52 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Let our young men but imbibe this spirit and they will im- 

 part it to all with whom they come in contact. The farm is 

 the nursery of all the professions as well as the industrial arts 

 of the country. From the hills and valleys of New England 

 fresh and vig^orous come the strono; recruits to fill the vacant 

 places of honor, influence and power. 



The heated air of the factory, workshop and counting-room 

 is not conducive to the growth of substantial men. These 

 only grow to perfection in the free air of our hillsides and 

 valleys, and the nearer the soil the better the stock. We 

 always speak of the farmer's profits comparatively. We com- 

 pare his success with that of the merchant or manufacturer, 

 and even then we do not take them "generally, but individu- 

 ally. We take isolated cases of success. In considering the 

 profitableness of farming we should remember that farmers 

 nowhere live so well and spend so much money on them- 

 selves and families as in New England. In the language of 

 another, "There are none that make the soil contribute so 

 much to the soul and character, none who use such excellent 

 instruments, none who have more convenient buildings, none 

 who educate their children better, and none whose real man- 

 hood is more purely developed in all the important relations 

 of life." 



The present is a fast age, especially with us Yankees. 

 Everybody is in a hurry to get rich, and few are willing to 

 bide their time and patiently pursue the intermediate steps 

 necessary to obtain this result. We all want to begin where 

 our fathers left off. But experience teaches us that success is 

 rarely obtained except through patient industry persistently 

 pursued through many years. It is only time and industry 

 that build the fabric stately and strong. It is this restless- 

 ness and impatience that cause so many failures in life. 



And the farmer is no exception to this rule. But more 

 persons succeed in agriculture in proportion to the number 

 employed in it than in any other calling. Certain conditions 

 are requisite to success in any business, and with these 

 secured, prosperity is sure to follow. 



One great secret of success in any business is a love of the 

 calling. One's heart must be in it. He must have faith and 

 confidence and the^ go ahead. Again, he must understand 



