No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 511 



business off your farm, tou cannot have two hundred dollars worth 

 of profit. Study your profits, or don't do business. 



The next step will be the science of feeding — the study of economy 

 in feeding. Find out what your cows are doing, and don't buy forty 

 dollars worth of feed for a cow that only gives thirty-five dollars 

 worth of milk. 



EAK-MAKKS OF THE FAEM 



By S. C. GEORGE, West Lebanon, Pa. 



It is not my intention in this paper to try to instruct such an in- 

 telligent audience as this, yet we would consider our time and efforts 

 wasted did not some one gather some thought from it that would 

 be of use to him, for we know that it is he who has knowledge who 

 thirst for more. 



In choosing our subject we were guided partly by an article in 

 the "National Stockman and Farmer'' from the pen of W. D. Zinn 

 in which he said, ''That good farming had certan ear-marks that 

 could not be mistaken." While this is true, poor farming also has 

 its ear-marks, that are equally easily discernible, and as straws indi- 

 cate which way the wind blows, so there are certain marks that point 

 to good or poor farming. 



We should emulate the good farmer; we should strive to learn 

 all we can from him ; his methods, his operation, and his achieve- 

 ments. But we can also learn a great deal from the poor farmer 

 by avoiding his failures, noting his carelessness and his mistakes. 



WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EARMARKS OF THE FARM? 



When we see the buildings in good repair, the machinery carefully 

 put away when not in use, the fences neatly built, fence-rows trimmed 

 with care, a good sod on the fields, the growing crops thrifty, the 

 manure hauled out on the fields at the right time, the animals sleek 

 and in good condition, we known that the owner or caretaker of 

 that farm is a good farmer, and one whom we can safely pattern 

 after. 



But on the other hand Avhen we see dilapidated buildings, buildings 

 not old but out of repair and neglected, where paint has not been 

 used, where doors are off their hinges, gates hanging by one hinge, 

 or perchance lying on the ground, where the boards are loose on 

 tho fences, fence-rows grown up with briers, elders and bushes of all 

 kinds that you could not plow within a rod of the fence, fields covered 

 with weeds, golden-rod, aster, wild carrot, daisy, and thistles instead 

 of grass, the machinery standing in tlie field wJiere it was last used 

 or in a fence-corner, or under an apple tree, the fowls roosting on 

 the trees, the cattle looking as if they had the "hollow horn" or "wolf- 

 in-tail," had lost their cud and not enough in their stomach to make 

 a new one; then we see some of the marks of the poor farmer. 



