New-York daily tribune., 1843-05-02
The Science of Agriculture.

There is no more encouraging sign OF the tunes
4han the universal tendency now manifested
roward improvement III the arts which minister
10 the comfort and well-being of the human race
The era of deiusive and visionary Speculation IN
paper cities, corner lots and rnultcaulis, which
took rise IN the Executive quackerles IN finance
OF 1921, and was terminated III disaster by the
Hard Money absurdities Of 1867, has passed
away, leaving but the wrecks OF saDgnne hopes
bIoated fortunes, and dazzling enterprises to show
that it has existed. Men have abandoned. per
haps with sigh for bllghted prospects, those
airy and unsubstantiai regions, and come back TO
terra trina The really important movements
OF our day are those connected with the Organ
ization Of Industry; the better employment
and reward Of Labor; the improvement OF Mai-
chinery, Implements and Industrial processes;
the application of the truths and demonstrations
OF Science TO the advancement oil the Csciul
Arts: but. above all the transformation Of Agrl-
culture from It's recent condition OF mere repeti-
ton of few rude, unskilfu processes, resting on
!. low instinct or IA blind tradition, TO that palnly
state which it is destined ere long to attalnto be
-"
iectual and as honorah. as Physlc or Law-no
longer monoionous and cramplng drudgcry, but
a lofty and libcrazing Art, resting upon and
profted by all the forces Of Nature, all the dis
covcries of Science.
The positive condition of Agriculture is yet
very far behind that of Mechanical and Manu-
featuring processes. 1t is saying little TO aiiirm
that no Merchant or Manufacturer could prose
cute hrs business singie year az sloYeiliy, disad-
vantngeously and mskilfully the majority Of
Farmers cosduct tllers, without mcurrng certain
Bankruptcy. The unthriitiness evinced IN the
cultivation of our halficnced, unmanured, shallow
ploughed, late planted, poorly titled apologies for
farms with no regular rotation of crops or system
OF culture, would ruin any business TO which ruin
is possible.
Agriculture has as vet attained the rank OF
Science only in England and among precious
few In our own and other countries. Tie annual
Agricultural product OF Great Britain has been
immensely increased within the last twenty years
by improved and more scientific methods of cul-
ture. Thousands of acres Of utterly barren heath
and other waste lands which were such less than
Ave years ago, are now producing twenty-five and
thirty bushels of wheat to the acre, and paying
every three years the entire cost OF rcclalmng
them. Improved breeds Of Cattle, Sheep, &c.
have added vastly TO the productiveness OF the
farm; while draining, subsoilng irrigation, root
culture, rotation, and other Improvements hardly
known to the last generation, arc swelling I'M
mensely the rewards of the husbandman, as I'M
proved implements and processes arc Tightening
and diversifying his labors. Agriculture at the
close of this century, 1t requires no prophet to
ioresee, will bear the same relation to that Of 1900
as the steamship OF our day bears to the stone
excavated canoe OF The savage.
The advancement of the science among us is
rapid, but unhappily not umverSal-hardly gen.
eral The number of farms which arc only IN
tested largely overbears that of the truly cultva-
ted Not one farm III twenty produces halt as
much as it might more proftably be made to do
by scientific and thorough culture. Whole town
ships, nay, Counties, prolcssedly devoted TO Ag-
rculnrc, do not produce their own provisions,
while producing little else. The instruction OF
energies is a source OF immense evil. Whole
Counties at the South are devoted 10 the produc-
ton OF Cotton, netting them Soue 3 or A cents a
pound, which might, with the same labor and 4
little more care, produce half as much fine Wool,
worth thirty te forty cents pound, or other sta
pies OF perhaps still greater value. With every
iuciLty of climate, SOIL position, labor and ingc-
nui,y for the production of Silk, we send abroad
for Ten or Fifteen Millions worth annually
whereby the prce OF every bushcl of Gram raised
IN the Country is depressed, Errors similar to
this have much to do with the present general dc.
preston OF our Industry.
But Agriculture is rapidly improving among
us, and the credit is due, more than TO any other
cause, TO our Agricultural Periodicals. These
arc numerous, and most of them excellent; and
they have done much to diiluSc that general taste
for reading on TOPICS connected with Practical
Science which has within the past wear become
remarkable, Prominent among these periodicals.
Is the American AGRiCULTuRiSr. issued nonthv
IN this citv at barely $ per annum, by AIcSSyS
A. Is. X Il. L.. Alien, practical and scientific mcn
who have travelled, studied, tarmed, and III every
way fitted themselves for their vocation. We IN
tended, when we commenced this article, 10 give
some account of the contents of their First Vol
ume, now lying before US, which closed with the
March Number, but We have been led away by a
suggested tram of thought until our space IS eS
haus,ed. Suffice it that the practical Farmer,
who is not afraid of knowing any thing beside
what he learned from his grand father, may here
find fund OF valuable information, conciseiy and
clearly impaired, with regard 10 breeds and breed
ing OF Stock, improved implements, the SILK
Culture, raising Fruit, Gardening, and every thing
connected with his calling, which it would bc