The organizer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1845-18??, 1849-05-19

that forty years ago, II any FARMER III tue
United States, or in Great Britain had
been recommended toAhalyze his soil, he
would either have known nothing of the
meaning Of the phrase, or ifhe did know
what Il meant, he would have laughed al
his adviser, and thought him mad man.
Forty years ago no bOdythOught of look.
ing any closer into the soil, than its mere
skin or surface. No body lifted handful
oflhe soil, and inquired, lchdt is this ? what
is it composed of what are its qualitiesl
what its defcienciesl what crop will the
ingredients Of this soil best feedl what ma
nure must I apply to it, to make itgrow any
kind Of crop wantl Such questions then
would have been deemed unanswerable.
because the Farmer was uneducated, and
knew nothing about these matters. He
was in fact little better than a mole, grub
bling along with bis eyes shut.
Forty years ago no Farmer thought Of
taking a blade ofgrass, or an ear OF wheat,
or turnip, and asking himself-hoD did
this grOicS ] put into the ground tiny
seed, and il has come back altered in form,
and a hundred or thousand times increased
in bulk. Where has il got this bulk FRONT
| can see that il has lived and grown
but howl Has it eaten or drank, or in
what manner, and from what source
has II acquired its new bulk OF char
acterl Has this turnip or this blade Of
grass its habits and tastes, its likings
and its dislikings, like man and animalsl
Will some things feed and nOurish it, and
other things poison itl and ifsO. how does
the apparently insensible plant, know how
to choose the proper things to live uponl
How does il single out IFS food, and refuse
its poisonl No enquiries like these were
ever thought of.
"A Farmer forty years ago could tell ifa
turnip was big and sweet, or stunted and
stringy. But bis sheep thtt eatthem, knew
just as much. Blades Of grass never con.
cerned him, so long as they made good and
sweet hay, of which quality his horses and
cattle were incomparably the best judges.
He thought less OF increasing the quantity
and qualify Of his wheat, than Of keeping
up It's price, and his narrow and blind sell
ishness called those "goOd times" when
hungry poverty had 10 60 with halfa meal;
because Of the famine, prices that were
filling his pockets. He laughed at inn
scorned all knowledge, or
book learning, ss il was formerly called;
grew conceited in his own ignorance; and
while he worked with his hands until bis
fingers nearly turned to bone, he let his
brain lie in a wild fallOw, until il grew in
o such tangled wilderness that sensi-
bic thought could not get through it," At
his period, the lower grades Of education
we're hardly thought necessary for a Far
ncr. Bodily health and strength, cOmbin-
ID with perseverance and industry--a
Of the management Of horses
md cattle, the skilfll guiding Of a plough.
md so much Of arithmetic as would enable
i'm to attend market, and calculate, not his
,rices, for they are regulated by tho de.
maud, but his amount sales, were all the
eQuisites deemed necessary to constitute
,oOd Farmer. What a strange and com
llete revolution has taken place, for a skill
a and accomplished Farmer Of the pre-.
ent day, requires an education as complete
nd extensive as is necessary for what are
allied the learned professions, such as
.aw and Medicine, and his occupation is
hanged from life Of corpOreal labor and
rudgery, 20 the rank OF an intellectual aud
profession. Should be attempt
he raising. improving and feeding Ofstock,
one knowledge Of Anatomy, Physiology,
nd Medicine are quite essential; Mathe-
naiics and particularly Geometry, win en-
bic him 10 lay out and determine the
uantity Of his land-to measure his com.
aodities and 40 calculate bis prices and
rofts. Mechanics is guile essential 70
nable him to construct buildings, machin-
~ and implements in the strongest and /
lost durable manner, as well as 20 Judge
comparative value and usefulness 81
ew implements that may be brough t to his ,
office; and Chemistry takes an immensely /
lide range, as ruaing more or lees through I
le whole Of his operations. II
Ifmay be answered in objection 70 ell I
is, thai the Farmer il seldom or ever {
alled upon. personally and individually, to =
tend % these duties. He employs Far Z
or 10 doctor and attend 10 his catllc--the I
urreyor 20 measure bic land and make /
l. computstions-the Carpenter and Ma q
IN 70 construcf his buildings. and the Ma q
line Maker for bis mills, presses. ploughs, .
ad other implements. Bu, in Chemical b
'sources be can seldom obtain cid; BE-
suse from the novelty 81 The application 81 E
rs science, ID has moi Jet been faken NJ DC !
hssincrs o. profession bui By tus and a
{, therefore compelled 70 learn he ap- .
icaiion offhis bEahch Of silence himself q
. llare b wholly negiecied-
These are all. howcrer. saboriinsio
Farher's husiness, and may 2
$780, ~, ~ ..f.5 {, 80 - / -, 7