Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-12-02

half | can't account for this, unless it be
owing to the fact, that we have not consid-
cred enough the true economy of farming,
and the h highest profits to be derived from
well directed labor. We have been carried
away too much by the extensive instead Of
The intensive mode Of cultivation. 1t is
something pleasan. to have it said, we farm
upon large SC lie. Each one likes to talk
of the number of acres he has in corn, the
quantity Of wheat he has seeded, and the
number Of tobacco hills he has planted
This oil sounds very we'll and is calculated
to give us an idea Of the great Farmer. But
reduce this talk down to sober facts; ana
lyze this extensive farming operation upon
poor land; keep an accurate eccount, as
every Farmer should do, Of all expenditures,
losses, and products; strike balance
shee, a. the end Of each year, and you will
find that in addition to The soils fertility be-
coming "smaller and beautifully less" the
profits don't scarcely NEE, ordinary expen-
ses, much less do they pay in,e,es. upon
The capital invested. Why then should you
continue This extensive system when it is
known, by cuIivating less land, you will
cultivate i. better you will improve faster,
and your profits will be greater? 1t is true,
"lha, lille farm we'll titled 10 farmer is
the next best thing to little wife we'll will
ed" When you have divided your land,
then, into suitable fields, the next thing TO
be looked after is a thorough draining of
them, if they require it. Surface water, bogs
and moors are as injurious 10 the productive
qualities Of land as the worst parasitical fun
gus is sure destruction 10 the maturity OF
grain. Nothing we cultivate will grow or
mature in or abou, such places. They mus.
be removed and the ground made dry before
we can 60 on with any system OF improve
men.. The farming doctors first surgical
operation here commences. With spade
and shovel he must cut deep, until these
pent-up poisons are thoroughly drained off.
Having done this, he is now prepared to
commence with the great mechanical oPe-
ration Of ploughing, upon which depends,
in SO grea. degree, the improvement OF
worn out lands.
The plough truly is the grea! implement
Of The Farmer. And as it is made to work
shallow or deep, so will follow injury or
benefit to The land Jelhro TulI, who rank
ed high as an agricuturist in his day, con-
tended that all lands could be improved by
deep ploughing alone. His idea was, that
the injury to the soil was not so much oc-
casioned by the exhausting effvcls of crops
as by shallow and imperfect ullage. He
practiced upon his theory and was success
ful in high degree. And why did he sue
ceed Of all Because it is fact we'll as
cerlained now by the experience Of the best
Farmers, that by deep ploughIng you Gen
large the area, from which plants draw large
quantities Of their organic and inorganic
food ;" you pulverize larger mass, through
which the melioraling influences Of the al
mosphere are felt to a greater depth, and
you increase the capacity Of the soil for the
reception and retention Of moisture, thereby
guarding against washings, and enabling
crops TO withstand drought. These are
some of the advantages of deep ploughing,
and they certainly are very great. Yet how
many are there who still adhere to the old
system of scratching the surface. not con-
sIderng the true value of labor, and not car
ing, so they can sow and reap, be the pro-
duct great or small. To such, if they have
poor land to improve, say, from my little
experience, stop at once practice which is
so great an enemy 10 your success. Plough
deep, and if y on have no, The means Of fur
nishng manures. this mechanical aud chemi-
cal operation of deep ploughing will of IL
self, in a great measure, enable nature IN
! time 10 recuperate her spent energies and
return to you many of her rich stores. The
theory of Tull then is true as far as il goes,
bu, i. is wanting in one thing to form per-
| C,o III &c in ~, Il
! ploughng, there must be proper applIca-
lon of suitable manures 10 ensure speedy
and permanent renovation. Upon this branch
| of the subject it is useless for me to occupy
much of your time, as all of you are well
acquainted with the value of manures. Our
learned and accomplished State Chemist has
shown you the effects Of the different kinds
of manure, when applied TO soils Of differ
ent character. He has proven to you that
all vegetable substances contain, as part
| of their organic structures, certain constliu
en,s Of the soil, which they have extracted
from it while undergoing the process of cul
tivaton, and lha, to keep up fertility, these
constituents must be restored in some shape
or form. Home made manures, which are
so valuable, every Farmer has at his COM
mand, if he will guard with care his com
post heaps, his stable and farm yards. These
are his great laboratories, into which must
90 all the refuse Of The farm, TO be worked
up into proper food for his crops. II he at
tends TO these properly, he is pursuing >
system The most economical, from which
mus. follow Improvement to his land and
comforts to himself and family. There
are other manures without the use of some
, of which, il is believed, there cannot be per-
manent improvement. Among these ranks
FIRST, lime. II is the wand Of Midas; HE