Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-01-13
al papers, but cannot sin out from the mass
of wordy theories what is true and practi-

al papers. but cannot sin out from the mass
cal
II is sickening TO read the vast smount |
OF stuff that Is printed in the Agricultural |
papers. not because there is no truth In ii,
If ore has the time. and patience. and edu- |
cation necessary to pick out the true from
false, the practical from the theoretical; |
but because, as it stands. 1t only puzzles or
misleads the farmer, and makes him dis |
gusted with all of what he Is pleased TO
term book farming"
For instance. how many farmer can
step into any one of his fields and say pos
itively whether draining will benefit il. anG
IL so. in about what proportion; what will
be the most economical and cffcctual meth
| cd how many drains there should be, at
what depths. what distance apart. in what
/ direction they should run. and " hat the job
will cost? How few. very few farmers
| can answer these questions so vital 10 the
best success in farming? And yet the mat
ter is A. simple a the alphabet in spite of
the long. tedious articles. and long winded
discussions which have Of late years APP
peared in the agricultural papers about it,
And so in regard to other matters; i'm
plcmcnts. rotations. and the most vital Of
all interests to the farmer. the making,
preserving. and application Of manure and
their adoption to crops; how few farmers
have the latest, best. most practical. and
therefore most profitable information.
Another class OF farmers get occasion
ally an idea of making progress, but have
not the cou rage to strike out in advance Of
their ncighbor>. and take the lead Their
information Is mcagcr and not very def
mite being CLEAN cd from the agricultural
papers. and they are fearful Of failure and
conse quent ridicuc.
Now if this information exists. A. we
claim. by means of which every farmer can
become wealthy. why j. i, not in the hands
Of every farmer: We reply: Eirsf. because
the discoveries which constitute II have
been made at different times and in diff, rant
places and until within few months no
the farmers pocket. Secondly. many Of the
men who have been working out these
great Improvements. are practical hard
working farmers who find il difficult Ia put
their information into form for publication.
Thirdly. those intelligent and thoroughly
educated men who have had valuable infor-
nation To inpart. seem to have forgotten
that most Of Us farmers have not had their
advantages and cannot understand their
scientific terms. their chemical analy VS.. and
their geological descriptions. 80 iha; We
have lost the benefits Of their knowledge
FoHrfhiy. no one secuted - he ready -
sacrifice time and patience In reducing all
this vast mass of Information 10 plain, sim
pie and reliable directions. that cVery farm
er might understand and apply and If there
had been. no one man could accomplish
the work satisfactorily.
We believe al these difficulties have now
been met in the publication Of The work
entitled How Ia make the Farm Pc. and
that there i no reason why every farmer
may not at once commence tie work % IN
increa>in. his products and lli> proni>.