ABT OF CULTIVATIKQ THE SOIL. || 



nwnper So will it always be with the fanner who 

 pursues & like system. Tempted by the idea of ob- 

 taining 'A few crops with little expense now, he ruins 

 his land for the future. 



The good farmer, then, desires to grow large crops 

 with the least necessary cost, but at the same time never 

 forgets that it is the best economy to keep his land in 

 good condition, and even improving. In order to ac- 

 complish this, he must do something more than merely 

 plough and harrow, sow, plant and reap : he must 

 think and study also. a. He must learn the nature of 

 the various crops he raises or wishes to raise : these 

 crops ditfer; he should seek to understand the differ- 

 en» ' how they are causetl. b. One field he will 



fill' much in its nature from another; a certain 



Cf ^ here, and fails there : are these things 



at I or can he discover the rrasoos? c. In 



adding certain substances called manures to the soil, 

 he fini diverse effects, not only in their application to 

 different fields, but also to different crops : here is 

 •nr*^ - • ♦ for study, d. His animals thrive on 

 •01 k1. and (Ifrivc little benefit from others. 



Astua ^ '!!• V '!'<tfs sustains and increases 



tWirsi/ MiiL:iii, ^MiM upon great quantities of 



otlier varieties they grow poor. What are the pro* 

 perties upon which these effects deperui 1 



Thus we perceive that the fanner who really wishes 

 to understand the " art o/" cultivating the soiiy^* must 

 go a long way beyond ploughing. He must, it is 

 tri) ' how to get his soil into a 'c; but 



h« so know something as to tl' - of hb 



croptf, of tl which they irrow, of the 



manures wh , , lo increase ttat growth, 



and of the food which he supplies to his aiiim«>«. 



This, it may be said, involves t H study for a. 



practical working man. I reply, not nofO' 



sary for him to learn the Bumite Octails of sricnlifta 



