104 

 GRAIN. 



Although the number of fields offered for our inspection 

 was comparatively small, we have reason to believe that 

 the spirit of rivalry, the desire to excel, and the determina- 

 tion to make their fields yield more abundant harvests, have 

 not died out from among the members of our Society; but 

 that the principle of not being satisfied with present attain- 

 ments is still alive and active. 



The fact that the season, especially the early part of it, 

 has been very unfavorable for the growth of large crops of 

 grain, and for successful experiments in the cultivation 

 thereof, upon most of our soils ; and the early date, (July 

 1st,) on which our rules require the entries to be made, 

 have induced many who intended to compete for the Society's 

 premiums to withhold their crops. In several instances the 

 fields intended for premium crops, or parts of them, were 

 wet and cold until quite late in the planting season — in many 

 the seed did not come up well, and in some was replanted. 

 The result was, that at the proper time for making entries, 

 the appearance was unfavorable, and the owners were dis- 

 couraged from entering. A few others forgot the time for 

 entering, or through negligence, defered attention to the 

 matter until it was too late, and so were deprived of the 

 privilege of competition which they expected. This should 

 not be so: let our farmers enter their crops intended for 

 premiums, and make known their failures, and the causes 

 of them, as well as their successes, that others may guard 

 against and avoid the former, as well as imitate the latter ; 

 and don't neglect to attend to the entries in season ; remem- 

 ber that it is an easy matter to withdraw a crop when desir- 

 able if entered, but that if the time for entering has once 

 passed, then the crops ''can't come in " if never so "good 

 looking." 



