New-York tribune., 1867-06-19
AGRIcULrUR4L SUPERSTIroNS.

HORACE GREELE1's ADDRESS THE BRoChfoKi fAi"'
Tho animal Spring Exhibition of the BroclpOrt
Union Agricultural Society held ut the grounds
little southeast of the village on saturday mr greeley
delivered address on the OCCASION when me hoc"eS
Express reports as follows:
Mr. Greeley hogan bv rcmarlng that tho Apostle Paul
astOnished his elegant and learned audience once ny W
trod,cnr his Sermon Ye men of Athens, l perceive
tot c are altogether too superstltious" In the
Syav Mr. Greeley said he would say that American farm
ers were foo suncrsttous they stand too long by old
fons AFTER the spirit that animated them and the noces
sity FOR their existence has ceased There arc Bredt
many practices among farmers which they have inherited
fo fhcr fathcrs-piactices for which there used to be
roasOns that longer eNist Inc sugoct snouce1
American farmers one OF the prominent of these
wac pasturaee system Pastoral nc hhs lls pace IA
the growth of civilization IL s the hrst steP from te
state of savageism, which owns nothing 10 prop
ory, intelligence and general prospoiIg a anu ckn iS
zatiOn. When men emerge nom palpaisn, p ". MI ',5 55
have not auy better for the land than 10 herd ahu
usture tame cattle upon it, That is step I'm advance oi
hunting Wild cattle over It, Land is worth niue OF nom
ing and pastuing IT, waste as II 49, N the Simplest way
OF making il produce something But American farmers
Of the East AZ least ana You OF western new @ h
have advanced beyond that. Land is worth 700 mucn
here aud all large cities TO DO roamcd over ana
trampled down by cattle which eat only the finer and
better grasses and leave the coarscr for seed beside de-
strOyng more both than they eat Wherever and Sells
for S1Go an acre it. l. worth great deal too much 10 past
ure Cattle viii ran 90 acres but could be better
kept half the land by cutting aud feeding clover
tOSge corn and other heavily producing vegetables MI
Greeley would rot wholly snlerscde pasturins but hs
land as near the center Of the farm az posi-
bic, TO which food could be brought every
VIZ {{b be for tbe proecon OF tie stock from the storm
The manure could be gathered ard spread evenly on hc
other lots in the best possible condition. instead OF bthg
dried and wasted as usually the case now m0lc st9cS
could be kept manure made, ana moro ano devoted
TO The most profitable crops instead OF being run over as
,c,pt of fencing now needed which. heavy rs other
taxes are costs than all together Allied to pasnr
age j. superstition OF wanting Too much ihhd lhs
comes OF being the OF pioneers When they came
into the country land cheap and labor was dear
Hence they grasped all tho land they could get and hed
ON TO il until they should be able TO WORK A. Iat mght
have been and perhaps was good policy for our iatets
but il won't do iOr Here lanG IS dear ana II nan
las n hundred acres he has heavy capital invested.
which he caunOt let remain long without inahlhg
/ the most Of t. No man should have more man man
/ half his capital invested In land IL no has only
5000 Jet him pay 800 for his farm aud use the balance
befter fhansayng II ali out in land having to buy
stock on credit running debt always at the store and
hardly any possibility OF improving IT, If any one has
such farm and can't sell part o. IT, and don't want 70
~ Tcre i: no NJ areitcr mistake than FOR farmer 10
think bc has much land that he must therefore
ic0 much II he viii let alone and keep cattle out
IL wiz grow valuable timber without trouble that viii bc
worth more and leave the land better than his old policy
OF raising four crops H. This matter OF raing timber
LETT lands exposed to bleak and driving winds. and
has aggravated the disadvantages OF our bot dry sam
meIs and bleak, cola winters Lack 0f forests
has narrowed the fruit region aud Is constantly
narrowing IL. More forest must DO raised, aud
those Of the best kinds Of timber Where cattle run in
the woods they eat up the best timber the hard naples
&c, and they leave the henOcksand poorer kinds. 10
should be the farmers business 70 reverse bs
cattle out and go in himself plant good trees and Gull
ones Our hot dry Summers need different and deeper
system Of stirring the soil than have yet had Ancri
& ~ , ~ he iraoistest elinstes I'm the world vet oUr
farmers keep in the old policy stirring the soi only
few inches in depth. The result is That IN the drOuths
that every summer our land parched aud baked.
aud the crops perish and wither away literally because
" there no depth there" drouth to destroy crops
ought TO be unknown Where roots can run twOIeetdcep
they will they hayea decent chance they never suer
Ihis porous loose SOL 10 suoh
great amount Of moisture and tho drying winds which
parch the top do not reach It, Every farmer VINO owns
80 acres ought 10 know that nc has another 90 acres under
Dis present one and which only nccd5 bringing up 10 DC
his When man has increased the depth OF his soil 10
20 inches or two feet he VIII una that ne can grow more
con or potatoes wheat his farm OF 90 acres than
his neghbOr can on his farm Of 100 acres half that Depth
And the with 80 Will only pay half the seed.
half the labor and half the taxes that ns neghor VIII
pay. Undertaking is ODeef the essentials OF good farm
ing There s holland that y worth working which VIII
NOT pay underdram. II land too wet under draining
will make il dry. II il is too dry UNDERSTANDING win
through the soil, leaving gases and soluble food
for plants, instead OF stagnating on top
the atmosphere Undertaking allows the air TO crcu
late through the soil, where IN hot dry weather u IS
cooled and the moisture condensed from IT, Mr. Greeley
said he believed all laud needed underdraining Every
farmer believed nc haa some % sna @ ta hGe6ea drdng ~
only After bo finishes that he will find another
acre that will pay for draining and before he stops be
will believe IN as much Undertaking as anybody. In
climate irrigation was Tie best fertlhZcf IlentY OF
running water was the best manure. or if it is
stagnan il docs hurt instead Of good Where field
be covered with running water once on twice every
year it will increase in fertility without any
other malre Mr. Greeley secuted the idea that
a farmer could be 100 poor 10 farm at all. None but
very rich could afford TO be poor farmer The poor
the acre. he must raise fifty. The poor could not
afford 10 raise weeds, on thistlcs or mulcins lie must
make the most Of everything he has IL man h poor o
need not De poor farmer but II he is poor farmer
be probably Will be poor man in the future. Mr. Gree
ley spoke enthusiastically OF the profits and pleasures O
farming when conducted ON the best systems There
no reason why there should DC any poor farming pi
OF the land subsoiled, under drained and enriched, would
produce than the whole the Old plan. Farmers
must get over the idea OF living on their land by running
over II. Ihey must run under IL with double p0ws
and under-drans. Mr. Greeley related the cxpc
rience Of German doctor In NewYork City who
had extensive s1ld profitable practice in bis
enough 10 afford an easier life than the which com
PEELED him to got At all hours OF the night and travel
IN al kinds OF weather 50 he went up IN Westminster
County and bought farm. He Il one OF NJ GIeeeys
and ne makes money by his farming He has under.
drained every Of his land and put 1t in the best pos
drain IT, pow IT, and plant 1t with early potatoes. In
August when the potatoes removed he will plant 10
with Strawberries The next year he win get half crop,
paying MN slOO over all expenses The third year he
ing bin sO0 profit for four years and leaving the land In
better CONDITION tan az the beginning After the fourth
year the Strawberries are powed under and other
crsp put In ts place These things possible not only
with few farmers near NewYoIk, but with all. The
era OF agricultural Improvement has only begun. We
need some mechanical force like steam to take the place
f6aTeE H6 expected 10 SEE steam plows tnnng over 100
Of land per week more easily than pOw ten
II was not question Of expense such aplow wouId pay
even II II did cost little more per acre. in saving the
keeping Of so many horses through the wear and In the
Increased advantages 1t would give in putting in crop In
cOnelueQD Mr. Greeley said he looked for the time when
agrsple Should be tle profession where thought and
should be the chief agencies. The improvements IN
machinery rapidly tending that way, relieving farm
me OF us drudgery, and maing iS seeensi s ana pfon