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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



vast improvement, the complete revolution, vehich the 

 Royal Agricultural Society has effected in agricultural 

 mechanics, in agiicultural machinery, in the breeding anil 

 development of stock, and in agriculture generally, I 

 think I am not too sanguine in expecting the same im- 

 provement and the same beneficial result when that so- 

 ciety turns its powerful influence to the mental develop- 

 ment and the scientific culture of the agriculturist 

 himself. There is an ample and wide field for action ; 

 and it is my conviction that in carrying out the system 

 of agricultural educational examinations, lies hid in em- 

 bryo the Royal Agricultural Society's most successful 

 operations and her proudest triumphs. Having com- 

 pleted the educational portion of my subject, I will 

 now turn to consider the discipline, and afterwards 

 the introduction of the young man to life. T am 

 anxious at once to establish the masculine fact that 

 every man is the architect of his own fortune, and the 

 carver of his own future. There is no such thing as un- 

 deserved success or unmerited failure. A man will sink 

 or swim according to his ability in the battle or struggle 

 of life. Whilst one man succumbs to circumstance, and 

 becomes the creature of circumstance, another yokes 

 circumstance to his car, and triumphs over his position, 

 winning increased distinction from the magnitude of the 

 difficulties surmounted. I am extremely desirous to be 

 clear on this point. I want to put aside all the 

 maudlin enervating doctrines of chance and misfor- 

 tune. I want to establish a habit of real self-reliance. 

 I want young men to see that they had far better trust to 

 their own internal strength and competency, than to any 

 extraneous aid. How many a young man has been 

 ruined by his reliance on fortune ! How many a young 

 man has been spoiled and rendered unfit for success in 

 life by his expectancies ! Fortune at best is proclaimed 

 a fickle goddess ; and though bachelor uncles and 

 maiden aunts are all very well, they are certainly 

 crochety beings, difficult to please and easy to offend; 

 and T had rather rely, ten thousand times over, upon 

 the strength of my own right arm and upon my own in- 

 ternal power, than to trust to the whims, caprices, and 

 uncertainties of succeeding to dead men's shoes. Wind- 

 falls are always very acceptable, but they are broken 

 reeds to trust to. Self-reliance is the qualification lor 

 succes=< ; and I am convinced, if we are men of observa- 

 tion, of thought, of industry, of perseverance, of prin- 

 ciple and prudence, we must succeed in life, we must 

 triumph, we must conquer. It is a moral certainty. 

 No circumstance and no material power can prevent it. 

 What is failure but industry unapplied or misapplied ? 

 or the fruits of labour undervalued and unhusbanded ? 

 la any case, trace the cause of unsuccess. What is it 

 but a lack of the elements necessary for success ? what 

 but a lack of prudence, of principle, of energy, of in- 

 dustry, or ability? I do not deny the existence of 

 heavy overwhelming losses ; but even these are usually 

 traceable to the facts of hazardous spocuiations or im- 

 prudent outlays, and to the adoption of the man-or-the- 

 mouse principle of sink or swim. In the common 

 course of matters, I am tired to the heart at the sound 

 of misfortune : it is a lulling misnomer for human 



neglect and human incapacity. Many a man may gay, 

 " How could I avert my misfortune?" I reply such 

 misfortunes are usually traceable to habits of early neglect 

 in education or in training, and to the effect of neglected 

 opportunities. How is it the members of a large family 

 usually succeed in life far better than an only son .' 

 What is it but the effect of discipline, habit, and culture ? 

 The many are early taught to cut their own way, trained 

 in diligence, to habits of care, economy, and hardihood, 

 and reared upon the necessaries, and not upon the 

 luxuries and supernumeraries of life — trained to pro- 

 duce, and not to squander ; to save, and not to spend ; 

 whilst the only child lear[is the consuming to perfection, 

 but not the producing ; to spend, but not to spare or to 

 save. What is it but the one cultured to succeed, and 

 the other cultured to failure in life? But what is this 

 enigma— success in life — of which we hear so much ? 

 What is it, but the power to produce exceeding the de- 

 sire to consume ? — what, but the balance after deducting 

 the actual consumption from the actual production ? 

 Unfortunately in our day so strong is the love of ap- 

 pearance, so great the appreciation of comfort, that men 

 forget the great secret of life is not so much in getting 

 as in retaining — not so much in producing as in not 

 spending. Unfortunately, spending is the order of the 

 day ; there is a false show abroad ; but all men of 

 sound sense will be content to walk if they cannot af- 

 ford to ride, and to walk before they attempt to 

 run. How many young men appear to suppose that 

 life is governed by " lutk," and that success is a mere 

 toss-up matter of chance ! Success is as much 

 governed by fixed lav/s as the solar system, with this 

 saving clause of exempi.ion — that no rule is without an 

 exception. You see, trentleraen, I lay especial stress 

 upon habits, and specially upon the habits of self- 

 reliance. I look to ec'.ucutiou to teach a man to use 

 his brains, his eyes, and his ears, to show he has a head 

 upon his s'loulders, ami to prove he does not pass 

 through life half asleep ; but I look to habits and di«- 

 cipline to effect much also. We are a bundle of habits; 

 and if any young man thinks he will succeed in the 

 daily life of agriculture by informing his mind alone, he 

 will find himself mistakni. For success there must be 

 habits of industry and not of sloth, of prudence and not 

 of prodigality. But to enter more minutely, most 

 strongly do I recommend every young man to adopt 

 the habit of early rising ; to carry out the habit of 

 thinking nothing of trouble in business ; to adopt active 

 hsbits, and an active and prompt execution of every 

 duty. Most tlioroughly do I recommend the habit of 

 correct accounts, and of noting down passing business 

 events. I strongly urge that interest and advantage be 

 studied, and not inclination and pleasure — habits of 

 self-denial, and not habits of self-indulgence. Settle it 

 down as a fact that you can do anything if you try, and 

 cultivate the habit of perseverance. Men succeed by 

 sticking. Cultivate the habits of cheerfulness. Bears 

 with sore heads don't make friends. Cultivate the 

 habit of a frank, open-hearted, manly manner, com- 

 bined with politeness ; for conceited borishness and 

 pedantry don't assist to success. I strongly recommend 



