70 WEST OXFORD SOCIETY. 



out a knowledge of the habits and wants of plants, which may be 

 learned through the study of botany and vegetable physiology. 

 Having arrived at definite conclusions in regard to these topics, the 

 farmer can easily decide what kind of domesticated animals it will 

 be best for him to stock his farm with. This being done, there is 

 presented at once the importance of possessing knowledge of the 

 arts of feeding, sheltering, &c. — with those of animal physiology, 

 laws of re-production, usually denominated the art of breeding, 

 marketing, &c. This view of the subject, as will be readily ad- 

 mitted, requires that the farmer should be a well instructed man, if 

 he would supervise his business economically and render it produc- 

 tive, profitable, pleasant and satisfactory. 



The West Oxford Agi-icultural Society was organized and founded 

 for the promotion of Agriculture. This being the end or purpose 

 of its founders, the inquiry very naturally suggests itself to the 

 reflecting mind, how can this good be most effectually attained ? 

 The fact of meeting annually will not of itself secure it. Something 

 more is necessary to be done, and must therefore be accomplished, 

 or else the Society must rest satisfied with merely furnishing an 

 annual holiday, — something gained to be sure, but coming far short 

 lOf the noble end, which stimulated its founders to action. 



The question, "How is this end to be reached?" marks the line 

 rthat divides between the known and the unknown — between tradi- 

 tional or practical farmers and those denominated pioneer, experi- 

 mental, or theoretical farmers, and in derision often styled "book 

 farmers." 



A practical farmer in the common meaning of that phrase is one 

 who is governed by tradition — doing as his father did without 

 knowing why or wherefore. He is conversant with facts, but knows 

 not how to account for their existence. He has been told that 

 irrigation is beneficial, but knows not why. So of draining, manur- 

 ing, &c. His system of practical agriculture consists of a collection 

 of recipes, as it were, teaching by, or embodying the knowledge of 

 tradition. Such a farmer, so long as he thus practices, — scouting 

 book farming as he calls it, — reminds one of the story of the green 

 doctor of Ofienbach on the Maine. Ke was a Jewish physician of 

 renown, called to all cases of illness in Frankfort, Hanau, and 

 the neighborhood ; and his practice was not without success. Na- 

 ture had given him a quick eye and fine powers of obseiVation. 

 His knowledge was obtained in a hospital in which he acted as 

 sick attendant. He used to accompany the physician through the 



