1100 Rural School Leaflet. 



Later years. — After the horse has passed the twelfth year, the matter 

 of two or three years amounts to Httle. Mlich depends upon the individ- 

 uality of the animal, as some animals are worth more at eighteen years 

 than others are at fourteen. Judgment of the value of a horse 

 at these ages should be formed on general appearance and activity, 

 rather than on age which can not be accurately determined. 



LETTERS TO FARM BOYS 



Letter No, 5 

 Dear Boys of the Farm: 



The Editor of this Leaflet has asked me to write a letter to you on the 

 subject, " Some Things a Farmer Can Do in Public Service," as illus- 

 trated by my own life. 



I was born on a hill farm in Tioga County, New York, in 1852. When 

 I was nine years old the Civil War broke out, and three of m.y older 

 brothers enlisted and went to the war. One was killed and the others 

 were injured so that they could not work much after they came home. 

 My father was lame and could not work on the farm. Help could not 

 be found, so many men had gone into the army. I was compelled to 

 leave the district school in summer at the age of ten years and I never 

 attended in the winter after I was sixteen years old, although at the age 

 of fifty-five I am attending school yet. I take lectures either at Cornell 

 University or at the New York State Experiment Station every year. 

 When I became a young man I continued to live on the homestead. 

 When I was twenty-five years old I attended a meeting of the State 

 Dairymen's Association and there received my first inspiration for 

 better farming. 



I soon subscribed for the Country Gentleman, an excellent farm paper, 

 and have taken it ever since. Now I take a large number of farm papers. 

 As soon as I could I bought a number of books on farm topics. At 

 that time the farm of about 107 acres would feed about eighteen head 

 of cattle and three horses. I used every means at hand to improve the 

 farm and was soon so successful that it would feed twice as much stock 

 as formerly. I took up some very careful experiments, one especially 

 in feeding animals, that has been of great value to me, and as Conductor 

 of Farmers' Institutes I have given the knowledge I thus gained to 

 thousands of farmers in this state. 



One town meeting day, at noon, I was told that I was on the ticket 

 for an office, which was the first information I had regarding it. I was 

 elected. Next I was elected assessor for three years. I was then 



