The Hillsborough recorder., 1853-07-13

Ter systems and bettrr modes Of has
bandry. Well. history sustains mi
view. All history relating to agricul
tare sasiains Il. II is but the erperi
enee Of the exPerienced-of those wh,
hass tested the doctrine. IL Is tru,
Jon will not see ii stated in the word
IN WHICH have presented il now, fo
with me u is = deduction from history
see V 10 the results Of English hus
bandry, and ! see IL in the results o
the best husbandry both Of the soutl
and north in this country.
i am. Sir. most respectfully.
Your servant,
f. EMMONS.
May 20. ls5s.
ao HIS KzecLkaey Rarid 8. Reid ,.
SIR; The subject Of improvement oI
old lands takes broad field. II might
be expected. and perhaps demanded,
that should sustain and carry out the
doctrine Of the last communication by
statement Of details. how old lands
SHOULD be treated in order to bring up
their productiveness to a standard
higher than they possessed in the first
periods Of cultivation. l shall not at
tempt, however, TO do this with any
degree Of fglness. aud before I touch al
all upon the subject, l wish to make a.
remark ar two which have a general
bearing upon the whole subject. In the
first place. agricultural writers when
they propose Improvements are very
apt to make them too sweeping. They,
for instance, propose deep draining,
deep plowing. lime as a fertilizer, &C.,
or some special mode Of procedure in
order to obtain a given end, Now.
general doctrines are excellent when
they are general; but it frequently
happens that there are important cx-
ceptions. Ii is nut every field which
requires draining, some may be injured
py IT., Il i pot every field which re-
quires lime. and even when il is requir.
ed the conditions are nouD same. IrI
the soil is destitute Of organic matter
or quite deficient in it, lime, though
It may be wanting in the soil, still.
without giving also supply OF organic
matter, u will be useless it will fail.
and the planter will be disappointed.
lie will say 70 his neighbors that he
had tired lime and it did no good; he
,as lost his money and his labor. Now,
no sensible man need be Told that
such a result is doubly bad. The
same may be said Of phosphate Of lime
md of guano. II the farmer or plan.
ter is unacquainted with the compost
ion Of his soil; if he is ignorant Of the
which are necessary TO in
ure good results, there are many chan
;es to one that he will tail in the use
# recommended mode, or in the use
4 good fertilizer. My doctrine,
therefore,, is that all general doctrines
s set forth by writer's should be re-
uced to specialities as far as possible; q
hat is, while the doctrine is set forth a
a general terms, the conditions which {
re required for their successful work 1
ig should be laid down also. But all b
his would require investigation; it +
ould. demand very close observation ; {
nd, perhaps, more still, the chemical ?
Of the soil. Now, l be.
eve that because investigation Is re- c
xired, may failures happen to the very r
est modes; that, though there is a 4
oseness in stating doctrines and facts t
! writers, yet there is only one source a
isappointment; there is remaining p
want Of expenditure Of thought upon X
e subjects by the farmer himself. n
here are some men who | believe are 81
ore lavish 10 the expenditure Of mo- III
y than they are in the expenditure Of oil
ought; though the rule generally is, a
I to expend either, especially in hus- Of
ndry. There is still another class te
lite unlike the two former that class b,
10 take in all the doctrines and digest ar
ne-whose minds are like stuffed an
Usage, full Of meat, which is not Of the tie
lst use to the membrane which con- of
ms it. Again, some suppose that an
lnting and farming may be success
ly prosecuted, on the same plan that
ook makes up her pies and cakes
t is by receipts which tell them de
v good crop Of corn, tobacco, or III,
eat may be rails led. There is much na
this kind of husbandry every where, lh,
if there is no written form of re- CHI
pit, there is about the same thing in an,
brain; there is routine without ple
ught, which is carried out mechani- adj,
y. There is no expenditure of be;
ught about the conditions. Of the soil, .
The climate, or peculiarities of the mo
sons. There is M employment up for
which thought might be 50 profitably il
ended, as agriculture, deep thought, tau
!; but it cannot be given without Ger,
nentary knowledge. 1t is true we lasl
think about sthe result of an ex> bea
ment, but of it's success or failure, fell
AN form no Judgment without in sen
ctisn in the elements Of Agricul- diel