Norwich bulletin., 1911-01-14

perhaps absurd superstitions about farming.
 He may quite likely seem to you veritable soid fogy." Well, dear boy, if the Lord is good to you and you live long enough, you're going to be an "old fogy" to the lads of forty years hence, yourself. And when that time comes, the brash and over-certain youth of that era will seem just about as queer a lot to you as the ''old fogy" does now. Just put yourself in his place, this 1911--as you will have to if you ever come to 1850.
 believe it was Shakespeare who averred that "crabbed age and youth cannot dwell together" Perhaps not. It's just as pat saying, however, that the world wants, "old men for counsel and young men for war" The uni verse isn't ready yet to Oslerize all of us who have passed forty. Wise men will continue to hum-even if under their breath-Thackeray's little ballad on 'sThe Age of Reason"
 Forty times over let Michaelmas pass, Grizzling hair the brain doth clear"
 The plain, prosaic truth is that "crabbed age and youth" do and must live together and that youth can get quite as much advantage from age as age can get help from youth. Both can render service to the world; each can aid the other. I am not unmindful of the friction that comes from their too often clashing ideas. What of it? When the old clock is wound up you have the big weight tugging at the wheels trying to make them go faster, and you have the escapement lever digging it's toes alternately into one side or the other of the toothed wheel to stop it from going too fast. If the weight cord breaks the old clock stops; if the es- exponent lever breaks it runs wild. When they both work together it keeps time and is of some use.
 A farnn-any old farm-is a much more complicated affair than a clock. It has been made by a much more competent and a much wiser Mechani- clan than any to be found in the shops of Waterbury or Apsonia. It has taken Him some untold millions of years to get it into its present shape. We aren't any of us going to find out all about 1t in a year, nor in lifetime. No, not though that lifetime were ten times a long as Methusaleh's. While it is true that all over the world men have been studying farms and working farms and writing down the results of their study and their experience, it is likewise true that the wisdom thus set down in books is generally derived from other farms than the ones you and I know about. While the general principles :n- volved are usually applicable over wide areas and diverse conditions, it is equally true that the practical use of them on particular farms demands spe- clal experience on those separate and differing farms. We all admit that it wouldn't do to follow New Jersey prac- tice in raising New Hampshire crops Soil, seasons, climate, markets are all unlike. Differences show themselves in much narrower limits. Why, in my asparagus bed of less than half an acre I have two varying soils, calling for two varying fertilizers.
 Now, I'll leave it to you, I don't care how young and headstrong you may be If you should be called on to come here and raise asparagus on that bed wouldn't it be worth your while to hunt up the old man and find out the fact that you can raise just as big and good asparagus on the east side of the bed by cutting out one-ha1f the high priced nitrogen in your fertilizer? Of course. you'll find it out for yourself in time, after you've wasted several dollars on needless nitrate of soda. But wouldn't it be better "business" to find it out and act upon it before you've wasted those dollars
 If the young farmer could add to his strength and his ambition and his rest less energy the knowledge of detail and the technical skill which come with years alone-if he could add these without also becoming infected with anything like "old fogyism.'' he'd be almost ideally equipped for the work or the farm year. But he can't. He can't be old and young at the same time. Being himself young now, he may yet become old. But the old farmer will never become young again. Shall, then, all his ripened experience and his specialized technical knowledge be cast out as waste into the backward of time, just because the younger gen. eratlon is too arrogant in it's self es- teem, too impatient of his conserva t1sm. too angry at his frequent check ings?
 | remember well how used to chafe when held in restraint by what thought the cowardice of my elders. Doubtless some of the youngsters are now calling me fOld-Man- \ fraid of Hls-Shadow," just because I'm not willing to plunge ahead as ia st as thev think desirable. There's something to be said Q both sides. But this time want to press home only one sugges- ton on only one side. Go easy with the old man, boys. He may not know or care as much as you about the reIa- uVe amounts of protein and carbohv- drates 1n the ration for fatteniug steerrs put he knows much better than yotr Just Where the cobolestone duarry is over in the old spring lot. and inst now to avoid it. Hang on to vour protein tables by all means But find out about that spring lot. too
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