Felices operum; quintam fuge....
Septuma post decumam felix et ponere vitem,
Et prensos domitare boves."

And in these warnings he only imitates Hesiod--

[Greek: Pempias de hexaleasthai, hepei chalepai te chai ainai.]

And

[Greek: Maenos de isamenou trischaidecha taen haleasthai,
Spezmatos azxasthai phuta de henthzepsasthai arisa.]

But the vague prognostics of old times are not sufficient for the
guidance of the skilful and provident farmer of our day. The
barometer, the thermometer, and even the hygrometer, should be his
companions and guides, or occasional counsellors. To the description
and useful indications of these instruments, therefore, a sufficient
space is devoted in the book before us. We do not know any other
source from which the practical farmer can draw so much
meteorological matter specially adapted to his own walk of life, as
from this chapter upon the weather.

All this our young farmer is not supposed to sit down and master
before he proceeds with the proper business of his new farm; it will
be a subject of study with him in many future months, and winters too.
But after a most judicious recommendation, to observe and _record_
whatever occurs either new or interesting in his field of
labour--without which record he will not be able to contribute, as
he may hereafter do, to the extension of agricultural knowledge--he
is taught next, in an able chapter "upon soils and sub-soils,"
to study the nature of his farm more thoroughly; to ascertain
its natural capabilities--the improvements of which it is
susceptible--the simplest, most efficacious, and most economical
means by which this improvement may be effected--and the kind of
implements which it will be most prudent in him to purchase for
tilling the kind of land of which his farm consists, or for bringing
it into a more fertile condition. This chapter also draws largely,
especially upon geological and chemical science, and affords another
illustration of what, I trust, Mr. Stephens's book will more and
more impress upon our working farmers, that _skilful practice is
applied science_. We have not room for any extracts, but when we
mention that in the chemical part of it the author has been assisted
by Dr. Madden, readers of the _Quarterly Journal of Agriculture_
will be able to form an estimate of the way in which this chapter
has been got up.

Having now satisfied himself of the nature of his farm as to soil
and capabilities,