688 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



getfulness we reap profit in reminders and it is commonly the smart 

 farmer who aslcs solid (questions not so much as puzzles and gets all 

 he can from his farm paper, the ''Ann'' question notwithstanding. 



As to how wind may differentiate from hot air, or whether or 

 no a cow will get hilarious, we oldsters may never know. We know 

 with Shakespeare's Shepherd that the property of rain is to wet, of 

 fire to burn and that good pastures make fat sheep, and no questions 

 need be asked. We know that wind cannot climb a tree in any sense, 

 which may point out the foolishness of this papei*. In all this how 

 refreshing to us of the eventide, with the curtain rolling down be- 

 tween us and time and youth; how refreshing to read the simple an- 

 nals of rural home and farm life, such as my prized correspondent 

 kindly affords us. 



EXPERIMENTS TRUE AND FALSE. 



There is another impediment to a faithful re-reading and re-re-read- 

 ing of even very successful experiments. Take the grass culture 

 recitals. The Clark plan (successful in the opinion of some), but 

 when it gets away from Mr. ClarK: and his machines, that are on the 

 market, seems to approach, in my opinion, the Multicaulis venture 

 in cost and failure. But the plowing down of a sod or wheat stubble 

 in early August and sowing grasses alone is almost a surety of a 

 good stand. But why re.nd of it more than once, when it is impos- 

 sible for the person reading to do more than the wheat plowing, for 

 straw say, owing to lack of help and time to do the extra plowing 

 for grass. 



I am led to think that our agricultural authorities and instructorh 

 are under conviction, as good folks say, and are holding their teach- 

 ing within the possibility of being" adopted. I am sure the laity 

 notice and appreciate this regard for limit of help and purse. 



THE BOOK OF SELF. 



Contrary to that unreasonable notion in vogue now, that man or 

 woman should not talk or correspondent write of self, I believe 

 in an egotism that is profitable to others than ourselves. This be- 

 cause self is undeniably a book that should be read or written page 

 after page. Other selves are profitable reading, more or less, as is 

 that of one's self. Do you not believe with me, kind hearer, that a 

 good farmer should have all encouragement to use the pronoun I. Do 

 you not believe that your successes or my failures should go to the 

 world as the world's due? The journey of ''Christian" from the 

 sinful, worldly town through the Slough of Despond to the Cross, 

 to the river and then into the Celestial City, notwithstanding Talka- 

 tive, lions, giants, Apollyon, is called an allegory — but after all it 

 was the blind Bunyan's pilgrimage recounted, the unfolding of 

 Bunyan's self. What a wonderful, profitable book of a self to other 

 selves! Is there a greater book than self — and yet I repeat, a fad 

 is in vogue you should not write or talk of self and all its attendant 

 experiences, joys, sorrows, findings and feelings. W^hy introversion 

 is hymn, invocation, sermon, Holy Supper, silent worship to friends, 

 in meeting assembled, and to the Churchman, too, more than we 

 friends may think it to be. 



How many others than myself, I know, are on reading terms with 

 my certain correspondent introduced to you in the beginning of this 



