FARMS. 141 



who do not believe in the necessity and the practicability of 

 making their land more productive with the same amount of 

 labor ; who do not endeavor to apply, more or less, the princi- 

 ples and the results of science to the cultivation of the soil ; 

 who are not willing to be instructed and to profit by the suc- 

 cessful efforts of others. To foster this spirit is one of the chief 

 aims of our society. 



Second. The superior information exhibited by practical 

 farmers on topics connected with their business. This commit- 

 tee learned much more than they imparted from their inter- 

 course with the cultivators of the soil, who showed unquestionable 

 proofs of increased reading, reflection, and careful experiment- 

 ing ; who could explain the facts and the philosophy of growing 

 crops, raising cattle, and the application of manures. Such 

 men uniformly have a good opinion of their calling. They 

 have too much self-respect to degrade it by unworthy and 

 disparaging comparisons witli other pursuits. They feel that 

 it is an honorable employment, Avhich, by judicious manage- 

 ment and economy, can be made profitable. Without these 

 opinions they could scarcely follow it themselves or recommend 

 it to their children. 



Third. Tiie increase of books and papers devoted to agricul- 

 ture. Farmers are not afraid, or ashamed, or disinclined to 

 learn from the observations and the experience of others. For 

 the same reason that they would imitate the successful example 

 of a neighbor so far as it was applicable to their circumstances, 

 they will adopt the same improvement if recorded in a book, 

 and especially if the same result has followed from many 

 recorded experiments. Good farmers have no quarrel with 

 theorists ; for, while they know that most of the truths in agri- 

 culture are the results of practice, of trials made for ages by 

 men who knew nothing of the philosophy which underlaid 

 them, yet they are sufficiently intelligent to admit that they can 

 work more successfully as well as more satisfactorily if they can 

 understand that philosophy — if they can trace eifects to their 

 causes — if they can ascertain the precise connection between 

 various soils and the crops that would flourish best upon them 

 — if they could determine the exact value of each kind of 

 manure and the land to which it was most adapted. These 

 and similar things are what they desire to know. Hence they 



