208 THE NEW AGRICULTURE. 



the train which I expected to take had gone before I was ready, 

 and I at once resolved to come here, because I desired to hear 

 about the New Agriculture, and to see friends, particularly Mr. 

 Cole, with whom I might claim slight relation, dating back to its 

 origin somewhere near Adam. I am not a farmer by a long way, 

 ret I appreciate the wisdom in the adage that glorifies a man who 

 makes two blades of grass grow where but one grew before. I be- 

 lieve in improvement, and particularly in the most important in- 

 dustry of the land agriculture. There is great need of every im- 

 provement, for farmers have too long clung to old methods. 

 There is neither use nor sense in farmers staying by the old me- 

 thods employed by their fathers a hundred years ago, for condi- 

 tions have changed, and there is, therefore, imperative necessity 

 that better means be employed improved methods, every advance- 

 ment that will lead to larger returns, and increase of profits. 



" This, it is true, may be regarded as theory. It is theory. Yet 

 it is good common sense. I know very little about practical farm- 

 ing, for my experience is confined mainly to a garden of about 

 forty feet square, and I am bound to say that I do not care for that 

 in the best way, as anybody who inspects the work would be sure 

 to say. I had heard a great deal about the New Agriculture be- 

 fore curiosity was greatly excited, but at last I began to wonder, 

 can these things be true as reported ? Is it possible that Mr. 

 Cole is forcing earth to production far greater than under previ- 

 ous conditions ? I visited his grounds, saw his trenches, examined 

 his work and its results; but all this was necessary before I could 

 believe that what appeared like extravagant claims were based in 

 truth. I found they were. I found that he had made most won- 

 derful improvement in land that in the outset was poor. I saw 

 him but a few days ago dig potatoes, nearly a peck from a single 

 hill. I saw on the 7th of July on his grounds strawberries mar- 



