Year: 1877

There are farmers who are as stubborn


and unwilling to accept the teachings Of


theoryas men many other relation OF life


They entertain a contempt for book


farming, as they call it, that isabsolutely


whitening. Fancy farming and fancy


stock breeding are u such men the most


trifing puerility-it is 4 boys play that


was never equaled in frivolity by any


game at the freslde or on the green,


Yet it is fact that some of our most


important and profitable practice in both


these Industries has been taught lis by


fancy operations. Fancy farming Is


largely experimental and it is seldom


that experiment in anything fails to Ie-


suit in some benefit. A prejudice


against theoretical farming, experimental


farming, or book farming, whatever you


may call it, is prejudice which other


calliDgs have never cherished toward


similar teachings, 1t is true that much


OF this fancy or experimental work
amounts to nothing. There are visionary
men in all spheres of action, Iand they dis
gust us with their wild tagaries and
schemes but an intelligent experihenter
will usually do something to benefit him.
sell. and the world. Rodgers, for instance,
was experimenting in growing grapes
from seedlings for a quaater of century,
and during that time failed in many in
stances to produce anything of value in
the way of variety; but we all know that
he produced the choicest varieties of
grapes that we have. All intelligent ex-
periments result in similar blessings to
the world, and generally in pecuniary
profit to the experimenter in the end.
The breeding of ShOlt horn cattle is an
other example, Mr.. Thomas Bates, for
instance-among the greatest, if not the
greatest among breeders-determined to


fix tie type of the best animal for all
purpOses-mOre especially for beef. He
had fixed theories, and labored 10 reduce
them to practice. In doing so he sacra-
feed anything that prevented success or
retarded his practice. If an animal was
in any manner deficient, it was ruthlessly
and the result has been a
perfect animal and an inestimable bless
ing to breeders and the world. 1t is our
neglect to theorize, together with our
neglect to reduce existing theories to
practice, that is proving an incalculable
injury to our agricultural interests. In
the former wheat.growing regions, of the
east, there is now scarcely any wheat
grown. The wheat belt of our country
has been moving constantly westward
Indiana, Michigan and Illinois comprised
the wheat. producing sections, when the
east ceased to produce it. Now the still
more western states are the wheat-pro
ducing sections. Well, why is it that |
the east doesn't auy longer grow wheat?
Because it can't do it with profit. Why
don't Indiana, Michigan and Illinoispro
iuce as much wheat As formerly? Be
cause they can't and why? For the |
reason that the natural richness of the |
soil tempted men to grow wheat year al |
ter year, without returning to the soil |
any of the elements taken from it, until |
the soil was thoroughly exhausted, and !
refused longer to nOurish this crop. But |
the same thing is being done in the pres
ant wheat regions, and it will 90 on moy-
ing west until we reduce to practice the |
theory that the elements which the crops |
AXE from the soil must be replaced
Western Rural.