New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-22
AGRICULTURAL.
SUBSTANCE OF AN ADDRESS
ny HORACE GREELEY.
To me Psrmers Of sehuJ Co.. Pa, at their a'' County
- '- Frir:

NJ p,esdapt and Citizens Of Schuykll County:
ho4ve, undertakes 10 teach others is supposed to
.rme . ,uperiority in knowledge those he ad-
dresses. Let me begin, then, by assuring you that
ouite well understand that there now before me
hundreds of better farmers than can ever hope to be-
No man can be practically an adept in any vocation
who giyes to il but few hours per week, snstched
with difficulty from the requirements of more en-
crossing and e1hausting pursuit. Nor would pretend
that any one who farms at arms end, do can ever
do so with profit. know that my proper bus-
ness of making newspapers cannot be prosecuted whn
advantage in this way; why, then, should yours 1
admit fully the force of the axiom that every man
must be supposed to see little farLler on his own
proper path than another who is to that path suah-
ger BE it understood once for all, that recognize
most of You before me better practical farmers than
am. and qualified 20 teach me more things with re-
garo 10 farming than eau teach you. Still there are
Some points on which believe my opportunities Tor
obtaining truth have been superior to those as yet en-
loved by most of you-and u those points propose
in the main to coifne myself, leaving others OF equal
importance untouched because yOu understand them
as well as if not better than, do
But LET me begin by combating the pre)udlce so
widely prevalent against what Is contemptu ously
termed theoretical or "book-farming," since what
have TO say will be cast aside by many as paraking OF
this character.
book. knowledge alone would make man good fam
er Practice makes perfec; practice alone. Buta
knowledge OF principles s the true and solid founda
tOn of correct practice; and principles are vital In
Agriculture as i'll everything eise.
/ meet now and then an old farmer, who man'fests
greut coDtemI. for theories and theorists but, on
cOnyersing with him iulther find bin theorst also,
though in different way. lie has his notions as
10 the proper for blowing, planting and SOW
ing; for grating setting and trimming ru-tfees for
subcuing weeds aId causing fertility; nay, he often
has theory Of planting or sowing, or harvesting, or
ot ipula Of he moon
n good one though, so far as i have any knowledge,
a white.faced OK looking from hill a mile of would
be just as Influential as the stage OF the moon. Yet
his theory may be good, because based on facts of
which am ignorant, though 1t seems to me 50 IRA
tona We are all theorists, and the practical qnes-
tion is" Whose theories are based on absolute
truth :"
Now. the most prejudiced oontemner of "book-
tanning does not absolutely refuse to profit by the
experience of Others if he is about to try some new
re0t or grain, he asks his more experienced nsghDor
how the seed should be prepared; where the seed
should be s0wp; how the grain should be TILED ETC..
and is governed TO some extent IN his culture oy the
answers he receives. BOok-arming Is mainly the
collected experience of the wses and most success
full farmers through years if not generations collected
sad recorded ia such form to be most available for
those who come after. If one mans experience or
conclusions have any value those of many men, CON-
pared and averaged, should have far more value;
and whether printed in book, related by the fire.
se matters little. At least, If there be difference,
il ia not againft " book farming. The wlsest farmer
cnnpot know everything tnat WOulu De urelul III nH
calling; there must be some department in which his
knowledge might be improved. What more reason
able then than that he should consult and proht by
the recorded experience of others and 1t mingled
with knowledge of the laws which govern the re-
lations and combinations Of physical substances, 40
much the better. Yet this is all there OF book
farming"
the wisdom of Others There must be basis of
mother wit or the structure becomes topheavy and
insecure. Be it understood, then, that books,
and periodicals. and lectures can only the farmer
they cannot supply the want OF sense or practice In
farming as in everything else, ooklearning is
imperfect and unsafe Let the head and the hand 90
together let practice modify the directions and en-
large the uses Of theory let US appropriate the wisdom
of others without expecting it enable to dispense
with sense Of our own.
What is the end Of all discussion with regard to
farming 7
have one common aim--Proft. We all agree that
crop which costs more than it is worth is apOor one,
whether il be ten bushels to the acre or hundred
We are quite aware that white washing foresttroes
and making ornamental hsh-ponds, though 1t may 10
well enough for those who can afford it, is not farm
ing TO profit. But what are the bases OF profitable
farming
answer this question as f,llows:
LIST. As general rule, good crops pay mhile poor
ones do not There exceptions to this TO all gen
era rules but they do not shake its practical sound
Find farmer whose corn measures nifty bush
els or 10 the from year 10 year; whose hay
ranges from two 10 three tuns per acre; whose cattle
are always in good case, and whose farm turns off
more produce than any other Of its size in the town.
ship; and you may be pretty that he is making
money; or if losing at ALL ia losing otherwise than by
improbable farming. On the other hand, a farmer
who grows but half crops either on his way to the
poor-bouse or is kept from it by outede assistance
There are exceptions, admit, but they are very few.
Now then insist that the first effort of the farmer
shoud be to increase bis crops per acre. II not al
ready large rather than to increase the number OF his
acres. L insist that 81 900 judiciously expended in
fertizing and subduing his present farm would en-
rtch him far more than the same amount expended in
buying more acres. know this is an old story; but
needs to be dinned in the of your practical
men hcm day to day, till they heed it. Your
temners OF oook-tsrming," as class, always did,
std still do disregard it. They may admit its abstrac
justice, but they very seldom act upon il. Hence
lands are held too hgh-every farmer rraspjng more
than be can faithfully TILL ana so crowdpe off our
young farmers to the Wes. in search Of cheap land
II We realized the advantages Of thorough farming
we should have fuller school houses and churches
better roads and bridges, and more Of our school
mates for neighbo,s than we now do.
3D. insist that Ekdfecer tcTtif'$ers farm needs,
may airGys be applied rM lPeGt. OF course, do
when a cheaper is attsDabe. IL a farm needs Lime
worth ten cents per bushe you cannot afford to sat-
hfy that need with Plaster costing thiry cents per
bushe and IL il needs Sulphur, you cannot afford 10
apply Roll birthstone at five cents per pound when
you can obtain an equal amount of Sulphur IN the
form Of Gypsum PLASTER Of Paris at 'ess than eeni
per pound do not sey that you can AFFORD 10 TINS
county to apply ino or Bone Dust or Phosph"'es'
your laIds for do not know what they most neea,
nor how that need most cheaply be supplied; but
do soy that II your soil is deficient in any OF the
mineral ingredients which enter into the composition
az Tue crops you grow then it becomes you al ohce
supply that deficiency or stop growing those crops
You may just as wisely undertake TO make bricks
without clay grow crops from soils which do not
contain the mineral bases of those crops. And
wherever you md field that once grew good wheat