250 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



no more, control the degrees of heat and cold, the quantity of 

 sunshine, wind, and the length of the season to mature his 

 crops ? Certainly he cannot. He can only bring into use his 

 long experience and observation. He does some brain work, 

 and the result is, if he has made a specialty of some crops, and 

 has studied their habits and particular wants, has indeed 

 mastered his subject with those particular crops, he will suc- 

 ceed : but if he undertalves to dabble in every branch of farm- 

 ing, he will not be likely to attain any great skill in producing 

 any particular crop. 



How is it in the professions ? Does any one siicceed and 

 become eminent until he has devoted almost his entire energies 

 to his particular business ? Certainly not. Such application is 

 required to make Choates, Jacksons and Beechers, who, if 

 they had undertaken all of the professions, very likely would 

 not have attained much eminence in either. 



Husbandry, like mechanic arts, means many trades combined 

 under one name, too many for any one man to perfectly master ; 

 therefore, let him give his attention to some few branches as a 

 specialty. 



When we desire information about any particular crop, to 

 whom do we go to get it ? Why, certainly' to the man who has 

 studied its habits and wants, and made it a specialty. Who 

 succeeds the best with any particular crop ? Is it not the man 

 who raises it largely, and gives his attention to it, who knows 

 its habits, and how to grow it ? 



We are aware that it has been popular to advocate mixed 

 farming, or in other words to raise a little of everything, which 

 oftentimes in its results, means not much of anything. We are 

 satisfied that it would be better to raise a smaller number of 

 crops, and those in larger quantities. We find in all farming 

 there must be some leading articles to sell, for money must be 

 had to pay for labor, groceries and other articles, and that can 

 be got more readily where some crop is grown largely for that 

 purpose. And therefore we have come to the conclusion that 

 the quicker our farmers devote their attention to a few leading 

 articles, studying their habits and wants thorouglily, and mak- 

 ing them a specialty, the better and more successful will they 

 be individually as farmers. John B. Moore. 



Avery P. Slade. 

 Chas. C. Sewall. 



