1882 ] QUESTION BOX. 309 



best, without regard to the price, I suppose that the experi- 

 ence of flock-masters would lead them to say oats. 



Question. Ought the raising of tobacco to be encouraged 

 or discouraged ? In other words, is it right or wrong, and 

 why ? 



Mr. Seleye. One of our Board of Education came to me 

 the other day and said, " I believe this tobacco raising is the 

 worst thing that ever happened to our country." " Why," 

 said I, " you raise it ?" " Yes ; but I have thought, for some 

 time, it was a bad thing. I find, in visiting schools, that 

 every little boy and girl who can turn up a leaf and find 

 a worm, is taken out of school to do it, and it is perfectly de- 

 moralizing to the educational interests of the State." If that 

 is true, I should say it ought never to be raised. 



Mr. Gold. One answer to the question is suggested to me 

 by the story of the little girl who felt very badly when the old 

 drake was killed. She did not know whether it was right or 

 wrong. The next day, when they came to eat it, she said, 

 " I guess it was right to kill that drake, it is so good ! " I 

 think there is a certain class of men who would answer in 

 that way with regard to tobacco, 



Mr. Plumb. The question is, are we not better off without 

 it than with it ? If we are, then we ought not to raise it. I 

 say it is a perfectly useless thing, and does more injury than 

 good. I used to raise it once myself, but I learned better and 

 discarded it entirely. 



Mr. Seleye. I think this is an important question, and 

 if the Board of Agriculture is not competent to meet it fairly 

 and properly, we do not want any Board of Agriculture. If 

 the raising of tobacco is wrong, we ought to discard it, and 

 try to influence our neighbors to do the same thing. I think 

 we ought to have a free interchange of opinion on this sub- 

 ject, and if it is a good thing, let us continue it ; if it is not, 

 let us abandon it. 



Mr. Webb. I raised tobacco for a while, and I thought 

 most of the talk against it was sentimental. I said, if it pro- 

 duced money, and made the pot boil, I should continue to 



