82 Farmers' Miscellany. [Jan., 



York, last winter, viz: — " Wliy Prof. Johnston, of Scotland, a 

 man eminent for services rendered to agriculture, was the only 

 prominent man omitted in their long list of foreign correspond- 

 ents?" The reason given was, that he had made no great ori- 

 ginal discoveries. What a reason ! No living man has done so 

 much for the cause, nor will in a long time to come. If Liebig 

 has done his thousands — Johnston has done his ten thousands. 

 He has reduced theory to practice if nothing more, and his works 

 will be read and honored by thousands to whom Leibig is, and 

 ever will be, a blind o-uide. He has taught the farmer to think 

 for himself, by opening up to him the laws of nature in a form he 

 can understand. 



But to return. The farmer is in most cases an imitative man. 

 Let him be ever so much opposed to book-farming, he will do 

 what he has seen his neighbor do successfully. Plant along side 

 of him a man who conducts his farm upon improved principles, 

 and although he may sneer for a while, yet it will not be long 

 before he will begin to follow example and adopt, one by one, 

 the improvements he has seen. 



It is often said that the enthusiasts — I have a preference for the 

 term visionaries — do good by their zeal. This may be true in a 

 measure. It might be an advantage to the agricultural interest 

 to kill off a tithe of the present race of farmers, and give their 

 business to their sons, who, being new themselves, have not ac- 

 quired a very strong prejudice against new things. But this is 

 not the course I would recommend, neither am I inclined to give 

 visionaries much credit for the chance good they may do. I be- 

 lieve that farming is to be brought to perfection by a steady 

 course of judicious, sober improvement; not by fiery and hast}' 

 measures. The wished for result will not be arrived at by aston- 

 ishing the man by the enormous effects of some new fertilizer. 

 He may open his eyes and seem surprised, but he will at the same 

 time thrust down his hands doggedly into his pockets, and say "I 

 don't believe it." 



It is to the first class I mentioned, more than either of the 

 others, that agriculture is indebted for the rapid improvement it 



