PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE. 193 



362. In the name of common sense, why did he not 

 double, instead of halving its value ? He might have 

 done it, and yet worked no harder, "scrimped" his 

 family less, and been in all respects much more of a 

 man. A little improvement each day of thirty years 

 would have made his farm a thing to be proud of, and 

 would have secured him a comfortable income in old 

 age. This man failed to comprehend and to sustain 

 the true dignity of an American owner of land. 



363. Other farms are managed as if the owner were 

 conscious that he is the owner of the increased value 

 of the farm as well as of its annual products. The 

 earth is grateful for such treatment; and the man 

 who manages thus makes '' his mark" on the world — 

 marks the portion which falls to him with beauty and 

 fruitfulness. 



PERFECTION OF CROP-GROWING. 



364. The perfection of crop-growing would be, that 

 the farmer should know precisely what his soil con- 

 tains and what his crop requires, and then apply such 

 manures, and in such quantities, as would supply de- 

 ficiencies, and no more. By less than supplying defi- 

 ciencies, he diminishes the crop ; by more than sup- 

 plying them, he diminishes other crops, which should 

 have taken the surplus manure ; and let it be observed, 

 that in either case he diminishes the amount of ma- 

 nure on that farm for all future years. It should be 

 considered that a load of manure, well applied this 

 year, begets a load next ; that another the third ; and 



