ART OF CULTIVATING THE SOIL. 3 



So will it always be with the farmer who 

 pursues a like system. Tempted by the idea of ob 

 taining a few crops with little expense now, he ruins 

 his land for the future. 



The good farmer, then, desires to grow large crops 

 with the least necessary cost, but at the same time never 

 forgets that it is the best economy to keep his land in 

 good condition, and even improving. In order to ac 

 complish this, he must do something more than merely 

 plough and harrow, sow, plant and reap : he must 

 think and study also. a. He must learn the nature of 

 the various crops he raises or wishes to raise : these 

 crops differ; he should seek to understand the differ 

 ences, and how they are caused. 6. One field he will 

 find to vary much in its nature from another; a certain 

 crop grows here, and fails there : are these things 

 accidental, or can he discover the reasons? c. In 

 adding certain substances called manures to the soil, 

 he finds diverse effects, not only in their application to 

 different fields, but also to different crops : here is 

 another subject for study, d. His animals thrive on 

 some kinds of food, and derive little benefit from others. 

 A small bulk of some varieties sustains and increases 

 their size or strength, while upon great quantities of 

 other varieties they grow poor. What are the pro 

 perties upon which these effects depend? 



Thus we perceive that the farmer who really wishes 

 to understand the " art of cultivating the soil," must 

 go a long way beyond ploughing. He must, it is 

 true, know how to get his soil into a good state; but 

 he must also know something as to the nature of his 

 crops, of the various soils on which they grow, of the 

 manures which are applied 10 increase that growth, 

 and of the food which he supplies to his animals. 



This, it may be said, involves too much study for a 

 practical working man. I reply, that it is not neces 

 sary for him to learn the minute details of scientific 



