Careful Attention to Local Conditions. 3 



perhaps not without justice, that the writings of Arthur 

 Young produced more individual harm and greater 

 pubhc good than those of any person who had ever 

 written ; but the former inconvenience must always 

 attend the introduction of any new system, of general 

 application, that requires prudence and skill for its 

 successful direction." In other words, many agricul- 

 tui-iets seem to have adopted Arthur Young's advice, 

 but did not put it into execution with skill and prudence, 

 and hence inflicted much injury on themselves. But, 

 it may be remarked, though the careful weighing of 

 local conditions is obviously of the greatest import- 

 ance, both as regards the selection of seed and the 

 proportion of land to be kept in grass, the farmer may, 

 as to the latter point, proceed with considerable confi- 

 dence, for errors of judgment as to the proportion of 

 land that should be kept in grass are easily repaired 

 should the error lie in laying down more land to grass 

 than should afterwards prove to be advisable, as grass 

 land, it seems hardly necessary to say, is readily con- 

 vertible into arable, while arable cannot be converted 

 into grass without a considerable lapse of time, unless 

 the land, which is rarely the case, should have in it an 

 ample supply of humus, and is thus in good physical 

 condition. 



There is also another point connected with the future 

 prospects of agriculture to which I would direct especial 

 attention, and that is that the system of farming which 

 must now be adopted in these islands is one highly 

 suitable to the habits of gentlemen, and others who 

 do not feel inclined to rise early and eat the bread of 

 carefulness. The farming of the future, therefore, will 

 carry with it less risk of loss either to the landlord or 

 to those who may choose to adopt farming as a pro- 

 fession, but who are not of the farming classes. And 

 this consideration makes it highly probable that, and to 

 the obvious advantage of our future prospects, much 

 more capital, enterprise, and intelligence will be 



