What I know of farming:: a series of brief and plain expositions of practical agriculture as an art based upon science

In Short

This volume is a collection of pragmatic, opinionated essays designed to transform nineteenth-century American agriculture from a careless, haphazard habit into an art anchored in scientific principles. Writing for novices and seasoned cultivators alike, the author addresses every phase of farm life, including site selection, deep plowing, drainage, timber management, fertilization, and cooperative marketing. The work avoids empty theories, grounding its advice in real-world experimentation, financial accounting, and observation. It endures as a vivid historical snapshot of American agrarian idealism, capturing a pivotal moment when traditional farming methods began yielding to scientific rigor, mechanical innovation, and communal organization.

The Story

The narrative arc begins with an inquiry into the basic viability and preparation required for a life on the land. Addressing young beginners who view agriculture as a simple calling requiring little intellect, the opening chapters issue a stern warning against premature haste and debt-driven land purchases. Success demands deliberate preparation, careful selection of location, and a sober assessment of financial realities before taking ownership.

From these initial steps, the focus shifts to the foundational physical work of establishing and organizing a farm. The text details the necessity of systematic layout, wise pasture management, and the crucial preservation of forest and timber reserves. It argues that rugged, rocky terrain is often better left to trees, which regulate local climate, reduce destructive floods, protect fragile crops, and preserve essential bird populations.

The core of the argument then delves into soil transformation through deep tillage and water management. Drawing on personal observations of European systems like Lombardy’s vast irrigation networks, the narrative demonstrates how drainage and controlled moisture supply work together. Wet, sodden land must be thoroughly drained, while subsoil must be deeply pulverized so roots can penetrate fifteen to twenty inches to withstand recurring drouths.

Physical ground management leads directly into chemical and organic restoration. The text evaluates various soil enrichments, balancing commercial inputs like guano, bone flour, gypsum, and lime against home-made composts built from muck, ash, and local waste. It systematically covers orchard establishment, emphasizing meticulous tree planting, swine-assisted pest management, and the cultivation of specific crops ranging from fruits and grains to esculent roots.

In its final stages, the book moves from individual farm management to broader structural, technological, and societal considerations. It addresses the economic necessity of rigorous accounting, farm maintenance, and stone removal. Science and intellect are elevated as essential tools for anticipating soil exhaustion and preventing rural depopulation. Looking toward the future, the narrative advocates for steam-powered implements, organized agricultural clubs, cooperative settlement schemes, and streamlined transportation networks where regional railways directly buy and distribute local farm produce. Ultimately, the work concludes by framing modern agriculture not as an isolated, manual chore, but as a sophisticated, science-driven enterprise essential to national vitality.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Novices are cautioned against rushing into farm ownership without practical experience, as crude assumptions regarding agriculture frequently lead to immediate failure and debt. A slow, deliberate approach to selecting and purchasing land sets a stable foundation for future work.

Tending the woodland Rocky crests and unplowable slopes should be restored to timber, allowing reforested areas to mitigate seasonal floods, moderate bitter winds, and shelter birds that prey on destructive insects. Strategic thinning of trees, accompanied by planting two for every one cut, ensures permanent ecological and economic benefits.

Breaking the subsoil Systematic drainage and deep plowing create a porous subsoil fifteen to twenty inches deep, allowing plant roots to reach hidden moisture during severe summer droughts. Learning from European irrigation networks like Lombardy’s, farmers must proactively manage water to ensure uniform field fertility.

Restoring the soil Building enduring fertility relies on maximizing farm-made composts while selectively applying mineral amendments like bone flour, lime, and gypsum to replenish extracted nutrients. Misguided reliance on expensive imported fertilizers should be replaced with methodical soil enrichment rooted in scientific principles.

Cultivating the orchard Establishing productive apple orchards requires careful hand-planting, regular soil cultivation, and using swine as natural allies to devour fallen fruit and destroy burrowing pests. Intercropping with root vegetables keeps the land clear of weeds until the trees mature into full production.

Organizing the future Farmers must adopt rigorous account-keeping, organize local clubs to stimulate intellectual curiosity, and embrace mechanical innovations such as steam plows and cooperative transportation systems. Joining forces through planned group colonies and direct rail distribution protects producers from market exploitation and revitalizes rural life.

The People

The Practical Novice A central figure in the author's mind, the ambitious young person fresh from school or city life seeks independence on the land but lacks practical experience. What stands in their way is the naive assumption that farming requires little intellect, leading them to buy land prematurely and face crushing debt. By the end, this figure is urged to defer ownership, serve a patient apprenticeship, and approach agriculture as a demanding scientific craft.

The Struggling Small Farmer Representing the typical working husbandman, this figure strives to earn a living from rough, worn-out, or poorly drained soil while lacking abundant capital. Their primary obstacle is the temptation to scatter resources over too much land, leaving fields vulnerable to drouth and soil exhaustion. The narrative guides them to focus on reclaiming one field per year through thorough drainage, deep plowing, and home-made composts, transforming their homestead from a prison into a flourishing, self-sustaining enterprise.

The Capitalist Improver A retired professional or wealthy landowner who purchases a depleted farm with ample means to restore it. This figure's main challenge is wasting thousands of dollars on expensive commercial fertilizers and random land improvements without understanding specific soil deficiencies. By following sound advice on soil analysis, systematic composting, and large-scale structural investments, this improver demonstrates how capital, guided by scientific intelligence, can quickly bring degraded land into high productivity.

In Its Own Voice

"The assumption that farming is a rude, simple matter, requiring little intellect and less experience, has buried many a well-meaning youth under debts which the best efforts of many subsequent years will barely enable him to pay off."

Cautioning enthusiastic beginners against rushing into land ownership, the author highlights the costly mistakes born of underestimating the skill required for successful husbandry.

"A good farmer will, in the course of twenty or thirty years, make at least $10 worth of fertilizers for every dollar's worth he buys from any dealer, unless it be the sweepings or other excretions of some not distant city."

Detailing the economic logic of land maintenance, the text emphasizes self-reliance and farm-made composts over unnecessary reliance on commercial products.

"Nature is impartially kind to all her children; but some of them know how to profit by her good-will far more than others."

Reflecting on the farm's untapped energy sources, the author contrasts the manufacturer's efficient use of natural power with the farmer's traditional hesitation to adopt new technology.

What It's Really About

Underneath its practical instructions on drainage, compost, and livestock, this work is an argument for intellectualizing agricultural labor and elevating rural life. It contends that farming is not a mindless, traditional chore to be endured until escape is possible, but a complex art requiring deep scientific understanding, constant observation, and strategic business management. At its core, the text confronts the crisis of rural depopulation and depleted soils, asserting that land degradation stems directly from ignorance and short-sighted exploitation. By applying chemistry, geology, mechanical power, and cooperative social structures, agricultural work can become financially profitable, intellectually rewarding, and central to the nation's long-term prosperity.

Why Read It Today

This text offers an engaging journey into nineteenth-century agricultural thought, blending practical common sense with a visionary call for environmental stewardship and technological progress. Readers interested in historical non-fiction, sustainable land management, and social reform will appreciate the sharp, authoritative voice and clear, accessible prose. It feels like listening to a pragmatically minded mentor who balances stern warnings with deep optimism for human improvement.

While modern readers may find certain historical details—such as specific labor costs, period pricing, or mid-nineteenth-century chemical concepts—dated, the foundational principles remain strikingly relevant. The work frankly confronts the realities of its era, including severe summer drouths, soil depletion, the hardships of winter farm labor, and the social isolation of rural homesteads. Yet its central arguments for deep soil conservation, tree planting, local cooperative networks, and reducing unnecessary middleman costs resonate strongly with contemporary discussions surrounding sustainable agriculture and local food systems. What stays with you is the unyielding conviction that working the earth, when guided by intellect and foresight, is one of the highest and most essential human callings.