A Short Sermon. 365 



or grandfather, used to ride in a stage coach, or canal boat, but 

 you ride on the cars. Can you not advance a little in farm 

 methods, as well ? No narrow specialty farming has been 

 preached in these pages, but a sensible kind that gives one the 

 best chance to do something. If you are prejudiced on this 

 point, and do not study over it carefully and get all there is in it 

 for you as you are situated, you are not giving earnest heed to the 

 things you have heard. It is quite useless to read, or hear, unless 

 we will do this. If we are simply going to take in what our 

 present practice agrees with, what possible use is it to know of 

 anything different ? 



Do you plow around any cat swamps ? Does any un- 

 drained swale cross a cultivated field ? Are your lots in a shape 

 that is not the best for fast tillage ? Are there any large stones 

 that you could sink, or small ones that should be picked up ? 

 Are your fields cleared of every obstruction to fast work with 

 costly implements ? If you see you are not doing your best on 

 any of these points, the advantages of which have been fully 

 placed before you in these pages, and which you probably knew 

 before, then our text bears down on you with its sound advice : 

 We ought to give more earnest heed to the things we have 

 heard. 



How are you on the clover question ? Do you sow timothy 

 seed because it is cheaper ? Do you not know that there is a good 

 deal of solid truth in Chapter XV.? Have you failed to get 

 satisfactory results from clover growing? Did you treat the 

 clover as Chapter XVI. tells about? After the surface soil has 

 become exhausted somewhat of its original fertility, is there any 

 practical way on earth to bring it up any cheaper than clover 

 growing in regular rotation of course, along with draining, 

 manure saving, good tillage, etc.? You can draw on the subsoil 

 and the air, and leave the fertility in the soil, and you can grow a 

 fine crop of the best of hay, while you are doing it no loss of 

 the use of the land. Certain it is that a great many farmers need 

 to give more earnest heed to what is now well known about the 

 benefits of clover growing. 



Do you plant little potatoes every year ? Do you use wheat 

 for seed that is not entirely clean, and selected from the best of 

 the field ? Do you sow clover seed by hand and spread manure 

 by hand, when a machine will do both very much faster and better ? 

 Do you let your tools and wagons wear out as fast again as they need 

 to, from unnecessary exposure when not in actual use ? Do you go 

 to market with less than what your horses can easily draw, 

 because your wagon is not arranged to carry a good load handily ? 

 Then, kindly give earnest heed to what has been said on these 

 points. 



Are you working for a home, and comfort for your loved 

 ones ? Have you got the strawberries and small fruits ? Have 



