106 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



into one day the labor of two, for rainy days were often days of 

 absolute leisure. I remember we were told one morning in April, 

 "Well, boys, as it rains too much to work out of doors, I think 

 we will sow a little plaster," and though it rained steadily and fast 

 several tons of plaster were sown in the forenoon, while nothing 

 was required in the afternoon, and both the service and the leisure 

 were enjoyed. Now if such treatment of farm help, and such a 

 skillful adjustment of it to the needs of the farm, could become 

 the rule rather than the exception, there would be less aversion to 

 farming as an occupation. Let the example which I have given 

 be copied by the farming community, and farm labor would soon 

 become attractive, and farming at least more profitable. 



1 readily see that some of you may think me too censorious in 

 my treatment of this subject, but I hope all such will allow me to 

 mention one more defect in our system of farming, which seems 

 to me more radical and universal than any of which I have spoken. 

 It is our want of thoroughness in cultivating these New England 

 hills and valleys, which, at the best, are difBcult to coax into that 

 fn;itfulness which makes farming a profitable business. The 

 blame for this is oftenest laid at labor's door, but really the trouble 

 lies in a mistaken policy, which, instead of concentrating our labor 

 and material upon an area that is wisely adapted to both, broad- 

 casts them over so wide an acreage that thoroughness is out o| the 

 question. Now, it is true upon the farm as everywhere else, that 

 what should be done at all should be done well. No more land 

 should be cultivated than can be made to yield a full crop, what- 

 ever it may be. Here is a specialty which all may safely adopt. 

 There are many farmers in Connecticut, to-day, who own so much 

 territory that they can give only a small fraction of it any care at 

 all, and who would be enriched if they ^ould give up their titles 

 to a large portion, though the consideration be a very small one. 

 I verily believe there is no poverty so harrassing as that which: 

 overtakes him who, by the possession of more land than he can 

 occupy, is made land-poor. Fortunately, the number of such 

 unwieldy farms is decreasing. The census of 1850 shows that the 

 number of farms in Connecticut was 22,445, while in 1870, using 

 the same authority, the number was 25,508. The average size of 

 these farms at these two periods shows that the increase in number 

 was due mainly to the division of the larger ones, and while I can- 

 not quote, definite figures for 1880, I am sure that the work of 



