their worthless, lazy progeny to the
third and fourth generation, may be starved out
of house and home, unless an adequate quantity
of good wholesome and nutritious food be fur
nished me to res,lscitate and invlgorae my ex'
hausted system, and to enable me TO put on my
p.reen mantle as was wont to do in my eallieI
and better days.
Farm poor land poorly, and poverty will be
your lot whatever your name may be, but ma
nure the soil, enrich it, farm it we'll and KEEP
it in regular advance of improvement by rails
ing an abundance of grass, and posterty will
smile upon you and yours if so be you are vir
IuOus,