SPECIALTIES m FARMING. 87 



and economy ; while chemistry, as applied to agriculture, is 

 becoming practically understood by many farmers in our 

 State. The transition from old methods to new becomes 

 more and more rapid in its progress, and he who does not 

 recognize the fact and appropriate the lesson will fall far in 

 the rear. 



There are practical questions upon which thoughtful men 

 do not agree, and many cultivators are yet undecided whether 

 it is better to follow the old method of mixed farming, as it 

 is called, and grow the full variety of crops, or shall they 

 select, say one, two, or three at most, make these their con- 

 stant study and rely wholly on them for income. In times 

 past agricultural journals were unanimous in their advice to 

 the farmer to produce everything on the farm which might 

 be consumed in a farmer's family, and he who neglected to 

 do this was regarded as a man who, having a talent, wrapped 

 it in a napkin, and buried it in the ground. I well remember 

 a farmer who was sharply criticised for having purchased a 

 stock of cabbages for winter use, when at the same time it 

 was admitted that he paid less than one-half what they would 

 have cost had he raised them himself. The question which 

 then very naturally suggested itself was. Why should not the 

 farmer, like the merchant, buy in the cheapest market and sell 

 in the dearest? Farmers are proverbially a conservative 

 class, and are inclined to follow in deep, well-worn ruts ; but 

 surely there is nothing in the cultivation of the soil or in 

 farm-husbandry in general that should prevent them from 

 taking every advantage of their circumstances, and raising 

 such crops as will net the most money, putting fertilizers 

 where they will do the most good, and bestowing labor 

 where it will yield the greatest compensation. All business 

 depends for success on shrewd management, keen foresight 

 and undivided attention. A man cultivating a gi*eat variety 

 of crops on a largo farm, to be successful with all, must pos- 

 sess good knowledge of the habits and wants of each ; and 

 this knowledge, like the manure he uses, is often made to 

 cover too much ground, and is liable to result in a total fail- 

 ure, or at best a partial success. Now, while we would not 

 wholly condemn mixed faiTuing, or advocate a sudden change 

 to specialties, yet we would advise young men, or new 



