326 Time of Entry on Farms. 



son accepted the challenge thrown out to him, cleared the mine 

 in a shorter time than could have been imagined, and from that 

 day was a made man. 



To return, however, to the more direct line of our instrmctions, 

 the best hint that can be given to a young in-coming tenant is, to 

 start forthwith in the determined prosecution of the field-work, 

 autumnal or vernal, most especially required at the season. (See 

 * Calendar of Operations.') We presume him, of course, ac- 

 quainted with the practical details of all farming operations ; in 

 other words, we presume him to have passed his agricultural 

 apprenticeship ; for to enter into such an explanation would be to 

 fill volumes, not an Essay. The best advice to a young tenant, 

 then — bis stock, implements, &c., having been purchased — is to 

 " take time by the forelock,'' and to start with what most requires 

 doing at that particular season. He should not be clipping 

 fences (though that in its place shows good farming) when the 

 weather allows and there is land to be ploughed. As the credit 

 of the mason depends upon his selection of the fitting stone, and 

 the true line in which he places it, so does the success of the 

 agriculturist depend upon his judicious decision of what is to be 

 done next, and his seeing that it is properly done. A few rough 

 general hints I will subjoin here, without regard to their connec- 

 tion, as that can little matter. 



Old Pastures. — Beware of breaking up old pastures, even if 

 corn be dear as in Pharaoh's time, and though you have your 

 landlord's leave. Pasture for milch-cows can never be too old ; 

 and if you fancy it has grown feeble you can always refresh it 

 by harrowing in the spring, some manure, and a dose of " reno- 

 vating seed." To break old pasture up is to kill the goose for 

 her golden eggs. Many is the farmer in Gloucestershire that 

 bitterly rues his precipitation in adopting that plan. 



Selection of Implements. — Catalogues, with full details and 

 amply illustrated, are now so easily obtained by post from any 

 one of the numerous makers, whose advertisements appear in the 

 pages of the Agricultural Journals, that the young farmer will 

 have no difficulty in making a good selection. Let him, if he 

 Lave the opportunity, consult some intelligent modern farmer. 

 Too often, however, he will not have this opportunity, or his 

 friend may be loth to advise. In this case let him weigh care- 

 fully the respective merits of the different implements as described 

 and drawn in the catalogues, if he have not had an opportunity of 

 visiting some one of the great shows, where the makers are 

 always to be found, and he will readily be enabled to select what 

 he wants, f^conomy, however, let him strictly observe ; at the 

 same time that he should be forward to purchase every imple- 



