The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-04-24
Agriculture.
RYs1nuN H. nd AFEE


lers of the SOFIA Theory and System
of Cultivation which Saves Fifty per
cent in labor, Gives an increase IN
ACrop. and Better Preserves the Fertility
of the Soil. s~-~4 "a "a
II is estimated that there, are at.
present twenty-two prtwenty-three
million farnleTs and tllersI Of the.
SOFT flre-United -States@ he
products of these farmers and tilleFs'
of the soil form theSbasis of the
trade arid conln1erce- of more than
forty millions 1people. This
class Of our population, at the
same time have. to bear rnostof the
burden OF Government. Ihstef fore,
we see that agriculture is th. great
Interest; 1t is that interest which
nnderlies every other interest of
four country. When it is prosper.
Gus, trade and commerce flourish;
and when it languishes, trade and
commerce fall of, and hardwtimes
| and general pressure in all business
fpursuits is the necessary and inevis
table result consequently this is
i the first and most important of all
our industries; the strength and
pros perity of the country depead
upon its successful development.
| What, then, should be the concern
of the patriot, the statesman, the
f.phiianthropist, the professional
man, the.nlan of business, and most
of, all, the farmers and tiIlers Of the
-soil-tf1es men who do the work,
who have their capital, brains, time,
labor, their all. invested in this
great industry In diseussing-this
subject l am aware of the great
/ diversity of opinion which exists
among agricultural writers and
farmers, but then it is only by
thought, the interchange of thought
and discussion, that we can arrive
at what is true and practicable !;
and as this is my object | invite in
vestigation and trial by the prac-
teal, thinking men of this country
on the theory and system of agri-
culture here submitted. u.
| 1t is admitted by all that agricul-
ture is science. What, then, I
ask, are its fundamental principles?
! [ answer atatt y-a l5 1855
1st. The fact that blowing land
i deteriorates it. s.. 5ss ra
3D. The observance of or con-
formity to natural laws in cultiva-
ton. at't'' 81 '4'@''' l'''i '
a"3d. The best and most seconom-
ical mode of fertillzing. tas sEf
4th. My grass. theory, or, if you
please, the true theory of the grass.
| These are in my opin on the
great fundamental principles, the
bottom facts in practical agricul-
-ture.' Admitting these. to be true,
then the question naturally presents
itself to the practical mind, how can
we evolve from, and in conformity
to them, a system of preparation
/ and cultivation, which will produce
the greatest crop with the least
labor, and at the same, time best
preserve the fel tility of the soil? If
we succeed in doing this, then we
Claim that it is the true theory Of
agriculture 81 F" s5aat#
Ist, The blowing of land deteri-
oratesit Whenever land is plowed
it is exposed to more direct and
powerful action of the sun, and to
atmospheric action, consequently
the gases, its fertilizing properties,
are extracted by this direct action
of the sun, and absorbed by the at.
mosphere. We see in Spring time
when the land is exposed by the
plowshare, although it may be rich,
and as black as a crow when first
turned up. its color changes day
after day, and soon becomes of light
gray color; there is chemical action
going on here. which accounts for
the change, though land loses
more or less of its fertility. This is
not only philosophical truth, it is
self evident. Look at the old fields
all over this country, and let them,
or the advocates of the system of
thorough preparation and con-
slant cultivation,' by which thew
have been reduced to this impoverl
ished and exhausted condition, setsa
tie this question.
1t being true, that the blowing of
land deteriorates it, therefore, the
oftener it is plowed the sooner it is
exhausted, certainly then the Judi
cious, prudent farmer should pillow
only when, and as it is necessary,
There are in my opinion. three
things most destructive to the fer
til;ty of the soil, viz: fire, the
tramping of cattle, and the plow-
share,-and the-mest, destructive of
these-is the too frequent and iniu-
dicious use of the plow. There are
two modes by which this fact las
to whether the blowing of land de
teriorates it, can be tested, viz,
Oneis by tests applied by practical
agricultural chemists, and | hope
some one of them, who may per.
chance read this, will take section
of soil E or 10 inches square to the
depth OF usual blowing, say 3 or al
inches, weigh it and apply the tests.
and then take a section of the same
soil, same dimensions and weight,
turn it over to the action of the sun
and atmosphere ten or fifteen DAYS.
and then test it, and report the re-
suit. Is;hoped some one will do
this, and report the result The |
other mode is, for the. practical |
farmer to try it as l have, sand the
result will Satisfy himlliss etE