Table Of Content

m.cs ofj&thoal FIRST LESSONS AGRICULTURE; FORCANADIAN FAEMERSAND THEIRFAMILIES. EG-ERTON RYERSOK SECONDEDITION. wi&tquot;hTthheesluacwcsesasnodfpariFnacripmleersdoenpwehnidcshoGnOhiDsubnedsetroswtsaandhiarnvegst.a&qnuodt;complying lit)tljcCouncilofpublicjinatritcttontf ntacb. TORONTO: COPP,CLARK&CO.,KINGSTREETEAST. 1871. EnteredaccordingtoActofthaParliamentofCanada,inthe jearOneThousandEight HundredandSeventy,bythe REV.EGEH.TONRYERSOX,LL.D.,ChiefSuperintendentofEdu cationforOntario,intheOfficeoftheMinisterofAgriculture. PREFATORY NOTICE. Theselectionoftopics,arrangement,manyofthedefini tions,explanationsandillustrationsofthislittlebook,are myown,butthematerialsandmuchofthephraseology havebeencompiledandcondensedfromthemostapproved modernworksonChemistry,BotanyandAgriculture. Shouldanyprofitsarisefromthepublicationandsaleof thisbook,theAuthorwillnotparticipateinthem;theprepa rationofitisahumblebutgratuitouscontributiontoamost importantbranchofCanadianeducationandindustry. TORONTO,August,1870. DEDICATORYPREFACE. TotheHonorableCommissioner,PresidentandMembersof theBoardofAgricultureforUpperCanada. GENTLEMEN, Ibegpermissiontopresenttoyou,and,throughyou,to CanadianFarmersandtheirFamilies, thefollowingbook, whichIhavepreparedasanhumblecontributiontothegreat workwhich,byyourvoluntaryandintelligentlabours,you havedonesomuchtopromote,andwhichformsthebasis andlifeofourcountryswealthandprosperity. IdentifiedasIambybirthandearlyeducationwiththe agriculturalpopulationofthiscountry, Iregretto seeso manyofouragriculturalyouthleavethenoblestofearthly employments,andthemostindependentofsocialpursuits,for theprofessions,thecountingroom,thewarehouse,andeven forpettyclerkshipsandlittleshops. Iknowthatpersonsin publicoffices,andinhabitantsofcitiesandtowns,whohave nofarms,must,forthemostpart, bringuptheirsonsto aortihteireseamnpdloryelmaetnitonsstmhaanytphraotmopftatgoritchueltsuareme;cpoeurrssoenailnpreecgualrid ftaorsm,omaesfwaerlmlerasssfornosm;tahnedshaodpivainndectahllemcoalylegsee,lefcotrfarodmivitnhee vsoocoantiaosnt;hebyutbetghiant,toasbeageednuecraatledr,ullee,avtehethseonfsaromf,fisaramemriss,foars tthuenecotuontthrey.partAiebsoythsemlseealvviensg,tahelofsasrmtobaegcraiucsuletuhree,haasndortios acquiringagoodeducation,isanassumptionoradmissionby allconsentingparties,thatafarmerdoesnotneedsuchan endoutcabteiionng;eaduncdataesd,loanggriacsultthuisreerwriolrlibseadlmoiotkteedd,dboywnfaurpmoenr,s VI DEDICATOEYPEEFACE. insteadofbeinglookedupto,asapursuitforeducatedmen. Politiciansareaccustomedtocallfarmers,bywayofcompli tmheenyt,witllheretmoanien,anadndsinneevwerobfethaenyltahnidng;ealnsed,wtiontehoauntdesdiunceaw tion. Itisasupremelaw,illustrated byall history,that headrulesmuscle;andallfarmerswhoeducateonlytheir muscles,andnottheirheads,mustoccupytheinferiorre lationofmuscle. Itistruethat suchfarmers,aswellas mechanics,maybeandfeelthemselvesquiteasgoodasother epdeoupclaete;dbauntdifintfhoerymeadrenottheiarsgiontoedlnleisgsentwillthabteias,ssaosciawteeldl withignorance,andtheirsocialpositionwillnecessarilybe oneofinferiority. Butlettheboybeeducatedtomakehim aanbdetbteercfoamremearr,ecaosgnwiezleldasfacat,betthtaetraciftairzmener;lmeutsittbbeeaesdsuucmaetde,d tobeagoodfarmer,asalawyer,doctor,orclergyman,must beeducatedtobemasterofhiswork,andagriculturewil* holdarankequalto,ifnotabove,thatoflawormedicine Educatedfarmers,educatedmerchants,andeducatedmanu facturersandmechanics,willnotonlydevelopeandadvance thematerialinterestsofthecountry,butitscivilandsocial interests,byenablingthepeopletoselectchieflyintelligent andwell-to-domenfromtheseclassesastheirrepresentatives mennotneedinganofficeforsupport,ormakingpoliticsa trade affordingthebestchanceofpractical wisdomand honestyinlegislationandgovernment,andthebesthopeof producing thegreat public desideratum ageneration of honestpoliticiansandpatrioticstatesmen. Iknowitmaybesaidbysome, "Ourfatherswerenot educated,andyetweresuccessfulfarmers." Butthosevery fatherswillbearwitnessthattheywouldhavedoneandfelt muchbetterhadtheybeeneducated. Besides,thesoilwas thennewandmoreproductive,andthemodeofcultivatingit mhoestrasiisminpgleof;bsuttoctk,heacnudltutrheeobfustihneessosil,trtahnesagcrtoiwonisnganodfcsroocpisa,l relationsofthefarmer,areverydifferentnowfromwhatthey wereinformeryears. Theoldmethodsandinstrumentsof DEDICATORYPBEFACE. Vll agriculturecannomorecompetewiththepresent,thanthe oldmodesoftravellingorofmanufactures. Ifthefarmer keepsnotupwiththeimprovementsandintelligenceofthe age,hewillsinkdownintoamereanimalofburden,instead ofstandingamongthepeersoftheland.* Ithasindeedbeensaid,that"commonsensealoneissuffi cienttomakeagoodfarmer." Itistrue,amancannotbea goodfarmerwithoutcommonsense;butcommonsensenever manufacturedasteam-engine, orconstructedarail-road,or evenmadeaplough,orplantedanorchard,withoutbeing properlyinstructedoreducatedtodoit. Inthefollowingpages,afternotingthenatureandimpor tanceofthefarmersprofession,andtheeducationdemanded byhisemploymentandposition,Ihavesoughttopreparean ElementaryGrammarofAgricultureforhisuse interspers ingthetextwithnotes(insmallertype)whichmaybeinte restingtothemoreadvancedandgeneralreader. Thefirstandgreatstapleinterestofourcountryrequires youngmenwhowilldevotetoagriculturetheirtalents,their aptutrasiunimteinstsa,withdeeirrafnordtumnoesr,eainndvittihnegirfileilvdesof;eanntderipnrinsoeootpheenr tothem. Ifthislittlebookshall,amongotherthings,tend toshowhowmuchscience,art,refinement,andpleasure,as wellasprofit,areinvolvedinthetruepursuitofagriculture, andthuselevateitintheesteemandoccupationoftheagri culturalyouthofCanada,Ishallbeamplycompensatedfor thelabourofpreparingit. Ihavethehonourtobe, Gentlemen, Yourfellowlabourerandobedientservant, E.RYERSON. TORONTO,August,1870. ed*ucIaztiitohneoLfesfsaornmeornsEdcaoungohtmeyrso,ftahnedHooufswehoomlde,nwiglelnerbaellfyo,unedspreecima encetothedomesticpartofit. Seepages173,174.