1S4 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



IMPORTANCE OF SMALL THINGS. 



By MATTHEW RODGERS. Mexico, Pa. 



There is no spot oa earth from which a path does not lead straight 

 to the sun. And there is no condition in life that is not in direct line 

 to true and noble success. Good soldiers must make themselves 

 such. The highest commissions in the gift of the government can- 

 not make a man a good soldier. Regardless of circumstances, the 

 making of our lives is in our own power, whether we are soldiers, 

 business men, or farmers. The most of us being farmers, or at least 

 dependent on the products of the farm for our livelihood, and this 

 being a farmers' institute, we will consider a few of the small things 

 in connection with the farm, the farmer, and his family. 



We have often been told to never despise the day of small things. 

 In choosing this subject I at first thought it was a small subject, 

 and would be easy to handle, and not much to write about, but the 

 more we consider the subject and study the amount of small things 

 we find needing attention about the farm, the more we get in deep 

 water, and fear the subject too weighty for the one w'ho has under- 

 taken to handle it. We will imagine, now, that we are to have 

 charge of a farm next year. Of course, we all know we must have 

 horses, wagons, etc., but the innumerable amount of small tools 

 that is also needed, such as plows, harrows, cultivators, weeders. 

 planters, drills, forks, hoes, shovels, harness, chains, etc., etc., must 

 all be got in readiness beforehand. It will not do to have to go 

 for a plow-share when ready to plow, a few mower sections when 

 you go to mow, or a horse rake tooth or two when the hay is dry; 

 ha.^'-ladders not in shape when ready to haul hay, binder out of order 

 and no twine when grain is ready to cut. We have all seen some of 

 these kinds of troubles, if not with ourselves, with some one that 

 needed to have their work done on time, as well as us. 



WTiile school boys, we often read, ''Large streams from little 

 fountains flow; tall oaks from little acorns grow." 



As the little acorn was the seed that produced the mighty oak, 

 then every seed planted will produce its kind. The seeds being 

 small things, they are also some of the important things for the far- 

 mer to look after, for if we do not begin right, we can never expect 

 to end right. You all know the old saying, "All's well that ends 

 well that has not a bad beginning." See, then, that the seeds are 



