destroyed by cropping without return. But like other remedies and 

 appliances, they must not be used indiscriminately ; for then disap 

 pointment is sure to follow in many cases. 



Manures must be of the right kind, selected not only with reference 

 to the requirements of the soil, but also with due regard to the facili 

 ties for collecting, using and procuring, by purchase or otherwise, the 

 different materials applicable to the purpose. 



Rotation, must be properly adapted, both as to the kind and number 

 of succession, not only to the soil, but also to the requirements of the 

 market. 



Subsoiling must be practised judiciously, with a due regard to the 

 nature and condition of the soil and subsoil. Otherwise, so far from 

 being a benefit, it may, for the time being at least, become a serious 

 injury. 



Under-draining is rarely amiss, yet there are extensive tracts of land 

 in the State on which it would be at least an unnecessary expense at 

 the present time. 



There are soils on which the fallow can have little or no effect, and 

 would be, practically, a waste of time and labor. 



The turning-in of green crops can rarely come amiss ; yet there are 

 cases in which it will not pay, unless the crop selected for the purpose 

 is of the proper kind. 



To determine all these things properly, judiciously, and to the best 

 advantage, in the immense variety of cases which present themselves, 

 requires not only natural intellect, but an educated judgment. I cast 

 no slur upon our farmers when I say, that were it not for the wide mar 

 gin left them for profit and loss on our virgin soils, the egregious mis 

 takes constantly committed by them even in their attempts at improve 

 ment, would often prove very disastrous ; as is the case in older com 

 munities. 



The knowledge required cannot be the gift of nature ; it must be 

 attained, both by the study of past experience, which has been con 

 densed into principles, and, very often, by experiments adapted to each 

 particular case. The latter is the method very commonly resorted to 

 by those who distrust &quot; book-farming.&quot; Let us consider how far, by 

 itself alone, it is likely to lead to beneficial results. 



EXPERIMENTING, AND &quot;STUBBORN FACTS.&quot; 

 The readers of our agricultural journals cannot fail to have noticed 

 how very contradictory are the reported results of experiments made 

 by individuals. No matter how well settled may appear to be some 



