Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-06-18
AGRICULTURAL.
Aericulture-Its Resources.

Modern Europeans have learned more. We,
IN this country, are making advances. thou
sand minds are intensely investigating the
means for increasing the earth's productive
ness. Success is already achieved, sufficient
TO warrant the expectation of further advances.
But if we look at the present means for dIffu-
sing intelligence, by the printed sheet and by
the telegraph, writing the news at the place
desired, though hundreds of miles off, instead
of writing it at home and sending by post;
if we compare present facilities for manufac-
turing with past; or if we look at the strides
made in navigation between the times of Queen
Elizabeth and QueenVictoria, or even between
those of Washington and our own, we shall
find that science has not yet achieved for agri-
culture what she has for other departments of
human enterprise. But we are not to despair.
The task is great one. She will yet achieve
moro for this great interest than for all others.
In order to understand this subject fully, let
us look at the nature Of agriculture.
What does agriculture propose TO do? Not
TO create something out of nothing. That
might be, certainly would be, too hard a task.
Not to work with sparing materials. There is
great deal of bread-stuF in the air and the
ground. The very rocks are full of it. Eve
ry drop of rain contains it. Using ever SO
much does not diminish the supply for soon
it returns to its original condition, and is rea-
dy to be used over again. Some English man
ufacturer, few years ago, found out that by
taking old pants, picking them in pieces, and
working them over, lie could spin and weave
them anew, and make new pants of them. We
wondered what made our pants wear rough
and tear easy, lose their shape and stick out at
the knees. They told s<it was not wool; il
was ,hoddy; !" and we did not like shoddy much;
but it was using the same materials over; there
was economy for somebody, if not for the buy
er; and if we will forever buy our pants abroad,
instead Of giving the wool-growing to our own
farmers, and the cloth-making to our own ma
nufacturers, and the fitting to our own tailors,
it is good enough for us if we do get cheated.
But look at the economy the same wool that
made theDuke of Portland's pants last winter,
will make those of his servant next, those of
servants waiter the third and then make q
warm blanket for his horse the fourth and af-
ter that be fit TO grind into a new blanket for
his Suffolk pigs the fifth, and so or; ; perhaps
form to this country. 1t is so with the mate
rails of plants and OF human food-except the
cheat. The same elements Of matter which
which made the dinners of our forefathers,
make ours, had made those of their ancestors
back to Adam, and will make those of our de-
Scendants as long as time lasts. The phos-
phate of lime in your beef and bread, the sui
phate of lime in your corn cake, and the pot
ash in your potatoes, have figured at many
table; and the organic elements combined in
them have travelled round the globe more
times than Ledley ever thought of doing, and
have constituted part of the food at more ta-
bles than he ever sat by; and yet are not shod-
dy-are just as good as. ever, and will be till
the end of time. More than nine-tenths of the
materials for all plants are taken from the air
less than one tenth comes from the ground.-
The business of agriculture is TO work over
the materials-to use them again as food form
ers. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, as they
exist in atmosphere and water, afford no food;
mere air-wind, if in motion,-nothing
more. The farmer combines them, as starch,
IN the kernal of wheat, corn, rye, barley, rice
or oats Thus combined, they form an impor-
then are pretty sure to find their way back in
TO the next years crops. All nature is in mo-
tion moves for mans good will move in
spite of him, but will move to better results if
he understands her laws and demeans himself
IN accordance. The resources of agriculture
are illimitable. A learned Doctor, somewhere
south Of Canada, We hear, is lccturing, that
the world is soon coming to al end. II he
can point TO declaration of revealed religion
10 this effect, we will respect his research. So
far he bases his doctrine upon the alleged
fact, that the earth, physically, lis waxing worse;
that man has almost spoilt it as a residence
for human beingsi that it can produce food
and clothing only little longer, We take issue
with him. Man can no more harm the globe
permanently, than the smallest fly can mar the
proportions Of st. Peter. So far from culti-
vation having diminished the earth's capabili-
~ Of furnishing food, the contrary is true
Hitherto the only limit to the production of
food has been IL the non-payment OF a suffi-
cient price to femunerate the farmer We can
remember the time, when the lawyer had so
cents for writing dunning letter of three
lines, and the farmer got three cents for a
pound Of veal. The time was, when nearly the
whole population of our country was employ
ed in agriculture The perversencss of the
British government, in the first instance, and
subsequently, an error of our own, was the
cause. The manufacturer had 10 place among
us; and the farmer had no protection. A con-
sequence was, that everybody wanted to sell
farm produce, and nobody to buy. Let the
plow, loom and anvil go together; let but half
the community be engaged in agriculture let
the other half be able and willing to paw fair