No. 244. j 265 



dighting the corn frae the chaff, thus impiously thwarting the will of 

 Divine Providence, by raising wind for your leddyship's ain particu- 

 lar use, by human airt, instead of soliciting it by prayer, or waiting 

 patiently for whatever dispensation of wind Providence was pleased 

 to send upon the sheeling hill.'' 



And even the most unprejudiced have much to contend with in the 

 management of a farraj unforeseen difficulties will occur that baflSe 

 experience and repeated trial, so that it is often difficult to distinguish 

 that which is realy useful from that which is worthless. Much prac- 

 tical knowledge, however, may be obtained by adopting the improve- 

 ments of others — particularly Bakewell's advice to his friends, " To 

 go and see ivhat others are doing.'' " By this he means he will be 

 enabled to compare in the most effectual manner, their fashions with 

 his own." 



Farmers of Westchester! the American Institute, in its well-known 

 zeal for the promotion of every agricultural improvement, this day 

 invites you to ccme and " see what others are doing," and what can 

 be done with the plow and spade, in a style infinitely superior to the 

 old mode. By a close observation of the various competitors you 

 will be able to see for yourselves the improvements which have been 

 effected in that most important implement of husbandry, the plow, in 

 which there has been an entire revolution, both in the kind of mate- 

 rial used, and in the general form and construction. 



The Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of Agriculture 

 is said to have taken the lead in the institution of ploughing 

 matches, and the offering of premiums for the best plows, which gave 

 the first decided impulse to improvements in this direction. Their 

 first plowing match took place at Brighton, in Octoberj 1817. 



The offer of premiums for the best plow, by this and other associ- 

 ations, soon followed; and by the competition which was thus in va- 

 rious ways created, improvements werest;-; ;. 1 and pushed on, till at 

 the present time a degree of perfection has been reached in some of 

 the best constructed plows, in which it seems almost impossible to 

 make any further improvement, such is the mechanical invention of 

 man, as applied to one of the noblest implements of husbandry. May 

 we fully appreciate this best gift the ingenuity o^ . n over i.-r.-onted, 

 and promote its use in every arable spot in this \ast oountr}, u.itil 

 millions acknowledge the triumphant success of agriculture. 



