The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1841-11-25
RUR.gE ECO.S'D.WK:
From The Farmers Moafhly Ulster.
FARMERS DEVOTE TOO MUCH TINE
TO MANUAL LABOR.

TO MANUAL LABOR.
No dictate OF common sense can be plain
, er than that men, whatever be their pur.
scI!s, should max, that use of time which
will best promote the great objects of life
Topursue trivial objects, or 10 pursue those
which are IN themseyes laudable, 10 the ey.
clas.o0 Of others shicb have greater claims,
Is, therefore, ALIKE unworthy Of rational
being. The duties which devolYe on men
are various. While nature calls upon them
10 mako The necessary efforts to obtain the
! means Of subsistence, she also delDands that
Il be 6o6e IN observance 10 the laws Of health.
While Tue cultivation Of the earth is 40 ion
porianI duty, tho obligation TO cultivate the
noble faculties Of the mind is not Oh this
account less binding. If tue body has
claims for food and clothing, the nluG has
claims cot less obligatory for that coral
instruction and intellectual training giIh.
oul which life Is Of little value.
Among the principal duties which rest
upon the farmer IN diseuarglug bis obIiga.
lions TO himself and family, appears the fo!
loSiag: Moral aud Religious Instructions !;
intellectual Education; tho means of an
bouesi support; and obednnce to the laws
Of heaI!h. In attempting to show tho truth
OF our proposition, il will be convenient to
consider these separately.
/. Moral and Religious Instruction.
10 attempt any l46ored arguments 10 proof
Of the value Of these, would be supertluous.
Bui some seem to suppose tia. suflicieu;
acquaintance with The duties of morality
and religion msy 10 Obtained on the SAB
hath. Nov, while It is admitted that such
Instruction belongs moro particularly 10 that
season, there appears to be no valid reason
for excluding 1t from the remainder Of the
week. If Tie practical duties which neral.
iiy aud religion euoo, were Of secondary
couseQuence--if they were moro Sabbath
day exercises, such views might nave some
foundation; but as pen are required 10 love
heir Maker, and do good 10 their fellow
neH OF all times, reason seems 10 REQUIRE
That some portion Of every day be devoted
to tho study OF the principles on which these
obligations rest.
2 intellectual Education. Independent
Of that discipline or mind and that general
information which every farmer should
possess, no man can master the science OF
agriculture without much study and relec
ton. Ia tnrming, as 10 most other pur
suits, theory aud practice should be- united.
The larmor must not only labor, but he
must read aud reflect, and for these he
must have time. The day has gone by
when Il was sufficient excuse for follow
ing an observed practice because our faith.
ers and grnndiaihsrs did so. When the
astJse Of our soil is under investigation,
when the Press IS teeming with Information,
applicable 10 oil the various departments Of
agriculture, and when every man can con
tribute something to the general stock Of IN.
formation, has the intellect 90 claims upon
the time of the isrmorl When science is
laying her treasures at bis foot, can be shut
hrs eyes to the advantages which are in
prospect, aud deny himself time to read,
and TO apply tho principles Of sciencc and
the discoveries Of art TO the practical pur.
poses Of lda lf there be any litigation
which IS Proemlnently binding upon the far
met, /; IS 10 avail himself Of those helps
which the agricultural press is placing with
IN his reach.
3. The means OF support. Il is very
PLAN duty which binds man to furnish for
himself aud family al adequate supply Of
food and clothing, and duty which far.
mers seldom overlook. II is 10 the perfor. (
nance Of this that they consume much of
tho time that should be devoted 10 other
purposes or rather this furnishes the OK
cuso which they offer for the neglect Of
the others. Tho common practice IN New
England seems TO be to employ, for two
thirGs Of The year, almost the whole time,
except what is necessarily consumed in
sleep to The labor of the field. The dead
enlng influence which this practice cxerts
upon the mInd is too obvious 10 require CON.
mont, Owing to this absurd custom, the
winter evenings, which is the time left for
improvement, become of comparative little
value. Who. allor eigh, months Of unre
hitting toll can sit down and spend an
evening 10 vigorous thought, or even in
such reading as requires attention
But ii is SAID that this is a matter Of ne.
cessty-that all this labor only furnishes
the bare means of subsistence. Doubtless
many really believe this; bui it is re1ec
ton upon the goodness of the Creator to
suppose that he would mock man by Civ
ing him faculties capable Of Improvement,
and then placing him in circumstances
which precluded their use. Ii men were
less eager IN their desires Of gain, and
were wiling TO follow nature rather than
fashion in their manner of living, they would
Gnd less necessity for constant labor. But
we're there no means for lessening the OK
penses OF family, it by no means follows
that the present system must be pursued.
Il is not a necessary consequence, that If
the farmer spends more time in intellectual I
he must diminish his income. /
Agriculture is no, YET SO far odyanced that 4
study can afford no addiiionalaids. Expe. :
ronce shows that those who labor the t
,,ost honrs ora MT the most stfccPssEul