49 



titled to recognition and reward at the hands of the Society. 

 The ohject of the Society in rewarding the efforts of the farmer 

 is partially defeated if there be but one applicant for each pre- 

 mium. The object is not to induce the one farmer to come 

 forward and receive his premium for one piece of work done, 

 perhaps without regard to cost, but to cause all Avho have done 

 the same Avork to invite the Committee to examine the case 

 and award a premium to him who has done the best work in 

 the most economical and profitable manner. In the one case 

 the Society encourages a wasteful application of money and la- 

 bor to rough lands, in the other it encourages a display of 

 sound judgment and good management. It is to be hoped that 

 another year may find this fact more fully impressed upon the 

 farmers of our County, and that the Committee of next year 

 may find enough to do. The importance of these visits is 

 acknowledged quite universally, but still not with that depth of 

 conviction which the Committee think it deserves. The views of 

 members from various parts of the County and their difierent 

 systems of management, and their differing opinions as to the 

 system adopted by the farmer on whose ground they are, are all 

 discussed earnestly and every one present is satisfied that he has 

 learnt something and made a stride in the march of improve- 

 ment. This was the case in our recent meeting on the farm of 

 Mr. John Sias in Milton ; we all came away with the determina- 

 tion to do some things which Mr. Sias does and which we have 

 not done heretofore. Any one visiting this farm will be struck 

 with the judgment displayed throughout the whole management, 

 and here will be found an exception to the general rule stated 

 above, that when but one application was made for a premium the 

 advantage of competition was lost. Mr. Sias is not disposed to 

 subdue a piece of pasture for the fun of it — as may be easily 

 supposed, when we are told that two men and two yoke of 

 oxen were three days in plowing one acre after it had been 

 cleared and burnt over and a great many stones removed, Mr. 

 Sias putting " his own shoulder to the wheel." His object was 

 profit. His farm is less than twenty acres, and needing pas- 

 ture for only one cow, he concluded to bring to about one half 

 of his pasture and then he would have no waste land and every 

 acre would do its duty towards earning subsistence for the family. 

 The improved lot contains about three acres ; it has a depres- 

 sion across the middle of it, consequently one half of it slopes 

 to the North and the other half more gradually slopes to the 

 South. A covered ditch is to be made through the hollow to 

 drain one corner which is very springy. The one acre, so hard 

 to plough, ]n'oduccd eighty-three bushels of corn for its first crop. 

 The land is naturally good and under Mr. Sias' management 

 will not produce less and less each year, as is too commonly 



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