Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-08-25


Extracts from an address of Hon. Abraham
Lincoln at the exhibition of the State agricul-
tural society of Wisconsin, September, 1859,
My first suggestion is an inquiry as to the
effect OF greater HoroughueSS i'll all the depart
ments of agriculture than now prevails in the
northwest-perhaps | might say in America
10 speak entirely within bounds, it is known
that fifty bushels OF wheat, or one hundred
bushels of Indian corn, can be produced from
an acre. Less than a year ago | saw it stated
that man, by extraordinary care and labor,
had produced of wheat what was equal to two
hundred bushels from an acre. But take fifty
OF wheat and one hundred of corn, to be the
possibility and compare it with the actual crops
OF the country. Many years ago | saw it
stated in a Patent Office Report that eighteen
bushels was the average crop throughout the
United States and this year an intelligent
farmer of Illinois assured me that he did not
believe the land harvested in that State this
season had yielded more than an average of
eight bushels to the acre. The brag crop
heard of in our vicinity was two thousand
bushels from ninety acres. Many crops were
threshed, producing no more than three BUSH
els to the acre much was cut, aud then aban-
doned as not worth threshing and much
was abandoned as not worth cutting. AS to
Indian corn, and, indeed, most other crops,
the case has not been much better. For the
last four years, do not believe the ground
planted with corn in Illinois has produced an
average of twenty bushels to the acre. 1t is
true that, heretofore, we have had better crops,
with no better cultivators; but believe it is
also true that the soil has never been pushed
up to one half Of its capacity.
What would be the effect upon farming in
terest to push the soil up to something near its
full capacity? Unquestionably it will take
more labor to produce .titty bushels from an
acre, than it will to produce ten bushels from
the same acre. But will it take more labor to
produce fifty bushels from one acre than from
fire? Unquestionaby, thorough cultivation
will require more labor to the acre; but will it
require more to the 6uShei? If it should re.
quire just as much to the bushel, there are
some probable, and several certain, advantages
in favor of thor )ugh practice.
1t also would spare a large proportion of the
making and maintaining of enclOsures-the
same, whether the enclosures should be hedges
bitches or fences. This again, is a heavy item
heavy at first, and heavy in its continual
demands for repairs | remember once being
greatly astoniShed by an apparently authentic
exhibition Of the proportion which the cost of
an enclosure bears to all the other expenses of
the farmer though cannot remember ex.
actly what that proportion was. Amy farmer,
if he will, can ascertain it in his own case, for
himself.
Again, great amount of "locomotion" is
spared by thorough cultivation. Take fifty
bushels of wheat. ready for the harvest, stand
ing upon single acre, and it can be harvested
in any of the known ways, with less than half
the labor which would be required if it were
spread over fve acres. This would be true if
cut by the old hand sickle; true, to greater
extent, if by the scythe and cradle and to IL
use. These machines are chiefly valuable, as
q means of substituting animal power for the
power of man in this branch of farm work.
In the highest degree ofperiection yet reached
in applying the horsepower to harvesting,
fully nnetenths of the power is expended by
the animal in carrying himself and dragging
the machine over the field, leaving certainly
not more than one tenth to be applied directly
TO the only end of the whole operation-the
gathering in the grain, and clipping of the
straw. When grain is very thin ON the ground,
it is always more or less intermiuged with
weeds, chess and the like, and large part of
the power is expended in cutting these. 1t is
. plain that when the crop is very thick upon
the ground, the larger proportion of the power
is directly applied to gathering in and cutting
it; and the smaller to that which is totally
useless as an end. And what l have said of
harvesting is true, in a greater or less degree,
OF moving, plowlng, gathering IN OF crops
generally and, indeed, of almost all farm
work.
The effect of thorough cultivation upon the
farmers own mind, and, in reaction through
his mind, back upon his business, is perhaps
quite equal to any other of its effects. Every
man is proud Of what he does WeH; and no
man is proud of what does not do well. With
the former his heart is in his work and lie
VIII DO twice as much of it with less fatigue
Inc latter performs little imperfecty, Looks
at 1t IN disgust, turns from it, and imagines
himself exceedingly tired The little he has
done comes 10 nothing, for The want of finish.
ing
The man who produces good full crop will
scarcely ever let any part Of it 20 to waste.
lie will keep up the inclosure about il. and nj.
low neither man nor beast to trespass unon II
lie will gather it in due season. and store il in
perfect security. Thus he labors with salts
faction, and saves himself the whole fruit of
his labor. The other, starting with no pur.
pose for full crop labors less, and with less
satisfaction allows his fence to fall, and cattle
TO trespass; gatherslnot in due season, or not
at all. Thus the labor he has performed has
wasted away little by little, till, in the end, he
derives scarcely anything from it,
The ambition for broad acres leads to poor
farming, even with men of energy. scarce.
ly ever knew mammoth farm to sustain il.
self, much less to return profit upon the out
Ina ks..0 al