The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-05-02
I'M THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

with the improvement OF
lands were written, we have fallen
in with an address delivered at the
MARYLAND State Fair in October
1872. The speaker, as an editor,
and fancy farmer, has been the oc-
casion of much ridicule for his ex-
periences elaborated IN his book
"what | know about farming, as
if what opinions a man held theor-
etically were to be disdained IN toto.
But Horace was really a practl cal
farmer, and with a ready Yankee
adaptation to every calling in life
was no unsuccessful one; and the
MARYLAND State Fair does not too
proud to learn something from his
teachings.
In reading his address, even one
struck with the view of sound COM
mon sense which pervades the
whole, and the eminent practical
bility that pervades the whole.
Much of it seems written is II he
Southern modes and practices be-
fore his eye; all the waste, all the
unthrift, all the supertluous extent
of ground under tillage.
One very common notion, be-
cause the class to which he refers
is a large one everywhere, is, that
poor men must grow poor crops.
Every one, the owner OF acres,
thinks it necessary to keep all his
cleared land in cultivation; and
from inability to work it thorough
ly, or manure it IN proportion to
it's extent, condemns himself to the
production of poor crops. Greeleys
advice is sound 'slet him not cultl-
yate one acre more than he can SO
feed and till as to give respectable
assurance of a good crop. Ear
better work out by the day or
month, than to waste your time
and strength on cultivation to no
purpose" And he advises the cul-
tivation of one acre, il no more,
ssploughed and SUBSIDIZED thorough
ly, fertilized amply" and then the
planting of such crop of grain or
vegetable as will pay but on the
selected area. And then year by
year, charging the area, until the
fields of the whole farm are brought
up to profitable fertility. This ad-
will apply to many outside of the
class he classes as poor men. 1t
viii embrace, with certain excep-
tons of course, almost every plan
ter in the South, who has prided
himself more upon the extent than
the productiveness OF his acres.
His next advice is in regard to
the growth and protection of forest.
In the South, the time has not yet
arrived when Mr.. Greeleys advice
to plant or set out forest trees is
needed. Yet what We have said in
reference to this subject finds its
parallel in his counsel that the en-
largement OF forest area and re-
striction Of arabic land is for the
present the wisest policy of the
southern farmer.
We might 90 OF with an exami-
nation into this address, if it did
not lead into almost interminable
details of farm management; of
| deep ploughlng, of irrigation, if
fertilizer, if barn yard manures,
and the mode of increasing and
protecting them, of some of which
We have already referred in previ-
Gus articles. The subject was sug-
gested by the consideration that
the concerns Of agriculture were
such as employed the intellects of
the best men of the world; and
therefore especially incumbent upon
the more advanced farmers Of the
country, those who have learned to
appreciate the advantages of mod
ern progress, to push on the work,
to do all in their power to push on
a work, now, to so large an extent
| liked with the forward movements
of civilization. j. ID. G..