Houma Ceres. [volume] (Houma, Parish of Terrebonne, La.) 1855-18??, 1855-08-09
Agriculture.


Agriculture.
Dean Swift has said that he who causes
two blades of grass to grow where but
one grew before, is a benefactor of his
species. This condensed expression of a
great truth will bear the surly Deans
name and fame to the utmost posterity.
Agriculture is the ultimate source of all
real wealth, and man cannot more eff
cientIy ameliorate his physical well-being
than by perfecting and multiplying the
arts by which the riches of the soil are
developed. No branch Of industry de-
mands for its successful prosecution, more
ofexperience, intelligence and the light Of
science. But tillers of the earth are
prone, from the regularity and monotony
of their pursuits, to fall into a certain rou.
tine of habit and sluggishness Of thought.
They love an easy land quiet life-they
dislike change or trouble Of any sort, and
arc therefore inclined to devote themselves
exclusively TO the production of single
staplewhose culture they understand, whose
profits they have learned; and thereby
save themselves the labor and dispersion
OF thought which greater variety in
their modes Of agriculture would necessi.
tate. This is great evil, as we'll in its
effects on the soil, as in an intellectual
and commercial point of view. The in.
telligence and tact necessarily brought in.
to play by the complex and difficult pro.
cesses Of Transforming the juice Of the
cane into sugar, will necessarily and indie
pendently Of other causes, protect the plant.
ing community Of Louisiana from the men.
tai enervation which we have spoken of
as the result Of an unity of agricultural
effort, yet the evils resulting from such a
system will eventually be, in other re.
spects, Of great magnitude. Every one
knows the obvious truism, that whenever
the supply Of any article is abundant, the
price must necessarily diminish. 1t is
equally clear than the inevitable conse-
quence Of general production Of the
same article is to glut the market and
thereby depress the commercial value
thereof We have seen these principles
strikingiy exemplifed in our State. When
ever planters have made large crops, and
shipped an unusual quantity Of sugar and
molasses, those articles have sold at the
most miserable rates. The price current
has, we believe, in almost every instance,
disappointed the bright anticipations found.
ed on the close packed fullness Of the pur.
gerry. The almost invariable coincidence Of
large crops and low prices force upon us
the conviction Of relationship of
cause aud affect between these facts.
The crop Of last year was small in com.
parison with that Of the year preceding,
but the prices were 80 much better that
we believe the planters realized larger
profits. In view, Of these facts, we
think that it would rebound greatly to
the advantage Of the planting intere st
If our sugar growers would cease to
strive after making enormous crops of
cane, and direct somewhat Of their atten.
ton to the prosecution of other branches
Of agricultural industry. By diversifyine
their pursuits, they would obviate the evils
flowing from an overstocked market, thew
would obtain greater remuneration for a
less amount Of theis chief staple. By
producing their own corn, potatoes. &C.,
&c, thsy would save tho enhanced cossre.
saltiag from the transportation Of those
articles from the West they would bs
psnssd 6om 10 necessity Of making :
srahle ysarly outlay of moaisd cap.
i1lphich mni = beesowsd 4 ruinous
Ioes and wouh bsol1es asiain tho in.
sseable advantage & 1avins within the
sef their Own cations, another
1llaee e eomne independence.-
II 60 o. = IA the pernicioua