Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-10-14
IN WHAT DOES GOOD FARMING CONSIST,

| FROM : THE PLOUGH, THE LOOM AsD THE ASyiL
Premiums have been offered by societies for essays which
shall best point out hole 10 make poor lend rich.
To US this proposition be almost vague it
would be to ask for precise rules estimate the cost Of
house, without saying whether be of wood stone,
knowing the abundance or scarcity distance or proximity
OF the materials and Of labor 20 much depends cir
cumsances and these undefnabe that may be
recommended acct sbe and expeden for that would
be folly for another to employ. Yet there general
maxms applicable under all circumstances, these again
obvious that requires neither premium nor penetra-
ton to discover them as Tor instance, may not be affirm
ID at that the requisites for good farming and for ie-
zng the land consist in. Dvestng the land of all s1-
perln0us moisture 3D. In the application Of adequate
quantity of iertlzng substances and g. In good age,
let air and the necessary moisture and keep down weeds
and all growth that he strength OF the land
and the power OF the may be exclusively appropriated
| to the crop.
Such the great leading principles Of all good farming.
But when you to details and begin by laying down
certain prescription, to which, to the bed Of Procrues
every ler must conforms without reference TO The infinitely
various circumstances that belong different you can
take single step before you met by the fact that
the says the play circumstances alters cases One
DOCTOR without examination Of the symptoms, and Of The
hand, prescribes doses of linz, less
according to vague description estimate of the condition
and quality of the land and without knowing whether does
possess already enough Of that Ingredient its unpoduc-
seness being the result Of deficiency other essentials The
poor man goes in debt buy lime, of which the land bad
enough already his crops continue to fail and he is runed
because The doctor did know all the symptoms of his
Another doctor orders manure, and it applied
accordingly but being made Of wheat straw merely passed
through the body of his cat worthless as it
n and his land being yet deficient in lime and other
essential elements OF fertility his crops continue TO fail and
he again is ruined.
Thus happens has often happened the letter. that
| g doctors differ and the patient dies"
Each depend its circumstances, and
arrive any thing like certainty these must be defined The
farm be described in its general geological features and
in its locality and natural resources especially how far from
the place for selling its produce and what the modes Of con-
veyance and the Of the &C. Is lime at hand
distant, suppose the land 10 need it Can manure be
bought and what Of time, labor and money be
made available the means at hand, such marsh
mud, mari, &c. TO make manure How any essayist
lay down his rules for the government of any individual far
mer, without reference to all these things Hot water and
bleeding may do in cases, but all. How many
victims peshed because Doctor Sangrados pride would
let his practice counter 10 his book? Not book
king poor land rich, but what in like manner more,
depends the symptoms and circumstances Of each parcu
lar case, making sick well. But general
rue-one which may be laid down of universal appca-
by, such will always be followed with results that may
be considered natural and alone worthy of regardor max
ing poor land ch shape the policy the government
draw the loom and the anvil the haiters shop and the
taors shop the and the shoemaker, and all the
fashioners and of agricultural produce
possible TO the plough
Ensure able and willing TO buy and that
the farmer shall lose little in the work of transportation and
exchange and the Of the living men, women chill
den will be bring the food OF the ground. A
thousand bulky and pershsbe articles will I've needed that the
land would produce, the market m reach and the land
and the land owner will grow rich together, and with wealth
will schools and increase of knowledge which power;
and with improved knowledge again will improved farm
ing is Scoand-aye, and all the countless refine
and blessings that belong the most advanced
civilization.
St tho aka land rich Rnfh hntu
the to be drawn and around the pro-
duce Certainly not by sending msterias away to
other aud distant Countries 10 be manufactured there by
pie who the products made by the slaves and
pers Of European despotisms Does it not follow from all
this that agricultural societies and Institutes organs of the
landed interest," when nqurng into the condition of the far
and the planter, should little deeper into the subject
and look for the hp-he prncplethat governs the case
As for taking specific hundred Of land to
make them rich every knows that for sueh hare the
eans the 10 improve land is by thorough drain
ing heavy manurng, and good age but without strong
Of remuneratng market, lands will be neither
thoroughly drainsd heavily manured, well TILED Look
the rich swamps and forests undrane and unccaned in
Virginia and the Caronas where all producers, and
consumers, except al q Iuincus distance
Since writing the above find in that excellent old pa
per- The American Farmer, for which, in IFS infancy,
maintained correspondence with such Madison and
Ieeson and Taylor and Garnet IN the South and Quincy,
and Pickering, snl Lowell, and Parsons in the Norhn it
find the following from with whom farming pur
suit Of honor because he makes o intellect ofmere
| habit routine
81 you offered handsome premiums for the best
the improvement OF wornout lands their length
not to exceed pages the American Farmer If we're
the lists (which shall mine would be compr-
ed in less than lines. would recommend hundred
cartoads Of compost made from the stable the cowyar
hundred csrtoads OF marsh mud, from satwa
river which deem equally good, and i've hundred bushels of
shell mari from mari bank the properties Of which had been
proved the NV friend Mr. Maddox of your post
Office, here visit last he growing
lands which hid been marled twenty years ago, and
deemed il equal TO the improved lots around Baltimore"
One hundred caroads of compost the acre. Judge
Carmichael That would be, for, say twenty acres "a small
corn-feld for Maryland thousand cartoads Now,
make thousand catoads Of compost would require how
much lsbo how many cattle , And then for the marsh
mud-suppose a man has marsh and how many have
Another correspondent Of the same journal, the same
subject, says
"Some time ago il stated in the papers that the Ame
rican Peace Society had offered considerable
mium the individual who would favor Tic world with
essay the origin and OF the late with Mexico and
the probable result An individual put boldly for prize
follows with what OF reasoning do not pretend to de-
termine
| stIst. Origin and cause Of the ~ar-Texas
ss2d. Result oi the war-raxes
Now friend Editor noticing the very liberal premiums
for the best essays exceed pages LENGTH
on the renovation Of lauds induced believe
might be prepared quite brief the above
contain the whole matter, Notwithstanding
| like the following:
Borrow money you IL not, sella part your
land for money you have starting point
! worn-out land.
s'Cl0ar your ground OF All bushes and stones
4 q nj relue 4