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scientific progress in other industries. One great fault of our 

 farmers is, they are afraid of spending money in their business. 

 If their farms are paid for, they think putting money in the 

 savings bank, or letting it out upon mortgage securities, or 

 timidly investing it in a few railroad or bank shares, the best 

 uses to which they can apply their earnings. What would be 

 the fate of the merchant who should act upon this principle ; 

 who should be afraid to invest his profits in increasing his busi- 

 ness capital up to the wants and capacity of his trade ? With- 

 out increasing his capital, he might continue to do a safe and 

 limited business ; but the luxury of great liberality, which 

 wealth rightly used aflfords, would never be within his reach, 

 and we should have neither princely merchants, nor merchants 

 with princely fortunes. Without business courage, the stage 

 coach would never have given place to the swift and commo- 

 dious rail-car, nor would steam have held its direct course upon 

 the ocean against wind and tide. Where is the farm in our 

 county that has been made to yield to its full ability ? Where 

 the farmer to-day who cannot make improvements that will 

 pay more than six per cent, upon the money needed for such 

 improvements ; and which, at the same time, will stand as the 

 best of securities for the capital invested. 



In this connection, I may speak of economy, which is never 

 allied to parsimony. The two are antipodes with each other, 

 as well in practical operations as in legicographical definition. 

 The one means a judicious use of money expended to advan- 

 tage without waste. The other a wasteful hoarding by saving 

 necessary expense. Economy would stop the leaks in the roof 

 before the rains had damaged the plastering of the walls. Par- 

 simony would wait until the crumbling of the plastering re- 

 quired the services of the mason as well as of the carpenter to 

 return the house to a habitable condition^ 



Liberal and judicious expenditure in promoting any business 

 is generally the greatest economy that can be practised, and 

 this holds good with the farmer as well as with the mechanic, 

 the manufacturer and the merchant. A man who pursues a 



