State Convention—Farm-Banks. 
425 
son. He has his tools in good order, his seed clean, and ready to 
sow or plant, and, as soon as his ground is in suitable condition, 
his crop is put in. He seeds his land down with clover, pulverizes 
it thoroughly, and uses a roller on soils benefited by being pressed 
or compacted together. When his crops are ripe, they are secured 
in the best condition, and marketed to receive the largest profits for 
the labor expended. The manure-pile is the farmer’s bank, and he 
must convert everything into manure that is available. The richer 
he keeps his soil, the larger his crop, and the more stock he can 
keep; and the better he feeds his stock the richer and better will be 
the manure or plant-food. If little things were more thoughtfully 
looked after, farms would not run down until the owner could not 
make a living, and be compelled to mortgage his property to the 
merchant for goods bought, and pay 10 per cent, interest. The 
farmer, to succeed, must do things at the right time, and exercise 
judgment and skill in doing them so that they will not have to be 
done over again. He must keep everything in repair, particularly 
his fences, that his stock shall not become too familiar with his 
crops. He must take papers which contain the experience and ob¬ 
servations of others engaged in his calling, and learn to think, and 
closely investigate the principles which underlie his business. 
Secretary Field: There are some hints thrown out in Mr. Pef- 
fer’s paper just read, which are worthy to be considered. I think, 
gentlemen, there are a great many farmers in this State to-day, 
judging from what I see in traveling about the country, that will 
be obliged to sell out and go west soon, unless they manage in 
some way to increase the fertility of their soil. This bank account he 
speaks of is a very good bank account, if you will only take care of it; 
but there is no bank that will continue to furnish money if the 
parties keep taking out, and don’t put something back. The farm¬ 
ers bank is the soil. If he continues to deposit material which is 
food for plants, and then puts the plants into that soil in the prope r 
way, at the proper time, puts that land in a condition so that the 
plant-food can be taken up by those plants, and they germinate, and 
grow there, why he will have a bank account always. He will be 
sure of having something there on which he can rely in old age, 
sickness, or at any time. These common bank accounts, one seems 
