THE GENESEE FAKMEE. 



HINTS. 



The present is the last winter montli, and a few reflections at this time may be useful. 

 As this has been, in almost all parts of the country, an " open " winter, it aftbrded a 

 good opportunity to repair fences and gates and do other out-door work, which we will 

 suppose has been attended to ; if not, improve the time the present month. Are the 

 implements all in order ? The blacksmith is now at leisure, and will do any repair- 

 ing you need without hurry, and consequently well. It will be very annoying if you 

 leave such things until you have to lose half a day's work running to the blacksmith's 

 shop, and when you get there perhaps find him so busy that he can scarcely attend to 

 your wants. If you want anything new, now is the time to take a jaunt to the city or 

 village and make your purchases. Some men are always ^^ bothered,''^ and half the time 

 out of temper because they neglect such things until work "drives" them. It is always 

 better to " drive " work, than to be " driven " by it. 



Now, too, is the time to make arrangements about the disposition of your lands. 

 You have time to think, and thinking is what distinguishes the farmer from his ox. 

 Consult your intelligent neighbors ; consult your agricultural papers and find out what 

 others have done under similar circumstances, and with what results. Weigh the opin- 

 ions of all carefully, make up your mind with caution, have your plans well matured, 

 and when the season is right to strike the blow, you are ready. You have no need to 

 halt or hesitate. 



In the fall you probably noticed some seed that you thought at the time you would 

 like to try another season. Get it now if you can, for when you get busy you will for- 

 get it; or, if you think of it, will not find time to procure it. Think this matter over a 

 little, and after you have concluded what change of seed you ought to make, or what 

 new crop you will introduce, do it up at once ; have all ready, and you will not have to 

 say, at the close of the next season, that you have left undone many things that you 

 intended to do. Every man that observes and thinks, learns a little by experience every 

 season that he cultivates a crop. Some things prosper under some circumstances and 

 fail under others. This is generally noticed at the time, but too often forgotten because 

 no memorandum is made of the circumstance that can be referred to at leisure. Think 

 over the results of the past, and gain knowledge for the future. 



In your reading the present winter you have noticed some things which looked 

 very plausible and which you mentally resolved, at the time, you would test for 

 yourself. This is right; but unless you have it very firmly fixed in your mind, 

 or have it in your memorandum book in black and white, ten chances to one but you 

 will forget it just at the time you intended to put it in practice. Whatever experi- 

 ments you make, try carefully so that you be not deceived yourself nor deceive others. 

 Never guess at weights or measures, or quantity of land. It always looks bad for one 

 to say, when giving the result of any experiment, the quantity of land was "afiou^," and 

 the yield ^'■abouV so much. If you test any special manure to ascertain its value, it ia 

 best to try part of the same field with barnyard manure and part without any. If this 

 was done, it would not be as easy for manufacturers of manure nostrums to get certifi- 

 cates of its value. IIow few know which is the most profitable crop the}'^ raise, or how 

 much is expended in manure and labor in raising any crop. It is well to keep an 

 account with the different crops and fields, so as to ascertain what pays the best for labor 

 and expense. This is the way business men do, and why not farmers ? 



Have you tried root crops — carrots, ruta bagas, &c., for feeding stock ? If not, perhaps 

 the present season is just the time to test the matter on a small scale. Perhaps some 

 persons in your neighborhood can give their experience ; if not, you can find the testi- 

 mony of many in the agricultural papers. 



