The Southern journal., 1846-05-16
.'HE ACR7CULwUHIST.
From the Grenada, MI. Chronicle.
" BOOK FARMING. y

don't like your Book Farming,
said one Of my neighbors, a few days
ago. Why, said /, what objections
have you TO 5ook Farming9
Because, said he, these new fan.
gled plans Of farming does not sue.
coed like the old beaten track.
But, said /, neighbor, have you ever
considered how much you are indebt,
ed to Book Farming, as you call it, for
your present success in planting. 1t
is true you may not take an agricul.
tural paper, nor read a scientific work
on agriculture, and may repudia!e
them all; yet, it is by following the
plans and adopting the system Of those
who have read them, that you are
mainly indebted for your success. In
all countries where science has not
shed her rays upon agriculture, the
implements Of agriculture are exceed
ingly rough, and lI.shaped, and the
labor of cultivation vastly increased
for want of the proper information, as
to the best system of cultivation. After
improvements lave once been made,
they seem, perhaps to US, so simple,
that every body could have known
them; yet, it has required the science
and skill of ages to bring them to their
present perfection-could you see the
uncouth plow, used by our ancestors
century ago, you would be surprised
at its little adoption to The present
state of agriculture. Science by rs
certaning the analysis ofsoils, and the
nnalyTis of plants, enables US to know
the son best adapted to different crops,
also the best method of improving e
them. But, said he, there is too much
method in all our agricultural papers
Well, | admitthere is too much the
ory, and that there are many things
beautiful on paper that are unsuccess,
ful in practice, but in agriculture as in
Il gold mine, we are under the neces-
sity Of separating the useless from the
useful, and this cannot be done with.
out skill and judgment. The cul,iva-
ton Of cotton, now our great staple,
was once regarded a chimerical, and
those who cultivated it, were looked
upon as visionary, as you look upon
book farming. They however perse.
vered, and you see the result-now it
is our nations wealth, nd sustains in
its manufacture thousand of the fam.
ishing population OF Europe. The
cultivation of sugar, too, has had to
struggle IN our coaotry against the
fears AND opposition of those who sneer
against The improvements in ag,icul.
snre.-Now 1t is q favorite staple, aud
at no distant day, like our cotton, /
vii: become great staple of export
Again, science throws her RAYS over
.he practical farmer and directs US as
to the best food and the best method OF
preparing it to rear the domestic ami
mails we wish for use or food, and the
application of science 10 stock raising
will no doubt greatly increase the pro-
fits of that business. Its application
70 The preparation of manures will
vastly Increase the productiveness Of
our soils when land is scarce and high:
the advantages of a judicious applica.
ton OF manures are much more mani.
fest in New England, where good
land is scarce, Than in a country like
ours, where it is plenty and cheap.
What could the cotton planter do with
out the cotton gin, or the sugar plan.
ter without his machinery for grind
ing, boiling, &C.; yet, he is indebted
to science for these aids. knowledge
is power in agriculture, as we'll as in
mechanism, and he who knows we'll
the nature of soils, and the best meth.
cd of improving and cultivating them
will always be the most successful
planter.
You object that there is so much
haI =, kInt;zzl 4