'weak Spots" In Farm Life

E. J. Smith. of AdriaD, who fo sorae months condnoted the local col uruns of the Argns, aud whose hnnior ous paragraphs have Dot yet faded on of tbe memory of mauy of its readers furnished a paper for the Lenawee coutny faiiners' institute the other day which was read by the president of the society, Mr. Helm, ou "What I know about farruing. " After giving a hum orous recitation of his advent aud edu catión in the life of a farmer, Mr Smith pointed ont some of tbe conclusions he had airived at from his observations as a parotical farmer. He said: First, the farmers of the olden time did not breed fine enongh and thus "made a buil of it. " In the second place the farmers of the modern time have bred too fine and have rushec after fads and fancies that failed of practioabliity, and thus they "made a buil of it" to the extent of millions. Third, "That with shiftless iudiiïer ence the earlier farmers neglected improvement in seediug, rotation of corps and the intelligent care of their stock. Herein again was fulfilled the rule of the survival of the toughest, and the farmer enjoyed the same honors and esemptions as does the present day phyeioian. If by reason of great endurance the patiënt survives the treatment, the doctor raised him; if he dies, God's providence took him ! The sensible American farmer of today realizes that with the sharp competition of his fellows in tbis, and in the oountries of Europe, portions of Asia, South America and Australia, success comes only through proper seed selection, wise rotation. fertilization and the nareful baudling and development of stock to the higbest practical point, together with diversifioarion of productions aocoiding to bu.i, demand and climate." Fourth, ' 1 üat the farmer who points to his fielüs uud says to his sons 'Go,' instead of 'Come,' will find that they will 'go,' soon enough and leave the farm on his hands - though perhaps not before he is compelled, as some one has said, 'to pry np the mortgage in order to dig the potatoes out from under t.' " Fiftb, "That the per cent of clear arm titles, in spite of improved maahinery and scientiflc farming, is teadily and alarmingly decreasing." He then went on to ask some very per;inent questions as to the whys and wberefores of tne present eonditiou of aft'airs in this country and the answers ie gave to them sbould furnish food ror much intelligent and beneficial honght on the part of onr farmer readrs. Likewise, it will do no harm if esidents of cities and villages do a litle sober thinking aloug the same line. They are as follows: "What is ihe ujatter? 'Ah!' says the proectionist, 'it is wholly because of his ruiuous free trade!' I deny tbat. I eau teil you.' says the other fellow, ireathing hard and sbifting bis quid rom one cheek to the other, 'it is all ae to this blamed protective tariff.' I deny that. The silverite charges it upon the goldbug and thegoldbug upon he silverite. I deny these assertions as the nncanny myths and bugaboos oí 'tbe scurvy politioian,' and defend all parties f rom eacbothar. Tbere is just about as mnob to these allegations as tbere was of the tree-toad which the Irishman vainly sougbt, and which he finally declarad was 'simply nothing bnt a dam noise' "Aud now my fellow faimers, I bring against you a grave indictrnent! I charge that upon yonr heads reststhe blaine of yonr own ana most like woes bat today betide the country. Now do ot be ín too great haste to hang me. '11 be haaged if I'll consent, without n opportunity to explain, or at least o pray, and thn I am yours. The 'armer is at the bottom of nearly every ondition of financial ill or prosperity. Whfin he thrives the country thrives. When he is down, the country is down, ;rade languishes, mortgages are forelosed and banks tumble. In your pros)erous days - and you have had them - 'on bought too much. You have gone n debt. You have been oursed with ;oo good credit. You gave your notes :or f ad maohinery, for costly carriages ; or grand pianos; for bicyclets and vhatuot; over-produoed "ttottiiig tock, " cnder-pruduced practical standrds and purcbased fancy animáis, at anoy prices, with meaos that should lave liquidated necessary obliga tions. t was not well. It was ill. 'It did ot pan out.' You had your notes to iay, and when your money was gone, rou retrenched. When you retrencbed, ou stopped the wheels of manufacture, taguated trade, and chöoked the circuatiou of money. From your landa aud lands, proceeded the life of business. When you could no longer buy, you ould 110 longer sell, aud when you ould no longer sell, the dollar was ead, the eagle flat on his back, iod our only blessed consulation, the coiu motto, 'In God we trust.' But tuis rust did not save business collapses, )ank crashes and mortgage foreolosures. Brethren, you are at Ihe bottom ot the whole of it! I oharge you, 'go slow nd learn to paddie!' When you have )aid your floating debts aud caught op vith yourselves, we shall all begin to arive again. We must work out of the )anic slowly. We shall work out, but kjr heaven sake don't work us in again ! 3uy less, in a year, on credit. Give s steady, medium prosperity instead f sudden business booms, througb arge credit purchases, to be followed )y subsequent sudden oollapses, and it aall be well with us, and we sball see !ewer days of 'justioe and judgrneut' n the courts. Ibis will be tougb on ae lawyers, but we eau better afford ) provide for thein iu the poor house, jau in their spider-webs of sin and jalaces of luxuiy, where they seize our iroperty for fees and turn us out to run n tbe road aud sleep ia the schooljouse. I have done."