248 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



After some discussion, the Essay was laid over for its second 

 reading under the rule. 



Mr. Moore then submitted the following Report, upon 



SPECIALTIES IN FARMING. 



The Committee upon the above subject submit the following 

 remarks upon it : — 



In considering the best methods of farming, the cost of pro- 

 duction, the economy with which a crop can be grown without 

 too great exhaustion of the soil must be taken into account, for 

 herein partly consists good and economical farming. 



Now it is well understood, and does not require an argument 

 even to convince the public, that it costs more in proportion to 

 produce one bushel of wheat, corn or other grains, or one bushel 

 of any of the varieties of vegetables, or one box or barrel of any 

 of the fruits, than it does one thousand or more ; and there is 

 also nearly the same labor in cleaning and finishing up after a 

 small quantity as there would be from a large one. If this prop- 

 osition is true, and there is no doubt of it in the minds of your 

 Committee, it would follow as a certainty that it would be better 

 to produce a smaller number but larger quantities of one or 

 more special crops, for by that means the cost would be less, and 

 leave a larger margin for profit to the grower. To use the 

 words of one of the ablest sons of Massachusetts, " success is a 

 duty," Now, to be successful, it will, we think, be necessary to 

 direct the attention to a less number of the various branches of 

 this, the oldest and most extensive business in the world. 



Can you expect any person, even of great ability, to succeed 

 and attain that proficiency in all the different branches of farm- 

 ing that he otherwise would if his attention was directed to a 

 few special crops ? 



Suppose a person undertakes to breed sheep, cattle, horses 

 and swine, any of which, to be successful in producing the finest 

 animals, requires a long experience, a partial knowledge of 

 anatomy, or conformation of tlie animals, so that he may be able 

 to select proper animals for breeders, and a knowledge of feed- 

 ing in all its details, to be able to rear the progeny to greatest 

 perfection ; to have a dairy for supplying the market with milk, 

 or for the production of butter or cheese, which would require 

 a different method of feeding to produce those articles most 



