Excerpt from The Book of the Farm, Vol. 1: Detailing the Labors of the Farmer, Steward, Plowman, Hedger, Cattle-Man, Shepherd, Field-Worker, and Dairymaid

It is requisite to explain that, by the phrase young farmer, I mean the young man who, having finished his scholastic and academical educa tion, directs his attention, for the first time, to the acquirement of practical farming; or who, though born on a farm, having spent the greater art of his life at school, determines, at length, on following his father's profbssion. For the latter class of young men, tuition in farmin and information from books, are as re uisite as for the former. Those w 0 have constantly seen farming from in ancy can never be said to have been young farmers for, by the time they are fit to act for themselves, they are proficients in farm ing. Having myself, for a time, been placed precisely in the position of the first descri tion of oung men, I can bear sincere testimony to the truth of the di cultice have described as having to be encountered in the first year of apprenticeship. I felt that a ghide-book would have been an invaluable monitor tome, but none such existed at the time. N o doubt it is quite reasonable to expect of the farmer ability to instruct the pupils committed to his charge in a. Competent manner. This is certainly his duty; which, if rightly performed, no guide-book would be required by pu ils; but very few farmers who receive pupils undertake the onerous task of instruction. Practical farming they leave the pupils to acquire for themselves in the fields, by imperfect observation and slow experience, as they themselves had previously done theoretical knowledge, ver few, if any, are competent to impart. The pupils, being thus very muc left to their own application, can scarcely avoi being beset with difficulties, and losing much time. At the same time it must be acknowledged that the practice gained by slow experience is, in the end the most valuable and enduring. Still, a book on farming, expressly written to suit his circum stances, might be a valuable instructor to the young farmer; it might guard him against the difficulties which learners are apt to encounter; and it would recompense him for loss of time, by imparting sound professional information.

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