400 THE FARMER'S AND 



in \ain for the result of well tested and enlightened 

 experiments ; and I sensibly deeply felt, the want of 

 just such a journal as I hope your paper will prove. It 

 is true, I found myself surrounded by a class of enlight- 

 ened, intelligent, industrious and prosperous farmers, of 

 whom I embraced every opportunity to learn what I might 

 of my new business ; nor did I experience any want of 

 kindness on their part to inform me. What was the re- 

 suit? 



Breaking Prairie. Of course among the first objects, 

 was to get some prairie broken ; and to that subject were 

 my inquiries directed. What was the season of the year 

 in which to break prairie ? How deep should it be broken ? 

 With what team could it be most profitably done, taking 

 into the account the expense and quality of the work ? 

 In answer to all these questions, I received answers dif- 

 fering very widely from each other, from men of perhaps 

 equal experience and intelligence. In reply to the first 

 inquiry, some said, commence breaking as soon as the 

 ground is sufficiently dry in the spring, but be sure that 

 you stop the plough by the first of July. Others assured 

 me, that no consideration should induce me to break ex- 

 cept in the month of June ; while others recommended 

 July as well as June ; and many assured me that break- 

 ing might profitably be continued till September, should 

 circumstances permit. An equal contrariety of opinion 

 was observed in answer to the other inquiries. What 

 was to be done amid such a variety of opinion such a 

 multitude of contradictory advice? Yet, even here, I 

 found safety in a multitude of counsel. I pursued my 

 inquiries, and ascertained the reason assigned by each for 

 the opinion which he gave, and found that each conclu- 

 sion was deduced from a reasonable cause ; but without 

 going into the particular experience of each one, I will 

 state briefly the conclusions to which I have arrived from 



