The Cecil Whig., 1850-12-07
q ii g s Ar I'll g Il
A FARMERS LIFE.

Michigan State Agricultural Society, at
Ann Arbor, which is distinguished for
the soundneSs of its views no less than
by the perspicuity with which they are
advanced. We wish We could afford
room, for the whole of this sterling pro-
ducton but being unable TO do So we
present TO our readers an eXtrGc from it !,
devoted to consideration of the farmers
calling. 1t is as follows:
"The best faculties of men must be
devoted to the farmers pursuits: the best
intellect must be engaged in il; and the
farmers life must be a field wide and at
tractive enough for the engrossment and
development Of every human faculty or
error, igorance and thriItlrssncss, will
not be explored, and the calling will not
secure the elevated position ii deserves.
Happily rapid change is pesccpible.
The relative position of professional,
mercantile, and farming pursuits are
changing day by day. The first are no
longer sought with so much avidity, the
last no longer Stunned. A wise man
should never encourage his children to
assume the duties, veXationS, and hazards
of prccarious and unhealthy pursuits, no
matter how dazzling the prospect, how
brilliant the prize. There is higher
object than wealth to be gaincd-sound
sleep and sound health; higher objects
than personal distinction-a composed
conscience. In times past there seems
TO have been kind of infatuation among
The farming community in regard to the
evasion of their honorable calling. Thir-
ty years ago father was prone to act
with his children as though he himself
followed a degraded calling. He seem
ed to deem professional or mercantile
life the only road to high responsibility
orsociaI and official distinction. The
Wcbsters, the Wrights, and the Fill
mores, were not retained to cnoble their
own, but crowded of to illustrate and
adorn some other profession. II has
somewhat mcndcd of late. The public
mind has become more sound. II bids
fair to become perfectly sound. II GER
tainly will, if men will speak the truth,
and hear the truth, and practice on its
prccrpts. The world will never regard
the farmers calling as the most ,honora-
hl" till it is so cherished by himself. In
public estimation pursuit is appr oach-
cd at the value placed upon it by those
who follow it. Turn back, then, the
lid" of public sentiment among the agr
cultural population. The sturdy sense
of many a sturdy farmer picrcrs The
,,alzc illusions thrown around the lanci-
tul and frivolous life Of the townsman.
Ia tn" expression oiIiS judgement sound,
lie yet practically may have sought all
his life to make his children the very but
tcrIlies he dcfvsts. If he would have his
occupation take rank as the most respect
cd and most dignifcd samong men, he
must not hinsrlfact as though he regard
ed il as a dull and stupid exercise OF lu-
man powers. | know moi So small a
farm, so limited garden, that may not
cngrosS all "A mans faculties and CONSUME
all his leisure. The time may be dist
ant when each farmer may bra gcoIo-
gist, naturalist, a chemist but the time
has already arrived when the applica-
tion OF science to agriculture iSprodu
cling peaceful, certain, and gigantic
revolution, clcvaIing the calling, multi
plying its results, increasing its comforts
and promotinga a higher civilization Of
the race.
"a farmer should not consider it pre-
sumption, but aduty, to gladden. his
home with all true, and genial, and in
trinSically valuable comforts, that she'd
a glow and atlraCtlvcncss around the pri-
vatc home Of the citizen. He can make
ii more inviting. There are few com
forts and appliances about the home of
townsman which countryman may not
enjoy. There are thousand pleasures
around country residence which all the
capital Of a city cannot buy. A farmer
surveys from his window, with unalloy-
ed delight, the field now groaning under
twice the crop of previous years. While
he gains it, the world gains it. 1t is so
much added to production. But multi
piled and dubious are the ways in which
atownsman makes hisgains. Sometimes
'tis the pound of flesh. Sometimes 'lis
cXtortion. Sometimes double value
is sgiven to the raw material, but ohcncr
his gain is loss to another. To say the
Least, the townsman is sometimes expo
sed to the inevitable necessities of rXpc-
dicncy end dishonor. From such ncces-
sites the farmer can ifhe will, always be
free.
"'God made the country, man made
the city just SO superior as Gods
works are to mans works, just so far su-
pcrior are the studies of the country to
the studies Of the town. If you look up
on tue rich and gorgeous Development
otnature from spring to fall, from the IL
ny germ to the abundant crop, with no
more delight than on piles of stonc and
brick, and mortar, then your life any
whore will be dcsultory, hard and dull
Whom hn gazcd upon the mirncI, Of his