Notices for a Young Farmer, 



unnecessary, could those to whom it is applicable and moni- 

 tory, be induced to follow the instruction, and feel the excite- 

 ment, conveyed by the old but evergreen Apothegm, — 

 « Industry is the right hand of fortune ,* and frugality her left." 

 3£XX. If many of these mementos should be deemed trite 

 and unnecessary, by men of agricultural intelligence ; they 

 will, nevertheless, be found useful to beginners. The list- 

 lessness of old farmers, often requires something like Dean 

 Swift's Flappers. What is considered as trivial, obvious, and 

 minute, requiring little exercise of mind or faculty, is over- 

 looked and walked over every day without observation : yet 

 such details and items are as essential to the great concerns of 

 life, as are the letters of the alphabet, and the common gram- 

 mar rules, to literature. The Germans have a homely, but ex- 

 pressive axiom,— "List ist bcsser als mist ;" — skilful manage- 

 ment is better than dung. — It has been the aim of the forego- 

 ing Notices, to unite the benefits of both. With skilful ma- 

 nagement, steril and worn lands may be made durably pro- 

 ductive. Without it, the fertility of the richest soils is soon 

 dissipated. Novelty or originality have not been the objects 

 of this defective compendium. Facts and opinions are drawn 

 together presumed to be warranted by experience, or col- 

 lected from writers of reputation. Nor are any practices or 

 opinions recommended as exclusively preferable ; however 

 pointedly they may be mentioned. They are intended as 

 mere suggestions and hints to beginners ; and not promul- 

 gated with any view to assume superiority of knowledge or 

 judgment, over those who may consider other practices, or 

 opinions, more correct. 



It is a melancholy reflection, that the principles and prac- 

 tice of an art, on which the subsistence and comforts of the 

 human race so materially depend ; should still be subject to 

 varieties in opinion and contrarieties in practice. Few of 

 even the rude outlines of a subject so copious, can be com- 

 prised in a compass so narrow. Nor can it be expected that 

 anv more could be noticed, on many points, than the prac- 

 tices respectively mentioned ; leaving the details of execution 



