FARMS. 57 



lis how he has reaped the largest reward, rather than of him 

 who offers the large promises of Chinese sugar cane, or Hunga- 

 rian rye grass ? When we know that from a judicious applica- 

 tion of those manures which in this region every farmer can 

 collect for himself by the application of ijidustry and economy, 

 shall we not learn of him who does this work well, rather than 

 of him who presents us an easier method by which we may 

 enrich our acres, and would exhaust our soils, and our pockets, 

 and our patience, with a long list of condensed substitutes for the 

 fertilizing materials which lie 'all around us ? It is the recorded 

 operations of skilful and successful farmers, which may teach 

 lis how far to yield to these temptations, and how far to avoid 

 them. It is this instruction which our farmers need. And if 

 one of their number has raised the largest crop of corn, or 

 cari'ots, or hay, let him teach the rest how it was done, with 

 what manure, with what land, with what seeding, with what 

 cultivation. If one has reclaimed swamps and meadows 

 profitably, let him tell us how, that we may go and do likewise. 

 These are the teachers, who, if they will, may make an agricul- 

 tural college out of every farm in our county. 



The benefit of every accurate and systematic attempt at 

 farming in our country is twofold — to him who makes it, and 

 to those who observe and study it. There is no doubt that men 

 in Massachusetts cannot pursue with profit the careless and 

 wholesale modes of agriculture adopted in newer and more 

 sparsely-settled regions of our country. There are certain 

 branches of this industry to which our soil and climate are not 

 adapted, and in which we cannot hope to compete with our 

 neighbors. We have undoubtedly yet to learn what we caii 

 most advantageously raise on our land — what is best adapted 

 to our home market — what is brought into the least competition 

 with- crops brought from regions better adapted to their pro- 

 duction. Before the hog crop of Ohio became a staple product 

 of that great State, the farmer of Massachusetts found it profit- 

 able to raise and fatten pork. Before the existence of the 

 present rapid communication between our large cities and the 

 rich pastures of the West and South-west was established, the 

 production of beef was a source of large profit to our commu- 

 nity. But are these things so now? Has it been determined 

 whether the conversion of crops into beef and pork is the most 

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