Pboceedings of the Farmers' Club. 235 



Mr. "Wm. Lawton, of New Rochelle. — Within a few years a great 

 number of good books have been published. One is Allen's, and 

 for twenty dollars he can get "Loudon's Encyclopedia," which will 

 give a vast sight of information, and these he can read till he gets 

 weary. Still, I would say that if three-fourths of the books on 

 farmings were burned, yve would be better off. 



Dr. Isaac P. Trimble. — I have been through the mill of readinjj 

 books to perfect myself in farm work, and have received very little 

 good. If one is to be a lawyer or doctor, then he wants books. 

 It is the practice in Philadelphia, when young men turn farmers, to 

 go t6 the country and hire out a j^ear or so to good farmers, and 

 then they learn something about their business. This young man 

 is entirely on the wrong track. He had better sell his land than to 

 undertake to learn how to work it from books. We have had a 

 great deal of impracticable knowledge within a few years; I say 

 altogether too much. There is the author of " Ten Acres Enough;" 

 he lives in Burlington, and only occasionally goes into the country, 

 and does not understand what he pretends to teach. 



The Chairman. — That book has done much good in showing 

 people that they need not despair if they have only a few acres. 

 It has induced many people living in cities to go to farming, and in 

 the end to improve their condition. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter. — If we never read we will never learn. 

 Without reading, one will be in the background. I would advise 

 the young men to read both agricultural and horticultural journals. 

 A few experiments will correct his errors. 



Dr. Isaac P. Trimble. — A young man studies text-books for a 

 profession. After that he can turn to miscellaneous reading. We 

 know that books are multiplied without knowledge. It should be 

 understood that farming is undei-going a change. Machinery, more 

 and more, is doing hand and back work. 



Dr. J. E. Snodgrass. — I think a great mistalve is made when sci- 

 entific agriculture is discouraged. The time has come when the 

 denouncing of book farming must end. The spirit of ingenuity 

 governs the land, and it will not do to cling to old and exploded 

 notions. A doctor's student properly commences by reading books 

 on the science he is to practice. Solon Robinson's "Facts for 

 Farmers " is a most useful book. 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — I would not say that books on farming are 

 not important. A farmer is not likely to be worth much unless he 

 reads. But it is equally important that he should kijiow how to 



