The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-12-09
ADDRESS OF H0N.'M. SHERBURNE,
Delivered at Minneapolis, October q,
1859, before the Minnesota State
Agricultural Society. at Its
Annual Fair.

Gentlemen of the Minnesota State Agri-
cultural Society The common necessities
of mankind have made the cultivation OF
the earth indispensable to their existence.
1t is upon this subject, and some kindred
subjects, that propose to address to you
few remarks. In doing so, shall SO far as
in my power confne myself to such points
as may deem practical in their application.
1t is very creditable to the people of this
State that they have at this stage OF their
infancy as State, adopted such energetic
measures in promoting their agricultural
operations as we find in the State generally
and particularly in this and some other
counties.
The time has passed by when men believe
that information, intelligence and science
are not necessary in the cultivation of the
earth. The time was, and it is within my
own recollection, when the great majority of
farmers, almost every one, believed, each
for himself, that he knew as much upon the
subject as his neighbor that he knew all
there was to be known upon the subject;
and the consequence was that no informa-
ton was desired. But as through the in
fuence and aid of few scientific men who
wrote upon the subject, an idea began to
prevail that something might be learned by
study and experience, and an interchange of
ideas growing out of the experience of diff
ferent persons, agricultural organizations
began to spring up in different parts of the
country, and have fourished and increased
from that day to this, until State Agri-
cultural Fair has, by common consent, come
to be considered the most interesting gath
ering of the year. is true that in our
State, so new y and so sparsely settled, it
would be impossible to get up the interest
that is excited in the older, more populous
and wealthy States, and yet when have you
seen such multitude of people congregated
together in Hennepin county as we saw here
yesterday and find here to-day? Minnesota
is not long to be behind her neighbors.
To proceed, then, directly to remark upon
the subject matter of the occasion, propose
to speak first upon the manner in which too
much of the land in this State is cultivated.
Many of the older farms land you are
aware that old, as applied to farms in this
State, means nothing but new many of
the older farms are even now nearly ex-
hausted. The owners have believed that
they could 60 on cropping for any length of
time without adding manures. This is
fallacy which is not confined to Minnesota
alone, but it has been the curse of many
portions of this country when first settled,
and when the native rigor OF tie virgin soil
enabled the farmer to count with certainty
on full return for his labor. We have
great deal of land in this State which is rich,
very rich, and again we have great deal of
not more than an average quality as COM
pared with other States but we have none
so rich that it can produce any great num-
Der of years without being invigorated by
manures. The true principle is to COM
mence putting on to the soil at the same
time you commence taking off. If this
method is carried out to such an extent that
the soil shall retain its native strength,
there will never be want of crops; but if
this is neglected and the soil allowed to be
come impoverished, it will cease gradually
to yield, and the farmer will lose his labor.
l regard this as one of the most important
considerations to which our attention can
be directed. I do know of farms that, when
l came to this State produced noble, rich,
heavy crops; this was seven years ago, and
| do know that now they have become so
exhausted that they will not produce enough
to pay for half the labor of cultivation.
Whether this lack of manuring arises from
mere neglect, or from mistaken idea as to
the necessity of using manure, or from a be.
lief that they have no means OF obtaining it,
the result will always be the same. But it
is worth our attention to consider what are
the means of obtaining manures, which most
of our farmers have at hand. Every one
has, of course, some means, but some enjoy
greater facilities than others. Our State
abounds in low places, containing rich
vegetable muck, and often in ineXhausable
quantities this muck, if hauled out in the
fall season, and exposed to the air and frosts
of winter, will be found for all purposes,
nearly equal to the best manures, and for
wheat particularly, infinitely better than any
barn manure. ought not to omit to say
that If small amount of ashes, or other
alkales can be obtained and mixed with
the muck, it will be for many crops great
advantage to it. This, then, is one means
by which great number OF the farms of
this State may be kept in the highest state
Of fertility, without even resorting to the
manures around farm buildings. But in
addition to this, very little labor and ex-
pense will save vast amount of manure
from the house and out-buildings, including
the barn, which are usually suffered to be
wasted, and in this State up to the present
time: rarely used at all. lift is worth while
to cultivate farm, it is also worth while to
use some means and labor to make it pro-
duce well. A very little of each will enable
every farmer, at least to save what is made
about his farm buildings. In this connec-
ton it may be we'll to speak of stock raising,
because the amount of manure upon farm
must necessarily be small, unless there are
cattle kept on it. This, TO certain extent,
must, or ought to be made stock raising
State. There are many reasons for this.
In the first place, it will never answer for us
to import stock and 10 the second place,
there is every reason why we should export
it. l have no doubt it would startle one to
know how much money has passed out of
this State, down to some of the lower States
during the last two years, for cattle, horses
and sheep. This could not have been pre-
vented, but it may be hereafter. thiuk it
would be we'll for the State Society, and
also for the SOCIETIES of the counties, to take
measures for introducing the best bree6G of