Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1849-06-22
From The Albany CultiUator.
Self improvement.
"The proper study of mankind, is man"

"The proper study of mankind, is man."
So thought an old poet, and undoubtedly he
was right. But, if we were to Judge by the stu
dies pursued by the great mass Of mankind, we
must come 10 different conclusion. The ac-
QUESTION Of wealth seems to be The study Of the
present age, and gold is sought, il may be as ca
gerly, and at the same expense of health, hap |
piness and life, by him who digs the soil, or
wields the hammer, as by the individual that
sleaves alp and seeks treasure on the brilliant
banks Of the Sacramento, and both may be e.
qually deaf to the exhorlaIion Of the wise man
"How much better to get wisdom than gold"
Human nature is the same everywhere, its stu.
dy is the same, and knowledge Of it is of
great importance.
"Know myself" This should be engraven
as with the "point Of diamond" on every ones
heart, and kept continually before the mind
Such study. rightly conducted and persevered
in, would lead to the important duty of self i'm.
provement. That should be the object Of stu
dy. w User and better, should be the sentiment
TO labor with our hands is not our whole duty.
The intellect must not be neglected. To i'm
prove in the management of business, is well;
to improve the mind is better, being a greater
result. and which will lead 10 the other.
How shall we improve!
Train the mind to right reasoning. There is
class of persons thai are sadly deficient in this
important faculty. Rising up early and sitting
up late, and laboring hard, they can scarcely
keep free from pressing want. The fault is not
in their labor, but in their pans,-in the ar.
rangemeEl of their business. They do not a.
dopt the best method to perform their labor, and
consequently work to disadvantage. II is of nc
kind of use 10 be "hurried to DEATH" from ear
ly in the spring ill late in the fall. SIT down
and calculate, taking all things into considera
tlon. See how much you can pillow, plant, hoe
and harvest, and then go to work systemacal
ly. Not only estimate the amount of your la
, bors, but to do everything the best way, and dc
one thing at a time. 1t is folly to commence &
piece Of work and leave it half finished fol
something else, TO be left incomplete. Wha
, ought to be done should be finished, and wha
ought not to be done should be let alone.
Cultivate order. "Order is Heavens frs
law" How much pleasure there is in contem
plating we'll ordered family, or Il nell ordered
farm. But some men are "terrible Slack
Look at their farms and you see it at once
, Every thing is at loose ends. Their imple
! menls are scattered around, and exposed 10 al
r the variations of the weather. The space a
round their front door, may be, is a repository
for hay carts and harrows, sleds and slabs, apple
tree brush and ash barrels, and all the odds anC
ends lhpt accumulate during the labors Of The
whole year. Who're an article was last used
> there il may be found. Having ga place 70
! every thing and every thing in its place." will
L remedy all these evils. BuI an apple tree is N
: place TO winter scythe, nor the road side
place to summer sled. All tools and imple
menls when not in use should be kept unde
! cover.
Be observing Look around you and see thu
i various methods in which your neighbors per
form their Iabors. Do not suppose lor mo
Il ment that you know more or can calculate Il
g better advantage than Others. Learn from tn,
r superior knowledge aud tact of all with whom
{ you are acquainted. Make your observation
= and experience available for your future i'm
}, prOvement
d Read, study, andthiak. Every larmershoul'
u take an agricultural paper,-and that is not e
IS nough. Neither is his duty done when he pay
a for ii. Nor should he be satisfied by simpl
d reading it. 1t should be studied. Its sugges
IS liuns should be reduced TO practice wheneve
T. they can be made beneficial. The knowledg
IS ii contains should be treasured up, that we ma
IL compare Others experience with our own, an
other theories with ours, SO that if there is
y "beuer way" we may adopt ii. Reason mus
r. be exercised in all our labors, and
"How can we reason but from what we know"
/. and how can knowledge in relation to our bus
II ness be acquired easier and cheaper than lror
a. agricultural journals. Strange that so many al
n, blind to their own interests in this respect. Th
I. farmer that keeps dog, or uses tobacco, {
Is takes political paper, has no valid excuse ft
i. not taking an agricultural paper.
ID Thus have introduced an important subje
nj and glanced a, some of its points. To tho.
40 accustomed to think, it may be suggestive, au
", can be considered as its importance demands
no w. l.. EATON.