FARMINQ FOR SUCCKSS. 99 



to use the muscle much aud the mind little, when the mind could 

 work through mechanism more effectuall}'. This may seem some- 

 thing like a sentimental strain. lie tluit as it ma}-, it forms in part 

 the basis hv means of which an industries' relative social position is 

 measured, and, right or wrong, it has much to do with the attractive- 

 ness of our industry. If monej-, at any cost of muscular exertion 

 or social or civil standing, is the onlv criterion, and New England 

 farm life is to strike this level, then most assuredly our hopes of suc- 

 cess hang heavily on farm mechanism. Especially does the capital- 

 ized extensive system of farming proposed, imperatively demand this 

 aid. There is a feeling that machiner}- will not work well on our 

 rockv hills. From personal knowledge I know that the machinery 

 that I shall name, will ; but first, let me premise that division wtdls 

 in many cases should go, and boulders be removed. A field that ten 

 to twenty dollars will clear, will pay richly for so doing. A field 

 that will require twenty to fifty to clear is not worth one cent for 

 cultivation in its present condition, for it will never pay a profit for 

 cost of handling. Any acre that is fitted for machinery in New 

 England, or Maine, within reasonable limits of railroads, and per- 

 haps anywhere in your State, provided it has enough acres vvitli it 

 for a business, is worth one hundred dollars, and will pay six per 

 cent, interest on this sum under modern methods. In my experience, 

 the loose rocks of our hill farms, from the size of a man's head down, 

 are of no special trouble to machine farming. On such a farm I 

 find that two men and two yoke of oxen are required to plow three- 

 fourths of an aci-e a day. A much faster speed is not desirable with 

 an oi-dinary plow on rocky soils, as the quality of the work is im- 

 paired. One man, three horses and sulkly plow, or common plow 

 with sulky attachment, will plow from two to two and one-half acres 

 a day, and do better work. This makes about a fourfold saving and 

 gives us a genteel farmer riding his sulky seat. Again, in his sulky 

 seat he may scatter, with one horse, fertilizers or grain over fifteen 

 acres in a da\', and not soil his hands, and do the work better than 

 by hand methods. Following comes the wheel harrows, the master 

 riding, surveys the lifting, pulverizing work that is sure to be followed 

 by better crops than tlie packing, square-toothed harrow. This in 

 turn is followed by a two-rowed corn planter, good to open, drop 

 and cover, for one man and horse, twelve to fifteen acres of corn in 

 one day. Better work is done for less than one-twelfth of the 

 expense than is done by hand work, — or for potatoes, the potato- 



