140 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
a great want of proper diversity of pursuits among agricultural 
people of the west; that too many people pursue almost fanati¬ 
cally a single branch of industry, which often causes them to 
be overtaken by adversity and disaster, when a greater diver¬ 
sity of pursuit might save them from this calamity. This idea 
is well illustrated by the condition of the people in Mexico, 
Cuba, South America and other places, where the people fol¬ 
low almost exclusively the single occupation of mining, mak¬ 
ing sugar, raising cattle, etc. In countries where this exclu¬ 
siveness prevails, the people are illiterate, poor and squalid 
generally, whereas in countries or sections of country where a 
diversity of occupation is found, there education, prosperity and 
plenty are found. The great reason that the people of Eng¬ 
land are generally prosperous and happy is that they vary 
their pursuits is such a manner that in the event of a failure, or 
overstocked market in one branch, they have other branches 
to rely upon. But with the western farmer it too often hap¬ 
pens that when one crop fails for any cause, he has nothing 
else to rely upon. This exclusiveness of pursuit is one of the 
great reasons of the disparity in condition between the western 
and eastern farmers. While the western farmer enjoys a rich¬ 
er, finer soil, the eastern farmer makes better use of his means 
and resources, and therefore most frequently excels. It is ex¬ 
treme bad policy, while we are trying to work our livelihood 
upon our farms to so neglect replenishing the che mical ele¬ 
ments withdrawn from them by the removal of crops, as to 
impoverish and make them barren and unfruitful, so that the 
next generation will be obliged to spend years of toil and 
hardship in attempting to reclaim them to their original fer¬ 
tility. 
The yield of wheat in the state of Ohio is about 13 or 
14 bushels per acre now, while a few years ago it was much 
greater. In Minnesota for several years past the average 
yield has been about 20 or 21 bushels per acre. But this 
year it has been about 17 or 18, partly attributable to the bad 
season. People are altogether too negligent in saving and 
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