SECRETARY'S REPORT. 109 



now mown that should be turned into pastures. The best 

 evidence of this is the fact that the average yield of hay in 

 this State is considerably under a ton to the acre. The best 

 farmers say it is not profitable to mow land that yields less 

 than a ton of hay to the acre ; when it falls below that, the 

 land should either be tilled or turned into pasture. The ques- 

 tion turns a good deal on the economy of labor. Is it ever 

 considered the amount of travel it requires to get from an 

 acre two thousand pounds of hay, or how much land it is neces- 

 sary to go over for each and every single pound ? If the grass 

 yields two thousand pounds to the acre of hay, twenty-two 

 square feet are to be mowed over and raked over to obtain one 

 single pound. 



In every business department of life in which we are engaged, 

 a successful prosecution of business requires judicious and 

 careful outlay of capital, and by thus doing to secure tiie 

 largest returns on the investment. Now the farmer should 

 recollect that his capital is composed not only of his farm and 

 his cattle, but also to a very considerable extent of the labor 

 which he bestows upon the land and the stock, and therefore it 

 behooves him to see to it tliat his capital is not wasted by labor 

 injudiciously expended. It is a duty to economize labor ; labor 

 is the scarcest and dearest commodity ^in the market, and is 

 likely to continue so. 



Another waste, which, though very extensive cannot be 

 computed, but ought not to pass unnoticed, is the neglect of 

 early repairs on buildings, fences and tools. How few farmers 

 are fully up to the mark in this respect. Every one should 

 have a set of tools for repairs and carpentry work ; a plane, 

 shave, augers, chisels, brace and bits, and gimlets, which he 

 ought to know how to use ; these and a few other tools such as 

 wrenches, cold chisels, a sledge, stone hammer, drills and 

 powder-can are very handy and save a deal of running, lie 

 ought also to have in separate boxes, nails of different sizes, a 

 few screws, and some different sized carriage bolts, costing but 

 a few cents each, and with which one can make a strong, neat 

 job, instead of toggling up with an uncouth clamp, or wooden 

 pins. But it is no use to have these tools without a proper 

 place in which to keep and use them ; but with that, a farmer 

 of any gumption will on rainy days do up many a piece of 



