PRACTICAL PAPERS—FARM MANAGEMENT. 
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pounds of Peruvian guano, and as much phosphoric acid as is 
contained in 350 bushels of corn. The farmer should know 
whether he is selling the annual growth of his farm, or whether 
he is selling largely of the most valuable component parts of 
the farm itself, and thus robbing his soil. 
While science has, in various ways, lent material aid to ag¬ 
riculture, the mechanic arts have made a perfect revolution in 
the modes and ways of farming. The farmer no longer plods 
to sow, or bends to the sickle or cradle to reap, or the scythe to 
mow, but he hitches his team to those modern engines of peace 
and civilization of to-day, agricultural machinery, and he goes 
forth to perform from twice to six times the labor he did thirty 
years ago. Even the fiery steed on the iron rail markets the 
products of a continent at the farmer’s bidding. Physical force 
at one time was the preponderating power in agriculture, but 
the coming farmer must cultivate his brain—he must be a man 
of culture, deep study and close observation; a man that can 
combine and execute, and that, too, with an untiring persever¬ 
ance, and then success will surely crown his efforts. 
Man was created with mental as well as physical powers, 
and the laws of health require the use of his thinking powers, 
as well as the use of his muscles to develop the healthy man. 
With this hastv examination of the surroundings and situ- 
ation of the farmer, I will point out a few of the many labors 
he has before him. 
Character of Soil.— The farmer should study well the 
character of his soil and the climate; not that he should grow 
entirely that product to which he finds his soil and climate 
best adapted, but that he may vary the production so as to 
produce more of that to which he finds his soil, climate and 
market best adapted, and less of that to which it is not so 
well adapted. He may have a fine wheat soil, yet he should 
grow corn and wheat for his own use, and keep stock also, so 
as to convert these and the straw into manure to produce the 
wheat. The subject of drainage should be considered, to 
see if there are not portions of the farm that require under- 
