THE FARMER'S ERRORS. 361 



information as to what injury three hundred pounds of guano 

 per acre will do an old-field pine farm, or whether it is throwing 

 away money to throw such stuff on the land. Perhaps you 

 could gain some information of Theophilus P. Huntington. 



Some men seem to think it a great waste of money to expend 

 it for farming tools. They look upon the purchase of three 

 ploughs for one farm as monstrous extravagance ; and a general 

 expenditure for all sorts of improved implements as evidence 

 of aberration of mind. Have these old fogies ever visited the 

 farm of Samuel Parsons & Sons, in Northampton, and looked 

 into their storehouse of farming tools — their reapers, mowers, 

 horse-rakes, et cetera? 



There is a man in Hampshire county who has dug ditches 

 all over his farm, and laid down tile drains. What for ? Sim- 

 ply to double the value of the land, and increase the produc- 

 tion so that he can keep more than double the stock he did 

 before. Was he a fool? Inquire of Willard G. Andrews, of 

 Ware. 



The grand difficulty is, that there are so many men who 

 never change their fashion of farming. There are a good many 

 farms in Hampshire county that never changed owners — in 

 fact, never were deeded. The descendants of those who first 

 claimed them from the wilderness are still in possession. These 

 are New England homes. Beautify and improve them : im- 

 prove and not impoverish your soil everywhere. If it is hungry, 

 feed it. If it is wet, drain it. If dry, irrigate it. And in all 

 things try to improve, beautify, embellish home; and in it you 

 and your children will be happy. 



I want you to think that this is not a mere idle show, got up 

 for amusement. Out of it every one of you may learn practical 

 lessons. Old men, whose beards are grey, may learn of beard- 

 less boys a lesson of wisdom. All men may learn — should 

 learn — will learn — unless utterly stupid — something useful out 

 of such an exhibition. 



Boys will learn. It is a great school for them ; and if there 

 is a single one who has been kept away from this show by parent 

 or guardian, that parent or guardian has done a wrong to that 

 boy. 



And have the girls and their mothers any thing to learn here ? 

 Perhaps you think I had forgotten this part of my audience. 



46* 



