MiSTAKKS OF Farmers. 419 



ful in their labors, or that there would be less occasion for 

 complaint ? 



I have said that farmers should have a better theoretical 

 and scientific knowledge of farm work. Now, it is a sad 

 fact, I think, that not more than one farmer in ten is a sub- 

 scriber to an agricultural paper, or reads or owns an agricul- 

 tural book ! How many farmers, think you, in any given 

 territory, can tell what are the constituents of milk, or 

 describe, even tolerably, the chemical changes which occur 

 in the rising of cream, the process of churning and the 

 production of butter ? 



It is said that only about one tub of butter in ten sent to 

 market will rank A No. 1. Have the two facts no connec- 

 tion ? If the science of butter making was better known, 

 who can doubt that the quality would be improved ? 



A third mistake is in the wastes of the farm. A wide 

 lield for discussion opens here, but I can notice only a few 

 of these wastes. 



The loss to the farmer from evil habits is enormous. 

 The farmer who spends needlessly five cents a day will 

 lose enough in fifty years, with the accrued interest, to buy 

 a five thousand dollar farm ; if he spends ten cents per day 

 for the same time he will suffer a loss of ten to twelve 

 tliousand dollars. 



It is estimated that at least one-fourth of all the manure 

 made is lost yearly by exposure to rains, evaporation and 

 injudicious application. 



The loss of all crops from insufficient preparation of the 

 soil, sowing and planting and after care in culture and har- 

 vesting ; . the loss of nutrition m the hay crop on accoimt 



