52 



cited "to read and study, to understand and apply the laws of na- 

 ture to the operations of farming ; and in each department of 

 their business to acquire the kno^Yledge essential to success. 

 And in this way they would be amply repaid for their extra trouble, 

 whether they received premiums or not. 



Besides these immediately personal considerations, farmers who 

 attend the fair and participate in its exercises would learn the im- 

 portance of acting together, and of uniting their means and in- 

 formation and efforts for the furtherance of their art. Every 

 other class of men finds its account in acting upon the principle 

 of association. They combine their respective forces, have stated 

 meetings, compare notes, give and receive information, adopt gen- 

 eral modes of action, and thus form and diffuse a common spirit 

 that contributes to the common welfare. 



It would increase the benefits of the fair, if each contributor 

 would present a written statement of the process pursued in rais- 

 ing his crop or stock. For some articles, such a statement is 

 now required ; but the premium is sometimes lost for want of the 

 statement ; or else the statement is very brief and defective. 

 Applicants do not always appreciate the importance of details ; 

 whereas these are the all-important matters. Those who are in- 

 terested in agricultural affairs, want to know the precise details 

 respecting soil, seeds, treatment, methods of feeding stock, &c. 

 Many people believe that guano is a good article of manure. 

 They want to know how good it is, how to compost it, in what 

 quantity to use it, at what times, for what crops, on what soils, 

 and in what proportions each. So of feeding fatting cattle, how 

 long grass-fed, how long stall-fed, on what food, how much hay 

 and roots, mixed in what proportions, and what has been found to 

 be generally profitable. And this with a view to answer the 

 question, what does a pound of beef or pork cost the farmer ? 

 Or a bushel of corn, or a gallon of milk, or a pound of butter ? 

 Written statements, made with care and based on actual know- 

 ledge, would go far towards settling definitelj'- many vexed ques- 

 tions. A selection from these statements might be published in 

 the Transactions, and the results of individual research and ex- 

 periment be brought to the knowledge of the whole Society. 



Our farmers have the strongest inducements to devclope the 

 entire capabilities of the soil. For most of them own their farms, 

 and hope to leave them to their children. Here is a motive to 

 intelligent and persistent efforts to show a more thorough union of 

 learning and practical skill, to be followed by a more abundant 

 reward. But this result cannot be attained so long as we believe 

 that we are born with all the knowledge necessary to a successful 

 prosecution of our art, or so long as we neglect the study of prin- 

 ciples and the apjjlication of them to our business. We must not 



