The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-03-02
RICHMOND, WAYNE COUNTY, MARCH ?, 1855.


around from earth and air, which is all dark and
strange and unintelligible 10 the untaught far
ner.
Ornithologv should be carefully studied by
the sgricul.urist. By 1t he viii learn the habits
and character of birds Some Of these are his
enemies and some are his best friends. Not long
since in Tennessee, the woodpeekers in certain
district becomes very abundant. The farmers
offered premiums for their destruction, and
general bird seal ping the result. Not long
afterwards the forests began TO die, account
Of an astonishing abundance of worms beneath
the bark have also heard of bows carving
shot-guns when plowing. to kill the black birds,
for fear they would pull up the corn, when the
little creatures We're intent on gathering cut and
grub worms. Birds give home its richest native
music. Their songs sweet. and the child
that loves the birds has kind and tender heart.
Farmers mind what you do with the birds.
Entomology is also important agricultural
science Worms, bugs, and insects in general
are on hand every year. to prey upon his corn,
wheat, oats, orchard. garden. and all that he has.
! Our ignorance on this subject is a source of
much loss. If we understood bug and insect life
WELL how much might be saved. The remedies
would Of course come of themselves if we
derstood the nature of the enemies attack. We
can find out these things if we will, and the
sooner make them part of education the
better. Let US get our books and look into the
/
we may arrest their depredations.
Thus far Agricultural Education has been
treated OF as home aid. | may now speak of
those things which concern him away from home.
An agrIculturst must be business man. He
must be mathematician. He must not only be
able to count the value of wheat and pork and
corn, but lie should at least know enough of men
suration to understand the art of surveying and
estimating land. He should also be good. ready
accountant and book keeper. How many an
estate has sadly suffered. and how many litiga
ton has unnecessarily arisen because at the far
mer's demise, his accounts were found IN chaos,
and when his memory pershed his business was
in wreck. Had he been educated to careful bus-
ness habits, and been instructed In keeping
counts. his books and papers would have shown,
at once, upon their face. the whole state of his
business affairs. His administrators and execu
tors would find simplicity instead of perplexity,
and all would wind up well in the farmers life.
Let the agriculturist then, be an accountant and
book keeper and attend to business in business
like way.
/ 1t is also important that ayricuturist should
be acquainted with exchange. lie should at
least be able read correctly and intellgentiy
the prices current of English and American pa
pers. How many farmer becomes tleeced be-
cause he cannot understand the advance and
decline nf th-> .ra-iAts2 The spannlatnrs are
always in advance of him and have their bargains
telligent farmer has discovered the state of the
times. The agriculturist las to be wide awake
to stand his ground in these days of telegraphs
and railroads, and must look beyond his own
neighborhood to keep tie of trade.
An agrculturist must also be intelligent
man. History aids him. 1t brings to his mind
the knowledge of the anciens, and teaches him
the progress of his art in the days of the Patri-
archs, the Ptolmeys and of the republics of
Greece and Rome. He enjoy the indepen-
dence of Cincinnatus when he relinquished the
field of arms and returned to his plow, and Of
Virgil who sang his pastorals to the people of
Rome, by which he taught the enjoyment Of
rural life. and turned the public mind from the
glory of arms to the glory of peace.
BY general intelligence he learns the condition
of the arts and commerce among the nations of
the earth and can intelligentlv contrast and COM
pare the cultivation of the soil, the vegetable pro-
ductons, and the quality of stock of his own
country with that of others, and learn his stand
ing in his profession. He can thus see how much
has been done by the efforts OF those who have
been toiling to raise the standing of his profess
ion, and how much must yet be done before it
can attain its true dignity. and the soil shall de-
liver to him her max mum harvest. The intelI-
gent farmer is the pioneer OF progress. He is
interested in opening highways for his produce
to the markets of the earth. and river and harbor
and railroad bills always interesting matters
10 lAt ID tue prop oi
gives the support of life to all people How i'm
portant then, that lie should understand his busi-
ness and feel the full force of his responsibilities.
Instead Of being the dupe of the demagogue be
quietly contemplates the laws Of trade, of com
merce, OF government of political economy, and
of national policy, in the quetude Of his own
home and being thus indoctrinaed into the true
interests Of his nation free from motives OF office,
and of selfish ends, he becomes a nobleman
and IN our country genuine sovereign. 1t
should be thus: for the owner of the soil should
be the ruler of the country; and when lands are
held in seyeraltv. as is the case with us, the
people are safe only when the agricultural inter
ests III the ascendancy. Detach a man from
the sell and he must live by his wits. The me
, chanic is an exception. And when his ambition
leads him to selfish objects, the tendency always
is to civil discord. national controversy and too
ces follow, the agriculturist is sure in the end
! to bear his burden OF trouble With agriculture
the hope and spirit Of nation rise and tall, and
when even the despot has touched this people too
! sorely with his scep,re, his throne must fall a
their bidding, OF his law be softened to suit thei
will. England and France have learned tn 5
!, while poor ireland IS anomalous example o
8 the strife of people with an unnatural system
of landlord tyranny too powerful for her to raist
: above. Let then the American agriculturis
: understand his responsibilities and the insepara
: bic connection between good government anc
j good farming. and the power and worth Of al
:, intelligent agricultural vote, and let this grea
subject be interviewer with his education from