332 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



to manap:c different departments of business, and be snccessful 

 in all his operations. The doctor cannot be a successful farmer, 

 and at the same time be thoroughly versed in the practice of 

 medicine. Nor could the farmer leave his fields and flocks and 

 herds, and be a successful lawyer. The preacher of the gospel, 

 if he would be strong in his profession, cannot be a successful 

 merchant or manufacturer. Life is too short to attempt a 

 thorough knowledge of all, or any considerable number of the 

 different branches of business. Blot out the idea that some 

 entertain, that any one can be a farmer, wliether he knows any- 

 thing of his business or not. I am glad it is becoming more 

 and more exploded, and the desire for agricultural knowledge 

 increased. We have our agricultural papers, books and lec- 

 turers, who are scattering information broadcast over the land. 

 We have our agricultural societies, which are schools of object 

 teaching, schools of experiments, schools where we can get an 

 interchange of ideas, and a new impetus in the great work of 

 agriculture. We have our " Board of Agriculture," and our 

 valuable Secretary, who is not only giving the community the 

 benefit of his own intelligence, but is collecting the researches 

 of others for the benefit of all who desire such information. 

 We have also our Agricultural College, which in prosperity has 

 far exceeded the expectations of its most sanguine friends, and 

 from which we soon expect to see a class of young men educated 

 especially for the business of farming, and who by the applica- 

 tion of science to the art of agriculture, will, we trust, inaugu- 

 rate a new era, when there will be an attractive, instead of a 

 repelling force operating on the minds of young men. After 

 acquiring what theoretical and practical knowledge a young 

 man can in the business of his choice, he either has a farm left 

 him or seeks to obtain one for himself. 



Now comes the decision as to how much land he will have. 

 This will depend upon what particular branch of agriculture he 

 is to pursue. But whatever it may be, he must use capital 

 enough, so that the proceeds will more than balance the expend- 

 itures of the family and the cost of cultivation. If market 

 gardening or the raising of small fruits is to occupy his atten- 

 tion, less acres are needed. If the raising of grain (which we 

 could hardly recommend as a specialty in Massachusetts), he 

 would need more land. If in the dairying or stock growing 



