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LECTURES AND ESSAYS READ AT INSTITUTES. 265 



The quiet, earnest attention and study to be seen in the faces of from ten to 

 fifteen thousand lookers on were indications of far more practical information 

 ■carried home than could have been derived from seeing a few fleet-footed 

 animals dash past at their utmost speed under the lash of professional jockeys. 



In speaking of the Nebraska state fair held this last year, one writer says : 

 "It was one of the most successful in the history of the state, and this fair 

 was notable for the little interest taken in the races. At no time was the 

 race track made the center of attraction for more than a small fraction of the 

 crowd present. 



The agricultural society of this county, while they held their exhibitions at 

 Watrousville, (as we all know) has persistently set its face against the intro- 

 duction of this feature, and very few, if any society in the State has more 

 prosperously gone forward with grand agricultural exhibitions every year, never 

 in financial straits, but always making a large, useful, instructive, genuine, 

 agricultural show. It would seem that the races are not a necessity, why 

 then should they be encouraged at the fairs. They surely are not an orna- 

 ment. 



Neighbor farmers, don't imagine you would make a very graceful appear- 

 ance seated on a red trotting sulky, holding the ribbons Budd Doble style, 

 dressed in a blue flannel shirt, white knee-briches, and skull cap, driving at 

 a 2 :40 gait. You would make a far better appearance driving a good, solid, 

 fat span of farm horses, even though they may be hitched to a lumber wagon. 

 We have all known farmers to succeed by attending strictly to agricultural 

 affairs. But did you ever know one to get rich driving fast horses? 



MIXED HUSBANDKY. 



BY A. D. SAXTOif. 



[Bead at Eaton Rapids Institute.] 



Me. President, Ladies akd Gentlemen, — Tlie subject assigned me is one 

 of considerable interest to the farmer. I do not expect to say anything that 

 will be new to you, but perhaps it may draw out thought and discussion for 

 our mutual benefit. The profits that are derived from mixed husbandry 

 depend a great deal upon circumstances, upon soil, climate, etc. ; but in this 

 part of the State, as a rule, it needs no argument. I think it is self-evident, 

 to the observing farmer at least, that mixed husbandry pays the best. It should 

 be as diversified as possible ; in fact, I don't see how any farmer can succeed, 

 or how he can farm with any degree of success, without raising different kinds 

 of crops and some stock. The time has been perhaps when the raising of 

 wheat, and that alone, was as profitable as anything the farmer could engage 

 in when the country was newer, when the soil was rich in wheat producing 

 properties, and when wheat brought a good price in market; but that time has 

 past I think in this part of our State. But even when wheat raising paid the 

 best, the farmers that were the most successful were the ones that raised the 

 most clover to plow under and kept some stock to eat up the coarse fodder. 

 Take the farmer, for instance, with SO or 100 acres of land ; he says to himself, 

 there is money for me in raising wheat than anything else. He goes to work 



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