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Ob '^;\::\ 1ft/'': \ 1 / o A FARM; *Ff| ;■ (i/t SHO WIKO HOW AK EXHAUSTED SOIL HiT BE BBNDEftED PESFfiCTLT FB&flLB, WITHOUT THE AID OF CAPITAL. BT Jt FARMER IN THE DISTRICT OF MONTREAL. TRANSLATED AND PUBLISHED WITH ADDITIONAL NOTBS, UHVSR THK SUrERINTEirDEITCF. OF THE NEW-BRUNSWICK SOCIETY FOR THE ENCOTJKAGEMENT OF IGBICULTUBE, HOIE lAHUFACtUBES, AND GOIIBBOK, AND BY THAT SOCIETY PRESENTED AND RECOMMENDED TO THB FABMERS OF THIS FROTUVCE. SAINT JOHN: raWTID Bf HKKKT CBOBB ABD WUfAWW, niROB WILUAilHmiMT. 18il. ...... •». . •. •. l! n -«• ".,itfe.-ar«,?-*T Wf^^m 'I •■ «*,■*' A aTw ;-)Aa awr not JUL 7 1934 PREFACE. ariT The original of this valuable Tract was written by a Scotch Fanner, in the District of Montreal, who had practised for more than twenty years the system which he recommends, and who, having begun poor, gradually attained to ease and comfort. His paper was sub- mitted to Lord*ELGiN, who was so much pleased with it, that he caused it to be translated and distributed as a New- Year's Gift to the Farmers of Lower Canada. The French translation is now reprinted for the benefit of the French population of this Province, while it has likewise been trans- lated back to English by the Corresponding Secretary of the Society, for the purpose of gratuitous dissemination among our own Coun- trymen. It is hoped that they will soon appreciate the value of the direct and practical suggestions which it contains. FREIffiRICTOIi, February 26th, 1861. ^'ir^ if /'-.?#;:■■; •'^WP 'tii> ^W^Wf^.0^ '•? »»;tt 5 iiK t I V 99my9m^^^'^4k. *twt :otch Farmer, 5 than twenty laving begun aper was sub- th it, that he fear's Gift to benefit of the se been trans* )f the Society, ir own Conn- e value of the f / -I 'itr ^hniif'f^' t^fiOxJ til ft f; i»v'=Tt»f I jOI'ii; *io lu ^M tn'htiti ,ii0tMumu\ iHm-i ' . P.N .,im, wj^j ni ,mnQn imn''yii\}i}^ ' ')«« yufxni-s f)» dan^tfo h'j'/i>» l>fr :> innHsi^t. 7jn hlotf a /nil) ' ' THE GENEIBAt DIMilQCIllIflNT OF A FARM. hI ^«'*/' .•jii; ti'.n? ■>?(•«)■«* 4th. Finally, it ought to have experience clearly in its favor. The author of this Essay, having fdr a long time made the practical application of a system which unites all these advan» tagcs in a high degree, believes that it is his duty and privilege to submit it to his fellow Colonists, and he feels certain, that if this plan is adopted, it will render the country more prodnctive, and consequently more prosperous ; it will in the space of alx years, convert worn out, worthless, weedy land into smiling, rich and fertile farm^, and the small miserable animals of Lower Canada into valuable stock, and all that without a greater ex- pf^nciiture of labor and money than iai incurred by tpe syeiten actually in use. IBefore explaining his syatem, however, the author will take tbe'liherty oirelatin^ his own experience, and for greater clear- iVfp^ he will speak m the first person. i I,-. .r«». IHUPR" '^W " ■'i,:^s!rwmmifi"^ Hi|^"5.V#f' . I I came to the country thirty years ago, and burdened wiifr a debt of £40; I leased a worn-out farm in Lower Canada of eighty-four acres, in the midst of a French population, and at an annual rent of £45. Well, in the space of twenty-one years, I have paid my original debt, and saved enough to enal}le nn- to purchase in the same neighborhood a much better farm than the one I rented. The owner of the farm which I bought, was going on every year from bad to worse, until he was forced to .sell it, whilst 1, the tenant of a less productive farm, and pay- ing rent all the while, was enabled to buy him out, as jiistsaici. What was the reason of this anomaly? The Canadian wan stronger than me, had equally good health, and had no rent to pay. The reason was, that he had no system } he let his land become exhausted, and full of weeds ; he let his stock starve ; he wasted his manure, the gold of the farmer, and let every thing go to ruin for want of method ; but when I had got bold of this same farm, and had applied the system which I am about to describe, the whole was brought gradually, field by field, into good condition by the end of six years; since ihen, the condition of the land has steadily improved, and that by re- sources drawn wholly from within itself. , . • i " The system to which I allude, is kno^vn- to all good farmers everywhere as the basis of all improvenif nt, I mean that of A ROTATION OF CRt^PS. There are two sorts of reasons in favor of this plan of rotation of crops, 'rtili- iiiiTfTr 5rt«j't,-» Uiji) t»Jr»tt|i> v^fj '■>* ulf f'f 1^ '■''>'■ 1st. Because difierent plants dravi^ from the soil dififerent sorts of food, so that one plant will grow freely in a soil which is worn out as regards another. ,^^^^„^i,,, },,,;,,, 2d. Because the crops being various^ the occasidnal faiJurr of one is not so much fjh, seeing! that ^e.olbtrs furnish sub- sistence sufficiently without it. >,MU. i ; '!• > h , ^Ithe cultivation of s fair proportion of aU the varieties of ci*ops.)^hich Providence permits to grow readily, ought therefore tb be^ cdnsidert^^d ais the bi>st m^ails of averting a fbinine, and wbkt intelligent fafm^i^, v/itt^ the case of Canada and Ireland before him, wbiild whh tb' be Hdiied W the culture of Wlj^t and ,p«)tatoes only. ';'■'' IsUll noW'etplain th^ systein bf r^iiiibii; ^hT^b^; ^'diiog thirty yeanV^cjierience, I haVe fb^hkl Velii^it^d'tb t6e cthbate, the soil and the actual condiiibn of Iibv^i^ Cadada* anci #hfeh f*mw0m^' *mrt ened with a •Canada of tiou, and at y-one years, o enal)Ie nit* er farm than bought, was 'as forced to m, and pay- as just saicl. nadian was id no rent to let his land tock starve ; nd let every lad got hol(i h I am about ?ld by field, celhen, the that by re- j/l 0) iv.il'. ;ood Tamers n that of n of rotation ifierent sorts oil which in idnnl failnrp fucniskaub- varieties of ^bt therefore fkmine, and and Ireland ire of irh^it tfteclhbare, ; arid ^hkh 1 believe to be geherallv applicable to the lands held by the French Canadians, and herein I shall speak of nothing that J have noi; done myself and practised with success. n PLAN OF THE ROTATION. d nh^ Divide the arable portion of the farm, whatever may be its ^ize, into six parts, as equal as possible, with a direct communi- cation from the barn yard to each field, and from one field to the other, so that the cattle may pass from one to the other when I'equired. This division into six fields, may require on most farms new fencing, and it will be proper, beforehand, to see how this can be done with the least possible expence. I shall now suppose the farm prepared to receive the application of this system, anci that is the one which I have found the best for even the poorest settler. ni! Ist. Root crop, such as potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, 4&C., [turnips and also flax,] and iu cases where the land is not tsufficiently open for a crop of this kind, the field must be left in fallow. 2d. Crop of Wheat or Barley. 3d. Crop of Hay. 4th. Pasture. ■ hkm' 5th. Pasture. ''^^ * ■ "^' , «th. Crop of Oats or Peas. * '"^ ''' V ' T^v^ In beginning the- ai^plication of this system, that field of the series which is in best condition for a Hoot crop, should ,\. / be called Field , - - - - - - - , A y jj^he best for Wheat or ISarley -jv, jmn?, fwi t^ R That which is actually in Hay - . r - ->«;*;■» C ' 'The Pasture fields - - ^ • ' a - /- * D & E "* That which is best for Oats or Peas - - ' - - * F Each field for the first year ought to be appropriated to :he crops above mentioned, and after the fashion now in ure among th^ farmers of Lower Canada, except in the case of field A. By this plan they will at all events still get as much from their five fields as they get at present. The cnltard of field 'A and of crop No. 1 come up together for the first y^r, and otrght to be the object of special attention, iw this is, iQfapft the It^y tc|the whoh system; for the good J a-r- .,*1S«. r?.S|UW?J* ^^W ' fc>'# I P^-j gH^*^ /*«.^v? culture of this field has for object, and ought to have for its e£fbct, not only a good crop the first ^ear, but also to improve the land for the five other years of this Rotation of Crops. In the following year the cultivation of the difierent crops will be according to the following order : ' Crop No. 2 in the field A Do. " 3 B Do. M 4 C Do. " 6 D Do. " 6 E Do. " 1 F and so on, changing each year until the seventh, when crop No. 1 comes back to field A, and the whole will then be in a food state of fertility, and free from weeds. The above system as been proved to be capable of restoring old land, and extir- pating all weeds.* In order to render the thing more simple and easy of coro- prefaehsion, I shall suppose myself to be again obliged to take a worn out farm in the autumn of 1849. The first thing that E should do would be to divide the land into six fields, by proper fences, to prevent the cattle ffoing from one field to the other ; and I would then take for field A, that which appeared best for green crops or root crops ; I would collect all the manure which I could find in or out of the barns, I would take up the flooring of the cow-house, stable and piggery, and I would take out as much of the soil underneath as 1 could get, for this soil is the essence of manure, one load of it being as good as four or five loads of common dung. The portion thus removed ought to be replaced by an equal quantity of ordinary soil, or, if it be possible, of bog earth, which might be removed when necessary afterwards. The dung and other manure thus collected should be placed on the field A in September, or the beginning of October, spr^d 'with care [as far as it will go], and covered up in a «hal!ow furrow. Manure aids the decomposition of straw and the weeds of the soilr aind fnees it from these plants, which thas help to keep the soluble portion of the manure until its juices become necessary for the crops of the succeeding years. The greater variety there is in the crops of this field, the better ^itwmbe.iprpvided.^.soil w B|iita)^lf .for theu),y;|7hii^»i this field, oughii aanearly as poaaible»to)QQk like ajqtclie^ g«?4f^* \i'.'-m in\i 'JI.-.5 *Jliged to take It thing that I ds, by proper to the other ; eared best for aanure which p the flooring id take out as his soil is the IS four or five ved ought to il» or, if it be len necessary lid be placed ' of October, red up in a of straw and lants, which lure until its eding ^ears. Id, the better n 3?hii/lnthis lie^gar^f^. f Under the actual circumstances of the counlrv, I would par- ticularly call the attention of farmers to the cultivation of the Carrot as being one well adapted to our soil and climate. The Carrot has fewer enemies than any other plant that I know : the best sort for field culture is the Red Altringham, and the method of cultivating it is as follows : — CULTURE OF THE CARROT. fi The land which has been manured in the fall, as above de- scribed, ou^ht to be ploughed at least twice in the spring, the one furrow across the other, and both as deep as possible. It is then to be harrowed until it is properly mellow. You then make with the plough two furrows, distant two feet, or two feet three inches from each other, taking care to raise the soil as much as possible between each. Yon pass the roller over this ploughed portion, and then with the corner of a hoe, make a small furrow or drill along the top of the rows : drop the seed into this furrow, and pass the roller over it again : this last operation will cover the seed sufficiently. If you can get a seed-sower, that will simplify matters con- siderably. A roller is essential in the culture of root crops which spring from small seeds, but it can be readily got by all farmers. A log of twenty inches diameter, and five feet long, with a pole fixed at each end, wilt do the business admirably. Carrot seeds fand you may say the same of the other seeds)' ought .to be soaked in rain, or soft water, until they are about to sprout, and then rolled in quick lime until the grains are dry enough not to stick to each other. When there is no lime, wood ashes will do as well. A pound of seed, if it be good ^and you ought always to try it before sowing), will be suffi- cient for one acre of land. By the above plan, the young plant will come up before the weeds, so that it will be easy to ' distinguish the rows of carrot before the weeds appear : this renders the cleaning comparatively easy, since it may be done (except the thinning) by means of a cultivator. This culti- vator is an instrument which every settler ought to have, and which, like those already mentioned, is extremely simple in its cmisirnction. Itis made of three bars of wood joined in fhmt, and separated behind according to the width of the furrows which yon wish to clean. This instrument, called the Horse- hoe, or Drill-harrow, or Cultivator, is drawn by one borae, and has handles to it like a plough, oaly lighter. A man or a boy may guide it lo as not to touch the rows of Carrots or other crap*, but only to riuse the soil to a greater or leas depth, at i ■ ^^ww i^ "m^-sm't^^^ im^-*- -^*>Vf" I pleasure. As soon as the weeicb appear, you draw this bar- vow between the rows, so as to bring the soil^ as close as pos- sible to the young carrots, but without touching or covering them. This process will keep the plants sufficient^ clean un- til the time for thinning them and leaving them four or five inches apart from one another; soon afterwards you may plough between the rows thus harrowed and raisecf. These operations do good to the plant by permitting air and moisture to have access, and by^ facilitating evaporation. My plan for gathering the carrots in autumn is to pass the plough along the right side of the plants as close as possible, without injur- ing them : this frees them on one side, and the stem is strong enough to allow us to haul up the roots by it afterwards. This method of culture requires a good deal of labour, but the return is more than enough to recompense the farmer. When we consider the large amount of nutritive matter contained in this root, and its general application to all the living. things on a farm, its culture cannot be too strongly recommended, besides it is relished by all animals, especially by working horses, to whom it may be given instead of Oats. I have dwelt particularly upon the culture of the Carrot, because the same method applies to the culture of all the root crops, whipb can be advantageously grown in this climate, such as Parsnips, Beets, Mangolds and Turnips. Parsnips will grow in a close soil, almost in ciny, and do not require cellars since they will remain uninjured all winter in the ground. In this case, you will have them in the spring affording a new and succulent food, at a time when it is most necessary. Every animal will eat parsnips with re]i^i,,^i)d cows fed upon them yield a very rich milk. . J^r-* Beets and Mangolds have the same value as r. crop, and as food for milk cattle ; but I do not consider them to be so good for fattening cattle. [in spring, all the manure made during the past winter should be carted to the field, placed in a heap, and twice turned. All bones should be gathered and broken up with a hammer, all coal and wood ashes, scrapings of sewers, the dung from the fowl-housev and the contents of the privy, should be collected and made into a compost, with dry loam or bog earth. tiy The above mannre may be used for that portion of the field devoted to cabbages, potatoes, and turnips. It should be put in the bottom of the drill on which the above are to be planted oriown.-.' '■ irt^» >"> -Nil.- ■Mil -mill ■">; hr\ >!■>: at' 't ■ (::!»«* ''^"1 Whea tin jgromidf-hi proper^ ptoiigli«d'8ird'biiiTttwecli'and a su pou] T draw this bar- B close as pos- j or covering nthr clean un- n four or five rds you may aised. These and moisture My plan lor plough aloug without injur- 3teni is strong ;rwards. »f labour, but le farmer, iritive matter on to ail the too strongly lis, especially tead of Oats. »f the Carrot, )f all the root this cfimate, y, and do not all winter in u the spring len it is most reli^i, and :rop, and as o be so good inter should turned. All hammer, all iig from the be collected earth. of the field ould be put > Jbe planted TDwedi'and 9 iiHufiicient quantity of sound seed Hown, say at icabi four pounds to the «cre, the Turnip crop is us certain as any other. The sowing of Turnip seed should be commenced early in .lune, and may be continued up to 20th July. If the (iy takes the first sowifig, a second will be likely to succeed, ^rijetu ilo- The Turnips, when well up, and getting strong, shduld be thinned out to a foot apart, and the hoc and cultivator passed through them, at least twice before they meet in the drills.] i*KH. HORSE-BEANS AND PEAS. ^^ .^t nqiwa If the laud is too heavy for root crops, beans and green peas will suit for No. 1, taking care to sow them in drills, and to prepare the land as above described for root crops. , PLOUGHING. If it be thought absolutely necessary to summer-fallow, that is to plough without sowing, which only happens when the soil is so bard and heavy that it cannot be pulverized in any other way, you ought not to spread the manure on the land in the preceding fall, but plough the land and ridge and fur- row it with as much care as for a crop. You need not touch it again before the month of June, when you must plough it again and harrow it so as to render it even, and destroy^ the roots of the weeds. You may then draw the furrows in a !^traight line, giving them a uniform breadth, and so as to fa- cilitate drainage. About the middle of July you must plough it again, and sow it with plenty of buckwheat. At the end of September, plough it again, having previously spread it with dung. In this case the buckwheat is ploughed under with the manure, and serves greatly to increase the latter. The land thus prepared ought to be sown with wheat in the ensu^ ing spring, and you may add a little timothy and clover. A bushel of timothy will suffice fbr four or five acres, and three or four pounds of clover to each acre. iTy following the method above described, you will ha f, in the year 1851, quadrupled, or more than quadrupled the fer- tility of the soil. ''r'T' j/^ -•#■ t have now done all that I can for ifield A. ' I' have weeded and manured it as well as I can ; and after having taken the crop of roots and the crop of wheat or barley next year, I leave this field to rest until the other fields have' been improved in the same way, and according to the method above described. When this shall have been eficcted, that is to say in the space of six years, or iii the year 1850, tbe worst wilf be over, and tke battle may bt tbnsid^ered as gained: The fields will thent. 'i : - -rfwu nmans' -jgr ' ■m»;^m' "J.:.1A^ '»W 10 t foe in a clean and fertile condition, and their value will conse* quently be greatly increased. The Farm of 70 or 80 acres, which in 1849 only sustained three or four miserable cows, and perhaps no more than an equal number of sickly sheep, will be capable in less than ten years of furnishing an abund- ant subsistence for ten or twelve cattle and other stock in the same proportion. One of the great advantages ^ this system of rotation of crops is, that the pastures, which ::i summer furnish summer- feed for the stock, are in due proportion to the quantity of roots and hay destined to winter-feed them, and in due propor- tion to the straw which the grain-crops yield for their bedding. I will observe here that farmers — except, those who live near towns, where they can easily procure manures — ought never to fiell a single load of their hay, straw, or roots, since the whole ought to be consumed on the farm, with the view of procuring a sufficiency of manure therefrom, whereby the fertility of the soil is to be sustained. But if the farmer is not to sell hay, or straw, or rocts, what is he to sell ? I answer, the third of the land being under this system appropriated to grain crops, he will always be able to sell a large part of them. The half of the farm being in hay and pasture, will allow it to produce a large quantity of butter, cheese, butchers* meat and wool, and to sell a considerable part of these after having supplied the wants of the family. It may be said, that six years is a long time to wait for the renovation of the whole farm ; but I will repl^, that I know of no other means by which it may be. tfl ,h< ^i^it»'«8«» Society'* R«fMrt oa Manures^ iJ<.!^ ^'^ uviit'^ ' 'HORSES.' *'**^"""^'*" '*''^'' fri'>t»'»j( od"' The Canadian Horses are, everything considered, the best breed for the country, but we ought to take care to raise only the best sorts: the system of leaving entire all the small miserable stalliona, is sure to deteriorate the breed : Colts ought to be fed abundantly, particularly during tbe first winter after weaning. Nothing can be more absurd than the idea of starving a young Colt, Tor the purpose of making it hard^ : still the idea is rather commonly entertained. Colts, like chil- dren, require ample liberty and ample nourishment. CATTLE. The Canadian breed is perhaps the best for the country, and the best to yield milk, butter, dec, provided care be taken to select the best bulls and cows to breed from. Too much care cannot be given to this point, and the calves must be sup- plied with good and abundant food. If it be desirable to cross the breed, so as to increase the quantity and quality of the milk, this can only be done with the Ayrshire breed, seeing that the larger breeds do not do so well for the country, at least in the present condition of its pastures. [By keeping a thorough-bred Bull, and changing every three or four years, and rearing only the best heifers, the stock would gradually be brought up nearly approaching to the breed of the sire.], A good Canadian Cow will, in my opinidn, give more milk for the same .allowance of food, than any other breed which I know. ' . [ The profits ol the ilairy depend almost entirely on tliQ care taken of the cattle during winter. Cows, warmly housed and weU fed through the winter, and put on good pasture in sum- mer, will yield much more than sufficient to pay for the differ- ence of keep. In the t*rovince of New-Brunswick, cows are generally fed; on dry hay in winter, kept in cold stables, and are pastured in the woods, or on fields which have been impo- verished by excessive crop|Mag. The consequence is, that, as which another ily and get fat man can use. lered, the best e to raise only '■ all the small breed : Colts the first winter lan the idea of cing it hardy : 7olts, like chil- lent. J country, and re be taken to 'oo much care must be sup- irable to cross quality of the breed, seeing le country, at anging every fers, the stock aching to the ve more milk ' breed which ly on tiiQ carp y housed and sture in snm- for the difier- ick, cows arc 1 stables, and re been impo- ice 18, that, as 13 I'epnfted by the Farmers themselves to Profes86i* JiilihstdtaV the average yield, per cow, for (he season, is only 89 lbs. Butter, or 140 lbs. Cheese. In Ayrshire, as reported by Mr. Colmau^ Commissioner from the United States, the yield is, per cowy .'JOO lbs. Butter, or 500 lbs. Cheese. To ensure a similar yield, the following treatment is requisite: Select good, well shaped, healthy cows. In winter, provide for them a warm stable on the south side of the barn. Water them in their stalls. Boil regularly for them a mixture corh" posed of turnips, mangolds, or carrots, with chaff or cut hay, and a small allowance of barley, oats, or linseetl : of this let them have two pailsful each, daily — and as much oat-straw or hay as they require. In summer, turn tbem into fields where they can have as much grass as they can consume. The cows should calve in April: the calves to get the milk for a month, and afterwards to be weaned ofTwith skimmed milk and boiled linseed.] , ' n m^i oioii' SHEEP. -::|. The Liecester breed is the best to give large and fat sheep, but it is not so advantageous as regards wool, which is perhaps the principal object for which sheep are kept. That breed which would possess a combination of the two qualities of fat meat and fine wool, and a vigorous constitution withal, would be the best for Lower Canada. To attain this object, you might cross the common sheep of the country, first with a Liecester Rarn, so as to get a large breed, and then mix the product of the first cross with a Cheviot Ram, so bs to get a finer wool, or first with a Cheviot and then with a Liecester Ram. Ii», this way I have pr(M:ured hardy sheep, any one of which will yield six or eight pounds of fine wool, and from twenty-two to twenty-five pounds of mutton per quarter. In breeding, the greatest care maet be taken always to choose the finest Rams, and to preserve the finest Iambs ; and on no pre- text onght the fiQ^r ilMJivid»»i|i IP >be;di9p<>ie4 of* ON KEEPING SHEEP ,9^«)««q As this is of the greatest importance, and bat little known, niW tidd a few fenmrks, which witi be excused, siDCe this ba» leeu the business of ulmosi my whole lifer ,*< I'li. ■ UW! ..«a»«s?s^,;- Wf^^m ii,r fi nifn »»/ Tbft^beatibreicd for tb« Gantry is thut « caUea the Berkiriiire, or Chinese, and as many at poasible oi^ht to ; be kept upon I -«<«^it»^- ■0'am.imgmm^ TWT lj. JL. HtJ d to fieldt as lem the whole I well treated, lem wherever in good pas- \kem than any importance to or which pnr- hich succeed- ed will suffice t of the rosin, eased to boil, le ought to be id should the buttermilk or rhis ointment illel lines, dis- i length of the iivigorates the istcold. This secure a good er to shut up i beMer to pen to treat them able degree of uently the fold with the sheep wes drop their single one will ipart from the , at this latter lbs will isippear lave ftad time t- again to the the B«rkphire, be kept upon 15 every farm, (that is as many as will consume all the milk and other remains of the dairy,) and which may be fattened in the fall. That lean, hungry, long-legged, long-nosed animal, styled the Canadian Pig, ought to be for ever banished. A good I)reed will produce double the lard with half of the food. The Chinese or Berkshire Boar, crossed with the breed of the country, for three or four years, will effect the necessary change. AGRICULTURAI IMPLEMENTS. Those which are generally made use of, with the addition of the two mentioned above, viz., the Roller and Cultivator, may suffice until new improvements require the use of new implements. DAIRY. The Canadian women are industrious and cleanly, con- sequently they ar,e well fitted to make good butter and cheese, as soon as they know how, but this does not come within the limits of the present little treatise ; besides, the cattle ought to be well fed before we can hope to get milk sufficiently rich for the purposes of the dairy. I limit myself, therefore, to indicating these preliminaries. CONCLUSION. It may be said, that the Agricultural Societies are intended to bring about the improvements required by the country ; but if these societies content themselves with offering prizes for the finest animals and the heaviest crops, without teaching the way to produce fine animals and fine crops, they will be acting ike a person wlio shows another a fine bunch of fruit on the top of a wall, without offering him a ladder whereby he might reach it. He would be reduced to the necessity of looking at it, and wishing for it, without the hope of reaching it. The publication and circulation of practical advice like the fore- going, is that which would become to this individual the ladder of which he is iii want. a 1 i ■I •w -«fc