EXPERIENCE OF A PRACTICAL FARMER. 15 



the value of one hundred and fifty bushels per acre more than 

 the average quality of seed generally used by farmers who grow 

 their own, and three hundred bushels per acre more than the 

 average quality of seed sold in the market. This estimate is 

 made while the crop is yet in the field, and six hundred bushels 

 of onions, of the first quality, is not an overestimate of the prod- 

 uct per acre from the thoroughbred seed. 



I have no doubt that the careful selection for seed year after 

 year, is just as important and profitable in all other vegetable 

 and grain crops as it has shown to be in the case of the onion 

 crop just cited. The raising of seed may be made profitable, 

 provided the grower conscientiously offers none for sale that is 

 not true to description, and of the best thoroughbred quality, 

 grown from selected stock years in succession. A hw years of 

 such business would secure a reputation worth a fortune, for 

 such seed will always sell at very high prices. 



The growing of small fruits may be made very profitable. 

 The demand for choice fruit at high prices has never been fully 

 met, and it increases every year. As many bushels of berries 

 as of potatoes can be grown upon an acre of land. 



Many other branches of the business of farming of equal im- 

 portance maybe treated of, did time permit, that can be pursued 

 with handsome profits, but whatever kind is undertaken, let it 

 be persevered in, for no man, after adapting his land, buildings, 

 stock and tools, to any one kind, can change to another without 

 great loss of time and money. 



I know an instance of an industrious and good farmer, who 

 hired a small farm, and made every exertion to prepare it for the 

 onion crop. He grew onions two years and was obliged to sell 

 them from a dollar and a quarter to two dollars per barrel, while 

 early potatoes brought high prices and paid large profits. The 

 next two years he planted early potatoes, excluded onions, but 

 unfortunately for him, potatoes rotted badly both years, and 

 onions were sold from three to eight dollars per barrel. If he 

 had continued his onion crop, his returns would have been large. 



In another case, a neighbor cultivated onions, and for three 

 years his crops were partial failures, causing him to fall in debt 

 five hundred dollars each year, but he persisted in their cultiva- 

 tion, and the fourth year he was enabled to pay off his debt of 

 the previous three years, and clear two thousand dollars besides, 



