BOOK-FARMING. 



221 



coarse grass upon it, will be much more readily covered, 

 if we suffer the grass to stand unmowed. It will help 

 to fill up the vacancies between the hassocks or hil- 

 locks, and will all soon be converted into manure. 



As to expense, we have sometimes, in a good season, 

 pared, and burned, and seeded an acre for about twenty- 

 five dollars ; and we have had burden enough at the 

 first cutting to pay the whole cost ; that is, one and a 

 half tons, at about sixteen dollars. This price we some- 

 times obtain in the field, but a more common price 

 with us is ten dollars the ton for standing grass. — Ed. 



BOOK-FARMING. 



When a man expects good crops without labor, we 

 call him a book-farmer. When one sits at his desk 

 and attempts to teach farmers what he is ignorant of 

 himself, we call him a book-farmer. When one tells 

 us we must all raise wheat and make flour, we think 

 he is a book-farmer. When one tells us we can raise 

 roots for two cents a bushel, we call him a book- 

 farmer. When one tells us the manure we can make 

 from pork is worth more than the grain costs to fatten 

 it with, we set him down a book-farmer. 



When one says " buy lime, buy lime, to make your 

 land rich," we chalk him down a book-farmer. 



When we hear a man say his peat-meadow is worth 

 three dollars a rod for fuel, iDUt that it brings him more 

 in grass, we mark him a book-farmer. 



It is unfortunate for the community that so much 

 has been written on the subject of farming by people 

 who practically knew but little of the business. It is 

 this which has caused so strong a prejudice in the 

 minds of many farmers against looking at any thing 

 that may be written on the subject of their occupation. 



They well know that farming cannot be taught "by 



