THE YOUNG FARMER 



better a man is trained and the more fully 

 he studies his own adaptabilities and defi- 

 ciencies, the more likely he is to succeed in 

 the open country. For this reason, the 

 young man should be careful to get as broad 

 a training as possible. It is, therefore, often 

 more important for him to study those 

 things which he dislikes than to study the 

 things for which he has a natural taste. 



There was a man in our town 



And he was wondrous wise. 

 He knew that if he wanted crops 



He'd have to fertilize. 

 "It's nitrogen that makes things green," 



Said this man of active brain; 

 "And potash makes the good strong straw, 



And phosphate plumps the grain. 

 But it's clearly wrong to waste plant food 



On a wet and soggy field; 

 I'll surely have to put in drains 



If I'd increase the yield. 

 "And after I have drained the land 



I must plow it deep all over; 

 And even then I'll not succeed 



Unless it will grow clover. 

 Now, acid soils will not produce 



A clover sod that's prime; 

 So if I have a sour soil, 



I'll have to put on lime. 

 "And after doing all these things, 



To make success more sure, 

 I'll try my very best to keep 



From wasting the manure. 

 So I'll drain, and lime, and cultivate, 



With all that that implies; 

 And when I've done that thoroughly 



I'll manure and fertilize." Vivian 



100 



