Reports or Local Societies. 321 



At the request of the author, the secretary read the following 

 paper: 



THE GOOD AND THE POOR FARMER. 

 Dr. ISRAEL GREEN, 87 years of age. 



Mr. President: In passing through the country some time ago, 

 I was lead to contrast the difference between the thorough farmer 

 and the careless, slipshod one, and to note the result at the close of 

 a long life. 



Let us look at two young men commencing life, with the inten- 

 tion of making farming their business of life. They are both placed 

 on equally good farms; they both have good health and equal ad- 

 vantages for making a useful and successful career, and at the end 

 of life, to lay up a competence for their families, if they both pur- 

 sue the same course of cultivation. But, unfortunately, one of 

 them is careless and slovenly in his management; he takes no agricul- 

 tural papers; he takes no pains to inform himself of the best modes 

 of improving his soil, but just goes on, from year to year, plowing 

 and sowing and reaping his scanty crops. He sows no grass seed 

 or plaster; his fields are barren of pasture; he keeps but little 

 stock, and what he does keep is of the lean kind; he saves but lit- 

 tle manure, for what is made is scattered over a large yard; trodden 

 in the ground by the cattle; exposed to the hot sun, which evapo- 

 rates the ammonia and other volatile gases, and the rains wash out 

 the nitre and soda and other soluble substances that supply food 

 for plants, leaving it almost worthless as fertilizing material, and, 

 of course, his crops are poor, and grow poorer every year as his 

 land becomes exhausted. He works hard, for he has to till more 

 land to support his family; he lives poorly, without many of the 

 comforts, and none of the luxuries, of life. His children are poorly 

 clothed, poorly educated and unrefined. His house is poorly fur- 

 nished. You pass his place and see nothing to make a home what 

 it ought to be. You will see no shade trees, shrubbery or flowers to 

 ornament the place, and but little fruit to promote the health 

 and comfort of his family. He has but few farming implements, 

 and those of a primitive kind; and you will see the whole surround- 

 ings of his place have a careless and slipshod appearance. And at 

 the close of his life he leaves nothing behind for his family but a 



