Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-10-15

Agriculture, or farming, is the art of utFang the
ground; tllage-husbandry. 1t is the bd sness o.
management of farm, compromising the whole cir
cumstances and conduct of it: comprlzing the cntva-
ton of the lan, the breeding rearing and feeding
different kinds of stock, and the management Of the
various products which are afforded by them. And the
perfection of the art is to obtain the greatest possible
produce at the smallest possible expense, with the
least possible injury to the land.
Upon the Importance of the art it is needless fer us
to insist for by it every country is enabled to support
in comfort an abundant population. On this, its
strength, as nation, deptn and by it its ndepen
dence is secured.
Agriculture, or farming has its principles as well
its forms, and is as much dependent on skill as any
thing which is wrought by the hand of man. 1t is
practice that demands constant and attention, as
well much activity and judgment to conduct it in
proper and advantageous l. requires an init
mate and practical knowledge of all the arts of cut Va
ton and management, well as the nature and qutli
ty of Soils
Its commencement was at the time when man
driven from the garden, and commanded to It'll the
earth from whence he was taken"
From that period to the present, it has been nl-
proving art; and there is to doubt but that
it will 60 on advancing as long mankind continue
to increase. Indeed, we may Justly suppose that, as
population increases, new and improved modes Of
cultivation, the introduction of Species and of more
fruitful varieties of agricultural produce, will increase.
Farming once regarded as profession easy to be
understood and successfully followed only BY the
piric, has oug since been viewed in different and
in wiser manner. And, INDEED, our experience
has taught the folly of such opinion.
1t has been justly said that pursuit requires
talent perseverance, and more careful observation
than the cultivation of the earth.
That far from its being empirical business, it
is in fact one that several oher sciences illustrate and
assst-one, whose professors cannot too often exam
inc the practice of other cuvatos and hence, since
it has been found that the labors Of the chemist the
boanist, and the geoogst, all available in the
service of the farme, it follows a nltlral c1nse-
quence, that farmers should be the most enlightened
class of community. For the want Of proper knowl
edge Of the different Soils and the adaptation of tain
crops to those Soils and the application of different
MI e., the huSblnlmin loses one half of his labor
perhips. For the want of perseverance in those
periments and Improvements which the farmer should
be constantly making, he loses all the heEtfci re-
suits. For the want Of careful observation in the cul-
tvaon of the euth, lie loses all those lessons Of ex
periencr which he should be constantly adding to his
fund of knowledge. Gao says, mature has shown
us two paths which lead tn knowledge ofagricutue
Experience and Imitation
"Preceiing hu3banl,n en-, by making experiments
have established many mOxims; their poserty gener
ally initiate them; but ought not only to initiate
Others but make experiments not directed by CHARGE,
but by reason"
The principle already laid down. viz, to derive the
greatest per cent the capital invested and the labor
performed without any detero alton Of the SOIL should
form the basis of all others in the system adopt in
farm management
Every other system should be condemned at once,
destructive to the best interests of the farmer
Why is that the farmer has realized 80 small profit
from his labor? and why is it there is such general
complaint that farming will support ITSELF but that
the farmer has dlsregarded this principle and adopted
some other, calculated in itself destroy and render
unproductive his farm?
The truth u.s. that farmer who looks alone to present
profit, without any regard to the future in the manage
ment Of his farm will find to his 2re that moth
er EARTH with all her munifcence will be deprived Of
her ability to yield remuneration to the laborcr for
his toll
When the farmer adopts this as his motto,-that
where spire of grass grows, he will make two
grow-where his land yields but ten or fifteen bushe
of wheat to the acre, he will make it yield thirty where
yields but thirty bushels Of corn, he will
cause it to produce seventy five; where he cuts
only half ton of hay to the acre, he will cultivate it
so that it will produce TONS to the acre, and apply
this system Of Improvement to every portion of his
farm which he cultivates then, and not till then, will
the farmer look out with pleasure upon his rich flow
ing fields, and upon his meadows, burdened with the
different kinds of grasses, and not mprmur escape
his lips.
We proceed to lay down some Of the many impor
tant facts connected with successful farm management
Ist There should be no capital invested il
land than Is absolutely necessary to enable the farme
to carry out fully systematic course of farming.
Romulus, when he first part:ioned the lands of tn
infant State among his followers, assigned to no on
more than he could cultivate. The acquisition o
large farms is not only detrimental to individual inter
-ests, but it is to public interests also Most farmer
are anxious to obtain large FARMS and are thus betray
ed into the error OF endeavoring to till gronn
than they have the means of managing to advantage
Hence arises deficiency of Stock imperfect tillagt
scanty manureing, or none at all, and the nevltabl
result, scanty crop, together with disconragemer
and disappointment to the farmer and worst of all, u
inability to pay his extra labor from the surplus pre-
ceeds of his farm. Whereas, he who is Prudenty COZ
,apt N nrorress with only such number of acres