The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-11-17

be constructed as cheaply as churn.
But the farmer, seeing trees and plants
grow around him with weed-like facili-
ty and tenacity, often indoiently ina
gines that any tree will grow So and
plants his rare and delicate fruit-trees,
if he plants such at all, as if they were
oaks or locusts. But nature is neXora-
BILE in her requirement that the labor
and care essential to the production of
a choice fruit or plant shall be proper
tionate TO the value Of the product
You may grow pine on yellow sand or
hickory on blue clay; but If you want
choice pears or peaches you must de-
vote much labor and expense TO prepar-
ing and enrichlng the ground wherein
your trees are to be set. Too many
farmers, not needing this law, or sup
posing that nature may somehow be
circumvented, obtain worthless fruit or
none at all, and so abandon the culture
in disgust and despair.
There is not now one grapevine or
fruit-tree, except of the coarsest and
commonest kinds, where there should
be twenty, taking one State with an
other: and one consequence of this is
an enormous and perilous consumption
of flesh as food, to an extent unknown
in other countries. We are nationally
surieited with pork and tainted with
scrofula, not because we are so fond of
pork, but because, for an important por-
ton of each year, the majority of our
population can get little beside. "The
foolishness of preaching" will never
suffice to correct this alteration for
men who work must eat, though their
food be not the best but give US an
abundance of the choicest fruits and
vegetables, with farmers who know
how to grow them and truly educated
housewives, who delight in preparing
and serving them, and we shall enjoy
health, elasticity and longevity to an
extent now unknown A flesh diet is
the dearest, the least palatable and the
least wholesome, and all that is needed
to wean men from it is the presentation
of better. To secure this, we need
only farmers who will feel just pride
in having the finest orchards and gar
dens-who will surround, not merely
their own dwellings, but those of their
tenants and helpers also, with choice
trees; and who will plant and keep
planting until good fruit shall be SO
abundant that il can be no longer an
object to steal it.
| But detain you too long, thoneh
mauy suggesuGno o.O"d upo- me
,-,hicb I usnrIl <yl- ny deVutln- lid time
/ Permit. I would like to illustrate that
inspiring theme, The Harmony of In
terests between farmer and nianufac-
turer, which renders each new factory
or workshop established in an agricul-
tural county or district positive acces-
sion of wealth TO every farmer who
lives within the radius OF its influence.
You may readily perceive the addition
of value given to each farm in Indiana
by any canal or railroad which cheap
| ems the cost of sending that farms sur
plus produce to market-that is, to pro-
ducers of the wares you require or the
fabrics you consume and how much
greater must be the saving, the bene-
fit, to Indiana, of bringing 10 her soil
or near it, instead of the fabrics, their
manufacturers, so as TO render them
perpetual and more extensive con-
sumers of her produce, | need not
surely insist on. .#-s
But pass over this and kindred top
les, not as out of place but out of time,
to dwell for moment on the necessity
that every where exists for increased
facilities TO practical education.
] have been exhorting your young
farmers 10 study and master the voca-
ton to which their lives are to be de-
voted-and that is right-but what if
they were TO turn on me with the in
quiry-" Where shall we study ?"-
How shall | answer them if they ask
How and where are we to learn how
to analyze soils and make ourselves
familiar with all the science which
lies at the base of agriculture as well
as mechanics 2" | can only say to
them, awe in New York are deter
mined, as soon as may be, to have a
Peoples College to teach these impor-
tant, vital truths to all who seek them,
and to enable them to pay their way
by their labor while learning; and we
trust you in Indiana will speedily fol-
low if you do not precede u.s." That
is the best that can be said TO day |
trust ere long to be able 10 speak more
to the purpose.
did not seek TO disguise the magui
tude and the difficulty of the work |
contemplate-that of revolutionizing
our Agriculture, and making it the
most elevated and ennobling, because
the most intellectual, pursuit of man
| realize the mountains of prejudice
that are TO be leveled. the Dead Seas
of ignorance that must be filled up,
the constitutional immobility of con-
servatism that must be overcome, be-
fore the end can be attained. But
see also how the stars in their courses"
fight in behalf of progress and enlight-
enment-how immense has been the
march of intelligence as well as in
ventiou and physical improvement in
our age-how the steamboat, the rail
road, the steam press. the ocean steam
ship, the electric telegraph, are speed
ing us onward with a momentum the
| x-wll ~. oovor Hoforo tnoyvr-a nJ 7