Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-09


One of the best experimental farms
In Europe was ~ Vincennes in France,
established as a school by the Emperor
Napoleon III, with Prof. Vile at its
head. In n Of his lectures this sci
enlist goes into a calculation to prove
that the whole energy of a laborine
man in blowing or otherwise c~ultivating
field to raise grain, or other annual
plants, is about the four hundred and
forty-fourth part Of that of nature to
attain the same chemical and vital re-
suits. All know from obervation, ex-
perience, OF both, that if nature fails
to cooperate with man, his utmost labor,
and that of his working animals, sig
naliy fail to produce any crop, How
to make nature do her best for the far
mer is the problem we aim to discuss,
teaching truth by example. For in
stance, a Missouri farmer employs ff-
teen men to take care of the stock,
grass and meadows on three thousand
acres, being 200 acres of improved land
to each laborer. With this agricultu-
raj force the annual growth of grass
and stock sold gives an income of
eve dollars and a half per acre, and
fifteen hundred dollars for every man
employed. The sales amount to S22,-
500 year.
Why cannot a laboring man produce
$3.50 worth of corn in a summer, in
Missouri or Tennesseee Mainly be-
cause he cannot till the ground, plant,
cultivate and harvest 200 acres of corn.
The physical force in human muscle
undertakes too much 10 corn and cot
ton culture, leaving too little to nature
for any growth at a small expense.
We have an authentic instance or ex-
ample before us of a New York farmer
who, with three children, his wife and
himself, with no hired help of any kind,
sells produce at an average OF $4,000
or forty dollars per acre, from loo
acres of improved land. Hay, but
ter and cheese and fruit are the
staples sold. This family do not labor
hard, but doubtless keep busy and aid
great Nature in making grass grow for
pasture ard meadow. They understand
that agricultural force which returns
to the plain common sense husband
man, four thousand dollars ia cash, for
about four OF five hundred dollars
worth Of work done on the farm. This
class of Msaners always improve their
land. and do not know what a turned
out old field means. They have the
same knowledge Of our system of til
lage and h~usbandry hat a horse has of
his grandfather. How is our practice
to be changed for the better?
The refusal of the State government
and of public opinion in Tennessee, to
maintain n experimental farm ina.
plies the general belief that no improve-
ment is attainsble or desirable, as
sought and attained in Europe. Judg-
ing from the fall in prices of Southern
plantations, u agriculture is going
down hill and backward, instead of
making healthy progress, with the gen.
eral improvement of Southern soil.
The old time planting ideas and econo-
my that gave existence to one hun
bred million acres of sedge
pine and sassafras thickets, rule
Southern agriculture rs despotically to-
day a they even did. These mistaken
ideas snte.date the time of Lord Bacon,
who in a letter to the Duke of Buck.
mgham, then Prime Minister, said:
'The King cannot enlarge the bounds
of these islands which make up his
empire, the ocean being the unre-
movable wall which encloseth them;
but be may enlarge and multiply the
revenue thereof bythis honest and harm
less Tdy Of good husbandry."
Who can find any good husbandry"
IN our national and State politics as
understood and practiced? Our reye-
u has been enlarged and multiplied"
by Congress, but at a deplorable sacri-
fee of natural fertility.