124 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



farms united, would be readily turned into money, with a 

 market. One would raise hay or roots, or fatten cattle, and 

 the other would keep a herding and grazing stock. And the 

 owner of each would buy of the other what he could not raise 

 so cheap as the other. Both farmers now raise a little of 

 both. 



In the next place, it seems clear that the farmer will have to 

 cultivate his land more highly and judiciously for the particular 

 crop he is raising. 



He will learn to cultivate it more economically, inasmuch as 

 his attention will be more turned to a specific department of. 

 husbandry. He will learn to adopt all the advantages of system 

 and division of labor, which are found in all other pursuits. 



He learns more from his brother farmers than he has now 

 opportunity of doing. He has a farmers' exchange, which is 

 as much needed in its way, as the merchants' exchange, or the 

 shoe and leather dealers' exchange are needed in another 

 direction. 



See how the butcher boy learns to judge of fat cattle by his 

 experience at Brighton, and you have an example of what every 

 farmer and every farmer's son may learn in selecting dairy 

 stock, fat cattle, fruits, and all other stock and products, by a 

 stated weekly or monthly market. 



He puts his produce, butter or cheese, the work of his hands, 

 his potatoes and vegetables, the products of his skill, into 

 immediate competition with his neighbor, and if his neighbor 

 gets a higher price he is at once incited to do better. He sees 

 the reward of increased application or skill before his eyes in 

 immediate returns of dollars and cents. 



By his market he is instrumental to a much greater extent 

 in establishing prices. He was formerly at the mercy of the 

 forestaller. But he has destroyed the forestaller by meeting 

 the consumer face to face, or by dealing with the city butcher 

 or produce dealer, who is saved the expense of employing a 

 forestaller. But these benefits are not confined to the pro- 

 ducer. The country consumer has a larger and better market. 

 He purchases a better and a fresher article at first hands, 

 before several profits are made upon it. It may be argued 

 that he may now in many cases purchase at his own door of 

 the farmer himself. This is true. But he must pay the 



