Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1852-08-05
Agriculture.

Underlying all the Other avocations Of
men, and as their bass aud substratum,
Ii that OF the illagc of the soil Like
the primal rock, whose giant ribs and
bones sustain Tie waters and their fleets,
the fertile ground and its array of YER
dure---the lordly tree and modest flower
imam and his mansIons--;,s, agriculture
sustains ali other employments and pro
vides the foundation, too of forgotten,
on which they are erected. 1t is the
fuel that feeds them all. 1t gives motive
power to the great locomotive of human
achievement. Without its aid, mortal
activities would slagnate and die. Art
would sink into dust, science stop IN It's
uiumphal demonstrations, commerce
hngulsh and expire, and every avenue
pursued 10y human enterprise, now mar
gIncd with beauty, covered and lost un-
der the aid sands Of the desert. The
merchant sends his stately argosles a.
broad, and with far seeing vision con
slders how the wants OF one people may
be supplied by the productions of an
mother; and yet he interchanges but the
results of agriculture in their original or
modified forms If he brings over The
waves the aromatic leaf of China, he
but supplies our wants with the iIllage
OF the Orient. If his glad ship Is lFele;-
ed with the golden and mellow fruits Of
the Mediterranean, or of the spicy lsl-
dian Isles, she yet spreads her canvas III
the service of Pomona Whether cocoa
or the almond grapes or figs, cotton and
tobacco, -four or wool meats or mahog-
any, appear upon his manifest, he is yet
transporting substances which derived
existence from the nurture of the soil
Nay, though his invoice may register
only tho products of the loom, what
ever form the fabric may assume--he
traces back the origin of his cargo to the
prolific earth, mingled, though 1t may
have been, with mechanical, as well as
agricultural labor.
Unless large portion Of our race
shall devote lis time, industry, and skill,
with needlul appliances, and due regard
to seed time and harvest, in constantly
inviting the good old Earth to pour It's
energies through branch and stem, into
the yellow gram or rounded fruit, starva-
5 ton, or at once, all effort and aspiration,
= The muscles OF the smiths arm, growing
! ilabby aud diminished, could no more
- WELD the ponderous sledge. The last
4 human habllaiIOn would have been rear
ed, and mason, carpenter aud architect
4 sink into inactivity. No lee could tempt
the lawyers tongue. Considerations ol
momentous future would prompt nc
i pulpiilcal discourse. The pen of novel
lst or accountant would ne er be plucked
j. from It's unquauled bed, and eloquence
S poesy and music flee to their native
= heaven.
e Successful agriculture calls for some
O thing more than mere application OF sIn-
If ew. II is not enough to plant and hoe
# Intellectual must mlngle with physlca
), toll a good head, as well as a strong
D., arm, is required. In the development
of the best mode of agricultural cultIya'
. ton, observation, study. and experiment
81 are as necessary, as ia the progress o
. natural philosophy. 1t is not only sci
y ence, but other sciences contribute, AM
" are indispensable to its success. Tn
- study OF solls-lhe best mode of enrich
lie Ing them--the proper alienation OF crop
the adaptation of ground 10 wheat o
corn, oats or hemp, root crops and VINE
=, OF clover and the grasses,--the aPplca
- ton OF chemical principles to the treat
ment OF the ground-lhe exhausting pow
ers of certain producllons-the best sys
y, TEN of irrigation the true time OF SOW
n. ng or harvesting, or telling OF timber
10. he introduction of labor saving machln
cry, OF of new grains, plants, or OF me-