Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-11-19

plan" YES" replied the one addressed. |
halt interrupting him, al went into the
Held and went to work" And if there
were more who did the same. we should
see smoother fields, better buildings on tho
farm, and more general thrift.
Now theories are all very well, and n
study of theories where they are based
upon and studied in connection with facts,
may become Of great service to the practi
cal man. BY this means real knowledge
is advanced and the better performance
of many useful matters is understood in a
truer way. But the pushing of theories to
Il useless extent the crowdng of particular
hobbies upon the minds OF farmers, till
they are uncertain as to what to believe,
or which course to adopt, or what to do,
only leads to injury, disaster and disgust.
How many farmers have been discouraged
at some plan, or experiment, or new way
OF doing thing which they have tried,
and which has only brought loss and
disaster, because it was recommended by
some presumng writer or lecturer, or
based upon some theory which the party
who recommended it thought to be a very
important theory. sure to be correct, and
in practice to lead to uniform success.
Kun your mind back over the last twenty
years, and see how many delusive theories
In agriculture have been demolished by
the real test of experiment, and how many
disappointed champions Of such theories
are forgotten. In those theories may have
been some grains of truth, some elements
OF value; and in many of the theories now
uppermost in the minds of the teachers oil
agriculture, us well as those which occupy
the attention of thoughtful farmers, there
are principles not 10 be despsed; but the
great danger is that theory will take the
place of method; that good practice will
be sacrificed to IDEAS; that useless schem-
ing and calculation" will supersede work
and tangible results. To certain degree
theories are well; but theories should
never go before good practice. And
American farmers in their aimless desire
for novelty, and love of being thought
learned and scientific. have allowed men
who are not half as capable Of nstructing
them in the management of their own
farms rs they are themselves, TO lead them
q hard jaunt after some petty theory,
which ends, very likely, in the pocket OF
the guide
| Now when our farmers follow theory
blindly, and base their farm operations
upon formulas which they little understand
formulas which relate to lots of other
things than fcrtizaton-take our word
for it, they are on the wrong track. Good
practice, in all our farm operations, should
go first; and the great ma iorily of our
farmers are wofully deficient in good,
thorough, profitable farm management,
methods and practice. Improve the prac-
tice, make the methods better, and let
the theories take care of themselves, or
follow aftcrwards,as they properly should.
The farmer whose methods are frst-class,
whose practice is such that he receives a
good income from it, can afford to give a
little OF his time to studying theories; but
until his methods of culture, of stock
husbandry, of manuring, of fruit growing,
OF generalship, are perfect and at his
fingers ends, he would better let theory
alone. The old writers on agriculture -
the foundation authors about which our
modern agricultural book-makers revolve
in all their writing, put practice first
and theory last. Modern teachers have
reversed this order, forcing theory ahead
and neglecling practice and methods
and thousands of farmers are following
or trying to follow some theory which
they have had set up, when they should
be at work improving the details of their
practice, their farm management, that
profitable crops and independence may
follow.
a good illustration of the extent to
which theory" has taken possession of
the minds of farmers. and of how little
value is placed upon it by men who know
what they are about, occurred at one of the
conventions the past winter. A most
intelligent farmer asked Mr.. Robert
McAdam, the distinguished cheese manu-
lacurcr of New York. what he thought
in regard to III" sl OF the butter glo-
bue of the milk, Il, indicating the value
of the breed for dIiry purposes His
reply i'll his broad Scotch was refreshing
81 don't bother about theory; l want the
cows thnt will give the most profit And
what batter or cheese maker does not
want the same?-Americuu Cultirat0r.