240 WHAT I KNOW OF FARMING. 



ing rapidly, eradicating weeds, economizing labor in 

 harvesting, etc., will probably transcend not merely 

 his experience, but his imagination ; and every one 

 of these myriad implements is useful in its place, 

 though no single farmer can afford to buy all or half 

 of them. It will yet, I think, be found necessary by 

 the farmers of a school-district, if not of a township, 

 to meet and agree among themselves that one will 

 buy this implement, another that, and so on, until 

 twenty or thirty such devices as a Stump or Rock- 

 Puller, a Clod-Crusher, Thrashing-Machine, Fanning- 

 Mill, etc., shall be owned in the neighborhood each 

 by a separate farmer, willing to live and let live 

 with an understanding that each shall be used in 

 turn by him who needs it ; and so every one shall be 

 nearly as well accommodated as though he owned them 

 all. 



For the number and variety of useful implements 

 increase so rapidly, while their usefulness is so pal- 

 pable, that, though it is difficult to farm efficiently 

 without many if not most of them, it is impossible 

 that the young farmer of moderate means should buy 

 and keep them all. True, he might hire when he 

 needed, if what he wanted were always at hand ; but 

 this can only be assured by some such arrangement 

 as I have suggested, wherein each undertakes to pro- 

 vide and keep that which he will most need ; agree- 

 ing to lend it whenever it can be spared to any other 

 member of the combination, who undertakes to min- 

 ister in like manner to his need in return. 



