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It also would spare the making and maintaining of inclosures — 

 the same, whether these inclosures should be hedges, ditches or fences. 

 This again, is a heavy item — heavy at first, and heavy in its continual 

 demand for repairs. I remember once being greatly astonished by an 

 apparently authentic exhibition of the proportion the cost of an in- 

 closure bears to all the other expenses of the farmer; though I cannot 

 remember exactly what that proportion was. Any farmer, if he will, 

 can ascertain it in his own case, for himself. 



Again, a great amount of "locomotion" is spared by thorough cul- 

 tivation. Take fifty bushels of wheat, ready for the harvest, standing 

 upon a single acre, and it can be harvested in any of the known ways, 

 with less than half the labor v/hich would be required if it were 

 spread over five acres. This would be true, if cut by the old hand 

 sickle; true, to a greater extent, if by the scythe and cradle; and to 

 a still greater extent, if by the machines now in use. These machines 

 are chiefly valuable, as a means of substituting animal power for 

 the power of men in this branch of farm work. In the highest degree 

 of perfection yet reached in applying the horse power to harvesting, 

 fully nine-tenths of the power is expended by the animal in carrying 

 himself and dragging the machine over the field, leaving certainly not 

 more than one-tenth to be applied directly to the only end of the whole 

 operation — the gathering in of the grain, and clipping of the straw. 

 When grain is very thin on the ground, it is always more or less inter- 

 mingled with weeds, chess and the like, and a large part of the power 

 is expended in cutting these. It is plain that when the crop is very 

 thick upon the ground, a larger proportion of the power is directly 

 applied to gathering in and cutting it; and the smaller, to that 

 which is totally useless as an end. And what I have said of harvesting 

 is true, in a greater or less degree of mowing, plowing, gathering in 

 of crops generally, and, indeed, of almost all farm work. 



The effect of thorough cultivation upon the farmer's own mind, and, 

 in reaction through his mind, back upon his business, is perhaps 

 quite equal to any other of its effects. Every man is proud of what 

 he does well ; and no man is proud of that he does not well. With 

 the former, his heart is in his work; and he will do twice as much 

 of it with less fatigue. The latter performs a little imperfectly, 

 looks at it in disgust, turns from it, and imagines himself exceedingly 

 tired. The little he has done, comes to nothing, for want of finish- 

 ing. 



The man who produces a good full crop will scarcely ever let any 

 part of it go to waste. He will keep up the enclosure about it, and 

 allow neither man nor beast to trespass upon it. Ke v/ill gather it 

 in due season and store it in perfect security. Thus he labors with 

 satisfaction, and saves himself the whole fruit of his labor. The 



