50 My Little Farm 



barriers that hold it useless. Having told them 

 about the three agents of fertility, the expert 

 showed them how much the whole was greater 

 than its parts, when properly blent for purposes 

 of production ; how potash, phosphates and 

 nitrogen, mixed in right proportions, must yield 

 more than the same money's worth of either by 

 itself. Best of all, he had a way to defeat cheating 

 in the purchase. Given the analysis, the money 

 value could be calculated on the units, and this 

 plan of calculation was called " The Formula." 



A most excellent lecture, especially in its 

 assurance against fraud, and they passed a powerful 

 resolution of eternal gratitude to the Department, 

 after which they went home, and so did he ; but 

 they went home in the belief that the Department 

 had brought out a new manure, that there was 

 nothing in the world like it, that no trader could 

 cheat them in it, and that the name of it was 

 " Formula." That was the agricultural result of 

 our admirably scientific lecture on manuring, 

 admirably delivered, to men who regard them- 

 selves as admirable farmers. 



In the course of the week, they dropped into 

 the towns, and asked the manure merchants the 

 price per ton for " Formula." " We haven't it in 

 stock at present," said the merchants, " but we 

 can get it for you in a few days." The scientific 

 farmers went from shop to shop, but not one 

 merchant could quote per ton for " Formula," and 

 they confided their suspicions to one another. 

 Why had the merchants left them in complete 



