THEORY of AGRICULTURE.
Though agriculture is an art which has been carried on from the earliest ages, by a greater number of peo ple than arc concerned in any other, yet, even at this advanced period, the agriculturist may, in sonic mea sure, be viewed as remaining without any fixed princi ples, for governing his mind and regulating his practice. Instead of resorting to practice, and thence forming a satisfactory theory, writers on agriculture have, in num berless instances, amused themselves, without instruct ing their readers, by presenting opinions purely specu lative, upon this important subject ; not reflecting, that every kind of theory, which is not built upon extensive practice and observation, is preposterous and absurd. According to the mode adopted by these gentlemen, he, who argues most ingeniously, must necessarily be re ceived as coming nearest to the truth, and his doctrine be considered as the standard, till some competitor ap pears, whose eloquence is more persuasive, and whose opinions are more plausible. This has been the fate of all speculative opinions, since the earliest ages ; and will continue to be so upon every subject, where no certain data can be found to direct the research of inquirers. For instance, how numerous and diversified are the sentiments of theorists concerning the food of plants; a subject not to be comprehended by the human mind in its present state, and upon which the wisest of men have done little more than display their presumption and their ignorance. It is a certain fact, that the most acute philosopher can no more account for the germination of a single grain of corn, than lie can explain the mysteri ous manner in which he enjoys rational existence. With out therefore stopping to inquire, whether fire, or air, or water, or earth, constitute the food of plants, or no ticing the numberless hypotheses that have been pre sented on that abstruse topic, it may be remarked, that the dullest farmer knows sufficiently, that if he cleans, and drains, and manures his land in a proper manner, it will yield him as good a crop as the soil is constitution ally capable of producing, provided physical circum stances, such as heavy rains, excessive droughts, furi ous winds, and similar evils, do not intervene and pre vent nature front performing her usual functions, and returning a crop equal to the trouble and expense be stowed in cultivating it. Allowing lot' a moment, that we were able to ascertain, of the above elements constitute the food of plants, the question Cui Bono still remains to be answered. As we have neither the
command of fire, air, or water, nor can order the sun to display his beams, the air to blow genial gales, or the clouds to drop refreshing showers, little uenelit would accrue were even the curtain of stature withdrawn, and our eyes to roam at hag( over a field, which may justly be considered as forbidden to man. Under these impressions, we arc disposed to consider disquisi tions, respecting the loud 01 plants, and even concern ing the principles of vegetation, as quite foreign to a treatise on agriculture. The operative farmer could not thereby be benefited in the smallest degree, nor would any part of his practice be illustrated or improved. Perhaps, on the contrary, he might be led out of the right path into the 'Vortex of delusion, and induced to forsake that system of practice which is sanctioned by experience, and which ought to be his only guide in such disquisitions.
Notwithstanding that such are our sentiments on what has been erroneously called the theory of agriculture, yet we are inclined to believe, that a degree of certainty is already attained, concerning the real and efficient theory of the art, sufficient either to guide or to deter mine the conduct of those engaged in carrying it on. If the earth is enriched by generous manures, or sti mulated by powerful cordials, as circumstances may re quire ; if it is laid dry, or drained of superfluous water; if the soil is sufficiently cultivated, and its aboriginal in habitants, namely quickens, and all other weeds, remov ed ; and if, in naked and exposed situations, shelter is afforded, by making enclosures, then every thing, that man is capable of doing to forward the productive powers of the earth, is completely executed. Here the true theory of agriculture is to be found ; and a due know ledge of these practices, carried properly into execu tion, distinguishes the good farmer from the bad. In short, the man who is governed by these principles, may be pronounced to possess more knowledge of the art than the most scientific agriculturist. The one acts upon principles which never can fail, and which uni formly lead to the same issue ; the other is guided by no certain principle whatever, but led by an ignis fatuus, whose delusions may draw him into bogs and quagmires, where he may flounder for a while, and at last be ruined and made miserable, both in fortune and reputation.