Locomotive, Volume 9, Number 5, Indianapolis, Marion County, 30 June 1849 — Page 1

" BREVITY IS THE SOUL O F WIT."

VOL IX. CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS, SATURDAY, JUNE 30,-184-9. No. S

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Mr. Editor: It may not be unprofitable to say a few things to your agricultural readers, particularly the junior class, touching the business in which they are engaged. , Some thirty years since an excellent farmer, a Pennsylvania Dutchman, as he was familiarly termed, settled in one of the southern counties of this state. This individual brought with him, from his native state, his excellent ploughs as also his large, able, and well trained horses, prepared and determined to farm in this, his adopted state, as he had been accustomed to do previously in his native state. When he ploughed he did not merely skim over.br scratch, but broke his ground thoroughly, to the depth of from six to eight inches, as circumstances might seem to demand ; putting in all his crops in good season and in the very best mariner. .This, strange as it might seem, excited the surprise of his neighbor farmers, lest he should thereby impoverish and very soon wear out his land. Of these none were more strenuous, perhaps, than those who . claimed the honor of hailing from old Rip Van Winkle (N. C), But the fact was the worthy son of the old Keystone, nothing daunted, continued to pursue the even tenor of his way. . The result may readily be anticipated that instead of obtaining some ten or twelve bushels' of wheat per acre, as his Carolina neighbors obtained generally, his product was hardly ever less than double that amount. So much for good judgment and correct taste in the business of farming. Much depends for success in this highly important branch, in adapting the mode, manner, &c, to the peculiar character of the country, as well as the condition of the market, both at home and abroad. Let . us, then, reason together from our best lights. From the apparent scarcity, therefore, of good beef in this market, and the obvious demand for the same elsewere, it may not be unprofitable for your agricultural readers to give the subject something more than a hasty thought. . For to augment the quantity ancTgreatly improve the quality of beef cattle, as well as the stock of the country generally, would be a matter of easy accomplishment. . There is, indeed, no district of country, of the same extent, which contains soil, of a strong character too, better adapted to the growth of grass, for grazing and other purposes, than that of central Indiana. Let our farmers, therefore, lose, no time

in extending their pastures, and at the same time in greatly beautifying their farms by enclosing their woodlands, cutting out the undergrowth, deadening useless timber, and sowing the same with blue and orchard grasses. So that in a few years they will become well set and produce the most luxuriant growth, and of the finest kind of food for horses

cattle, &c. In connection with this it is not too much to say that a system of farming might' be adopted and pursued which would tend greatly to enrich, improve and render vastly more important our new and rapidly growing commonwealth in the

art of husbandry, and in securing, as far as may be, its concomitant benefits and blessings. Should a change of this kind take place, to any considerable extent, it would doubtless have the effect of substituting the staples of wheat and beef for those of corn and pork, which will propably be found to do best and continue to most profit on our alluvial bottom lands. A necessary appendage to the grazing business, as here hinted at, the wheat crop would of course be cultivated more extensively than at present, in that portion of the state here alluded to, as the main staple for profit. The offal of which, straw and chaff, as a matter of economy would be carefully ricked up, interlarded with suitable lairs of grass, well salted if you please, for winter food for stock cattle. during : the hard part of winter, when they could not obtain their support from the ground. At the same time serving a valuable purpose as shelter against the storms of winter. When submitting the foregoing thoughts we would not overlook or fail to advert to the highly benefical effects of manure, which may be made to any desirable extent on a stock farm. And indeed, on no description of soil can it be applied with better promise than upon a heavy, rich, clay soil, inclining to be cold, and in some instances rather wet. With the aid of this powerful auxiliary, together with the importance of raising clover liberally, with necessary drainage, would, it is not too much to say, double in value our lands in a few years. Beside yielding to their possessor a correspondent profit in return for the labor bestowed. In continuation it is hardly necessary to say to agriculturalists, of even limited experiance, that any thing other than a very scanty reward is to be realized, or even hoped for, from pursuing an indolent, unwise and injudicious course of farming. Let all, therefore, who desire and aim to have good crops to farm in the right way ; plough deep ; sometimes far more so than the . ordinary depth, and not to overlook the great importance attendant on practicable and necessary drainage. All who may be able, on a careful examination of the subject, to satisfy themselves that the system recommended above, might be profitably adopted, would do well to sow, in proper season, suitable lots for seed, of both blue and orchard grasses. Who will avail of these suggestions? Let us hear from them through the Locomotive. -. An after thought but a good one. Let every young farmer if the old ones will even continue to overlook the importance of so great a desideratum procure and furnish himself, in the morning of wedlock, with one stand of bees at least, so that, should his luck be good which is, in the main, the

result of care- and circumspection he may surely promise himself and family one luxury at least; and that, too, which the improvident seldom or never enjoy. D.

Preamble and Constitution. : For the mind-your-own-bttsiness-society. Waereas, while so many societies are formed, and so much pains taken to diffuse the principles of

Christianity, and improve the morals of mankind abroad, it is a subject of deep regret that thertf should be no society formed, whose aim and object should be to correct and reform our own individual lives; or in other words, while there is so' much pains taken by numerous societies, and by , benevolent individuals, to cast the mote out of our neighbor's eyes, there should be so little to cast the beam out of our own eyes. Physician heal thyself, is the admonition coming from the highest authority, and it is humbly conceived that it is applicable to the Scribes and Pharisees of the present generation, as it was to those who were cotemporary with the son of God on earth. ' Would the numerous societies, and zealous individuals, who are so busily engaged in moralizing ' and christanizing others, manifest an equally laudable zeal in examining their own hearts, and correcting their own erors, how much more like real christians would they act; would they. lay 'aside all guile, and hypocrisy, and practice what " they profess to teach ; in how much more favor" able light would they appear to all really good men. ' - . t In fine, if a society for self-examination wereformed, and rendered as pbpular asour temper ance and other kindred societies are, it is believed it would go far towards tranquilizing the agitated . elements of society at large, and we should have less running to and fro as mendicants, and far less standing on the corners of streets, and thanking God that they were not like other men. The following constitution, therefore, for such a society, is respectfully offered to the public. . ! ' ART. 1. This society shall be denominated the self-examining society, and shalt be composed of members of both sexes. ART. 2. The object of this society shall be, that while we see all other's faults, we should endeavor to feel and correct our own. ART. 3. All the members of this society shall be vested with full powers and privileges, to attend to their own business, and let other people's alone.' ART. 4. This society shall never appoint any presidents, vice presidents, secretaries, delegates, spies, or committees to manage their concerns, nor to watch over and make reports of the misdoings of others, until such a work shall have been aproximated, and completed at home. ART. 5. There shall be no public nor private meetings of the members of this society, for the purpose of transacting business as a society, or to hear lectures delivered before them; but it shall be the duty of each member to meet himself alone every day, and listen to the lectures of his own conscience. . ' . . . ART. 6. There shall be no funds raised by this society, by means of soliciting or begging ; nor by