IAI
Devoted  to   Agriculture,   Horticulture,   Mechanics,   ami   the   Useful  Arts*
C^^ f Nu'Xrl
Importance of Agriculture, j of every American that such is   the fact—that
I- i we have such   facilities—such a people.    Tho
The people of this country are all  partners f who tUlg tho soil_who forccs from earth
in our common prosperity. They are all mem- and a[r th(;h. powerg of vegctat!on and prod(]c.
bers of one vast incorporated company, which tioiradds gubstantiai health to tho nation. Ho
lias for its object the prosecution of every pos- furn;sheg tW mcans of subsistencc t0 his own
sible kind of business that can bring wealth- to happy hou8ehold> and t0 all vvho are ongagetl
the common-firm, and comforts and luxuries to -n thg QthcI dcpartmonts of life. The miner
its respective members. In addition to all the produccs from tho carth untold treasures, but
productive branches of business, it has been |the farmer ahne furn;ghes tho tncans by vvhich
found necessary to establish out-posts- in al- he prosocmcs his labors. Thc manufacturer Is
most every portion of the known world to car- essentlal to thc business of the country; but
ry forward our commercial interests. In carry- the farmer furnlshcs him tho raw material of
ing out tho operations of this extensive firm, wh;ch hig fabrics are composed—the provisions
the Board of Directors are selected by their re- which sustain t]l0 gincWS of ])is workmen#_
spective partners, the voters, and this board Without the farmcr or plantcr ho couid not
meets annually in the city of Washington.— \ commence business, neither could he prosecute.
Their business is to superintend tho operations i;t
of this vast   concern,   and  pass such   laws as       _,,-, 7        ...... ,
,,,,,,., , , j     I he merchant is indispensable   to the  pros-
"shall bring the  greatest good   to  the greatest r   , /        ., ,        .,    ,.
,    ,,    .    .      ,       r-      i   i ,     ,      perity ot the   country; but without the  aid of
number"—to develope by wholesome and salu-   \ .... ,,, .    , ,
, , „, the agriculturist, he  would have had no good3
tary laws the vast resources of the country—to , . , ,•
,   .....        r,    , , »■      upon which to trade.
open laciuties oi trade and commerce—to foster and promote   all other interests that  may       The mcchanic « also necessary, forhcfacili-
contribute to our national greatness.    These in   tatcs tho °Pe^l°^ of the farmer by  the con-
brief are the duties of the Board of Directors—| structlon   of   lmProved   implements   of   hus-
the American Congress. bandry.
Have they faithfully performed these duties? Exporters are essential to carry to foreign
We propose to answer this question, in accor- countries, where they may find a market, our
dance with facts as they exist, and our own surplus produce, and bring back such articles
humble opinions. We have always been, are 0I" comfort and luxury as may not be the pro-
now, and must for years to come, be in a grcat!uUct °f our own country,
degree, an agricultural people. In support of) Thus are all interests mutual; but "tho
this, wo have only to refer to the "Compendi- jhand of thc farmer., like thc leader of Israel,
um of the sixth Census" as taken in 1840. By smites the flinty rock, and the sweet waters gush
which it will be seen that in that year, there forth—he feeds tho millions, sets the spindles in
were engaged in Agriculture 3,719,951 persons, motion, and sustains all our commercial enter-
while at the same time there were in all other prise—he animates, he moves and quickens
kinds  of business,  only 1,079,548 persons.—   all."
For every person, therefore,   engaged in other ¥>_0 ~T^    ~~    T~~T~T            „    r .,-      _
, •   i     r i     •                r   i             i         , JKsF^ Scientific Agriculture.—Prof. JUapes,
kinds of business, we find more than three cm- ,v^    „   ,       ,,,    , .       _           ,, ,           •    ,
,       , .      .    .    ,            ,..,             ,    ,         ,. editor   of the "Working  farmcr,    has   raised
ployed in Agriculture.    When we look at this , „„,_ ,     ,   ,     -           .                      nn„ .     ,   ,
'.                °      ,            , 1500 bushels of parsnips per acre, 900 bushels
ratio—our sparsely populated country—our ex- r          ,              *          ,    '    ,     ,   ,„    r ,
,   ,       ,             ,.                                r    .,        ., of carrots per acre, and S00 bushels of turnips
tended ami extending territory—our fertile sou ,                                         r ,i        -i
,.                    ....             ,   , per acre, by proper preparation ol the soil.
—our climate congenial to vegetation, and too '                     *                 r,,r    .   TT    .   „    .
,   ,.       ..        ,                ,      ,      , [u est. Hort. Review,
spirit and   disposition of our people who  love ; „„
the independence of rural  life, we  must admit \     ggg=  Errata.—In  our   first  No.  page   14,
that thc great majority of them will continue to ; 20th line from the   bottom, for  "twined"  read
cultivate the soil.    And it should be   the pride <trained.