The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-11-04

persis,ently followed in the Western States
Of denudng the land Of It's timber, has ha,
u two-fold injurious effect. II has destroye,
vast quantities Of valuable frewood while /
has rendered the occurrence Of alternate
drought and rainy Seasons more probable
II not lcss certain, for II has been ascertaine,
by series OF enlightened observations. tha,
the destruction Of forests In country
changes very materially It's climate, and in
teriercs with the general operations OF nature
with respect 10 the condensation Of vapor
and its descent In the form Of rain.
Many distinguished mc,eroogists have
deprecated such rulnous waste. Humboldt
rcmarks I'm Telling trees which cover the
crowns and slopes Of mountains, men In oil
climates seem to be bringing on future gen
eratons two calamities ut oncc--a want OF
fuel aud u scarcity Of water" In this
prairie region, there Is not. N We all know,
u super abundance OF timber and We should
therefore be doubly solicitous TO preserve
what we possess OF that valuable material.
Not tree should be cut down. except In
case Of absolute necessity. for II requires
years TO replace what may bc destroyed in
u single hour.
There Ia not In TACT. any vocation, which
requires more intelligence and more practi
cal application Of scientific principles 10
every day life, than that of agriculture, In
years past II was the practice TO act apart
the more active and promising lads Of u
family, for education In what is commonly
called the learned professions, while the duI
lard was kept to home 10 conduct 10 the
operations Of the farm. Such Ia no longer
the case, and the consequence is. that the
most useful, philosophical and intellectual
men Of the nation. are 10 bc lounl among
those who cultivate the earth for livelihood
While science has been invoked for her adl
in every department, tho progress made In
Agriculture demonstrates that she numbers
among her yo,aii~, many Of the ticrs Of
the soil. Mechanical genius has substituted
the improved implements oi labor now in
general use, for the old and rude spec.
mcps Of past generation. The drill, the
reaper, the mower, the horse rake, the
thrcsbing machine, The corn shcllcr and
many other labor.savng instruments which
might be enumerated, are the the contribu.
iions Of the enlightened and scientific farmer
to the great cause of human improvement.
The steam plow, 10 long wished Tor, as one
Of the great requirements Of the times. will
soon superccde all others as late expert
ments have been attended with marked sue.
cess When the means shall bc provided,
M they doubtless twill bc. sooner or later,
for performing every part Of the labor Of a
farm from the preparation Of the ground
and the sowing OF the secd. through the dif
fercnt processes until the grain In converted
into bread for man. or food for his beasts,
by machinery Of n simple, inexpensive and
uncornplicated Characterization the r,@our-
ccs oi the mechanic arts will have been cx.
hausted, and II will remain for other branches
Of science 10 perform their part In the great
object Of directing the intelligence Of man,
TO the production in the greatest possible
profusion, Of the best kind Of grain and
other esculcnts.
II Ia q lamcniablc fact, that In the West
csn States, little or no attention IL paid TO
the renovation Of the soil by the use Of fer
tiizing ingredients land Is ~ cheap, and II
40 aboupds In elements Of fertility. that an
impression seems 10 prevail, tha, there is
no necessity Tor resorting TO u regular sys
TEN for restoring the productive power Of
which u succession Of crops has deprived II.
This IL o great and obvious error. Accu
rate calculation has demonstrated, that the
soil Ia exhausted annually Of nearly ten per
cent Of its producing properties by the cul.
tivstion of crop oi cereal grains. In 9th
er words. ten or fifteen years Of successive
tlagc snd cultivation 0i the same kind u
grain upon the same land without the uS
0f fertilizers, will exhaust 1t entirely. and
leave il barren waste. Thnse facts have
become 80 apparent, that much anxiety and
alarm prevail among enlightened farmers,
lest the careless mode VI cultivation 10 the
West, be eventually attended with . very
serious dimnution 10 the quantity and qaal
ity of the crops. II is comparatively easy
10 restore, IRON year 70 year, the ingredients
Of which the soil has been deprived, but
when allowed 10 be wholly deteriora,ed, v
the hest land will be, by failure in the nse
Of FERTILIZERS, and In the jadicious rotation oi
crops, il requires long and expensive pro
cess 10 restore in powers of production.
This is q question which Is deserving Of
careful confederation by your Society. tor II
has truly been said " that the continued
fruitiuInsss oi the earth, is an interest far
greater and more enduring than any torn Of
government" 1t IL al obligation which !
every cultivator d the soil owe. .Dp'@,erity, /
no, 10 leave the earth In lcss fruitful con !
dition than be- found it,
I, ia not my intention, even il had the |
ability. 10 take up your time with dis4ai |
.l,ion upon practical farming ba, there are
certaiu aa,zti0rls competed with that sub !
yet which have - yet no, bs.n determined
by experienoe. Among these may be men !
t,oosd the kind. Of grain which will prove
mo-; profitable 10 the farma--the best I
brezis Of stock-,he particular species of
such fruit tres a. can be cultivated SIth !