Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1855-11-28

IN ttfs or any other country---the great aud par
! amount interests OF man. Our people are essen
, TALLY an agricultural people. BY the census o
: 1850 il will be seen that there are about per
sons engaged in agriculture 10 ono in all othe,
kinds Of business combined 1t is the proutlesl
feature of which our country can boast Il i,
the bnlwark of our free institutions while it /.
the source of our great and accommodating wealth.
The man who tiils the soil--who forces from
earth and air their powers Of vegetation aud prs:
duction, adds substantial wealth to the nation.
lie furnishes the means OF subsistence to his own
happy household, aud to ell who are engaged, in
the other departments of life The miner pro-
duecs from the earth untold treasures: but the
farmer alone furnishes the means by which he
prosecntes his abos. The n,aa asfactnreris is es-
sential to the business of the country; but the
| farmer furnishes him the raw material of which
his fabrics are conirosed--thc provisions which
sustain the lives Of his 9orknen. The tcr-
chaat is isindispensable TO the prosperity Of the
country; but without the aid of the agriculturist
his business would fail The mechanic is also
necessary for he facilitates the operations of the
farmer by the construction of Improved inI,lc
ments Of husbandry. Exporters are essential to
carry to foreign countries our surplus produce,
and bring back such articles Of comfort and lux
ury as may not be the product of our own coun-
| try Thus are all interests mutual but .thc
| hand of the Farmer like the leader Of Israel,
smites the finty rock, and the sweet waters gitsh
forth--he feeds the MilIions-sets the spindles
in motion, and sustain all our industrial and
commercial enterprises-he anin,ates, he nores
he qaickeas all"
Hail! Agriculture, Heaven ordained,
Of every art the source, r"
Which man has polished, life sustained
lzasa Since time commenced his course. sl
Where waves thy wonder-workng wand
What splendid scenes disclose!
The blasted heath-thc arid strand
"Out-blooms the gorgeous rose!' ,s-.
Until the farmer shall appreciate his own i'm
portancc, and assume the responsibilities that
rest upon him, so long will the political policy of
the country be against him. These suggestions
are thrown out for your consideration, and it is
for you to determine their Importance 2
f. We have thus cndeavored to present our hum.
bic opinious of the Importance of Agriculture,
and the duty of the government to sustain it
We perhaps might as well stop here, for we told
! you before that we came not here to instruct
you in the details of practical husbandry: but
simply to arouse feeling in behalf of that great
interest. ! may be indulgcd however in the re.
lation of n few facts which have come under nv
own observation, Of the practical benefits of i'm.
proved husbandry. In the county where ! re-
side, for many years dissipated, indolcnt man
owned farm, and for many We rs cultivated a
certain field in corn The land was originally
about equal in fertility with your best uplands
here; but by blowing it year after year about
three inches deep, and planting it in corn it be.
came so poor that five or six bushels of corn per
acre was the result. 1t was considered worth.
less. An Eastern farmer purchased it-poupbed
it six inches deep and subsoilcd it about six inch
es deeper-put it in clover--next year turned il
under with good coat Of top dressing, planted
it in corn, and gathered from it eighty bushels
per acre. Another instance, farmer had upon
! his farm swamp, or hillside that was made so
swampy by springs that within my recollection
it could not be crossed by horse without his
being swamped down. The trees were cleared
| from it some years ago, and the surface dried up
so that a sod Of grass grew over it, The owner
finally ditched it with open bitches upon each
side and ends, with one OR two blind ditcbes
through the middle. He kept it in grass n n UNI.
Der OF years, and it became SO dry, that he con-
cluded to plough it and plant it in corn He
| did so, and at the Wayne County Fair. he re.
ceived the premium for 1877 bushels from one
| acre. 81. ...,.,,ts ..ts ...- B.. u .-...e ..-
For some years previous to 1850, there was
not, to my knowledge, one single thorough bred
animal in our county. We got up county Fair
commenced talking about the improvements in
agriculture, and particularly in regard to cattle,
!
county at least one hundred head of thorough
bred cattle, which are worth at least 100000
! The number OF high graded cattle or full bloods.
/ has been largely increased, and their va,H over
the same number of common stock, about ten
! to one. ,. e.. - .s... t ....,
| | might detain you with the recital of MANY
other incidents of benefits which have resulted
under my own, observation, but doubtless smi
lar circumstances have transpircd within your
knowledge.
Before conclude this part of nv address,.
permit Inc to say few words to the Young men
of this audience and of Iowa. Although am
not much of your senior ir years, have seen
| much OF life, and the avocations which men pur.
sue. 10 those of you who are about determin.
ing upon your course in life-the business Won
are to pursne / beg of you to consider well
before you leave the farm for CITY life-the
healthful employment of agriculture for the du
ties OF an office or the counting room know
that parents have much influence, and Justly, too,
IN the'seiectons OF their sons avocations, and it
| is too frequently the that an Over-fond pa-
rent thinks he discovers superior intellect in
son, and at once, in false ambition to make
him figure in the world, determines that he shall
be lawyer, or doctor, merchant If he tru-
ly possesses superior talents, where can they be
made more available than on a farm. There
every faculty that belongs to intelligence NAV
be exercised. There is the widest field for
science, for energy, enterprise and success, and
IN no position in life will these qualities bring
, more honor, fame OF dstinction-morc useful
ness to your fellow men, or happiness to YOUR
self, and those who may cluster around your
hearth stone. Then, young men, avoid the tenn.
tations and haunts of vice in city life stay In
the country where everything in its purity shall
remind you, daily and hourly of the holiness of
| nature-remember, "God made the country. and
| man the town. .,.z,af.4sr7 s r.r- saz ,.. -
| But my friends desire for few minutes to
call your attention to the more practical opera-
tons OF the profession and occupation of the
| farmer. In this State you are blessed with
most fertile soil-you have genial climate, and
every influence fayors rich reward to the la
bors OF the husbandman. But no soil, however
fertile, will long continue thus, unless some
equivalent is returned. for that which is taken
fromht Hit is. year after year, required to give
! up Its powers OF vegetation, and no return made
to 1t, the soil must eventually become barren and
unprolihc True, there are some places which
do not require the agency of man to continue
this refrigeration. The rich alluvia bottom
lands along the "Fatler of Watersr-the Mis-.
sissippi-which flows on Your eastern borders.
and which are annually overhown. derive new
life each year from the bountifu hand of nature,
and cannot be DESTROYED by bad farming. or con-
| "'1NN iucTc are 5OLfef SOILS. TOO.
which are not easily destroyed. because they are
composed OF ingredients, which attract from ma.
ture-irom, air and water, re-invigorating pow
ers but these are exceptions to the general
rule, and therefore it becomes necessary that
/ the farmer should study the best mean, of
preserving the rich fertility of even. the lands
of Iowa. 5 ss .--T
Among perhaps the most effective means 10
retain this fertility, is the rotation of crops. A
distinguished writer upon practical agriculture,
in speaking Of rotation of crops. says: 1t forms
the basis OF all successful agriculture. Whater-
er pains we take, whatever expenses we incur in
collecting instruments of husbandry-in accu.
'ulatipg and applying manure, and tilling the
earth, all is to little purpose unless we superadd
q succession OF crops adapted to the nature of
the sol, and ''ncyer, in any ease to permit two
crops OF the same species or kind, to follow each
other The experience of every farmer pr,
sent, has shown him that however highly he ma y
manure field with ordinary manure. immediate.
" before sowing his wheat, profitable crop will
not be the result. 1t will produce great growth
Of straw, but the berry will be deficient. and
nothing but rest or rotation of erops. can pre.
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