The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-01-27
Agricultural Knowledge.

Y.
Agricultural knowledge.
knowledge is something which too
many of our farmers think unnecessary
to be coupled with agriculture. They
think it only necessary for professional
men-that a farmer has neither need nor
business with it, and it would be vast
| ing time and money in giving a good ed
ucation to a boy intended for a farmer.
Now, if knowledge is useful to profes-
sional man, why could it not be to farm
er? Why could not the latter be as
much benefited by it as the former
and would not it be of the same adyan-
ttage TO him? The time was when agri-
cultural knowledge was looked upon as
something of little consequence but
that time is past, and tnow ranks among
the first of sciences. Its beauteous,
noble parts have been brought out be-
fore the world by men of talent and
had not such men taken them in hand,
they would have been slumbering in OBJ
security yet and we can only sustain it
in its present position, and raise it still
higher, by acquiring useful knowledge
ourselves, and by educating our children.
For, couple any pursuit with ignorance,
and it sinks-link it with education, it
will rise. -
1t will never do to think that, if boy
can read in the Testament, scratch a lit
tie with the pen, and solve few ques-
tons in the Rule of Three, he is suffi-
ciently learned for farmer. He might
erosod himself through the world with
that much, if Nature had been lavish in
her gifts to him. But without the tickle
dame's assistance, we think he would make
little progress. Butgive him good edu-
cation, and he viii go through the world
honored and respected by it, be bene-
fit to his noble calling, and an ornament
to society.
We live in an age of improvement, and
must keep up with the march of the same.
There are too many who follow in the
footsteps of their forefathers, and think
nothing can be done with, unless it be
performed after the fashion of their an
cestors. Their modes suited their age,
not ours. Farmers are not alive to their
interests as they should be; and unless
knowledge has more general flow among
them, they must remain behind the age.
Many farmers cannot afford to give their
sons a classical education, but they may
all give them good English education; !;
they have it in their power to raise the
free school to such grade as to have all
the English branches taught in them.
Let them make their sons acquainted with
all the English branches, and see what a
difference there will be in the next gen.
Grafton of farmers.
We should not only attend to the rising
generation, but improve ourselves, by
studying and reading such books and
papers as are calculated to improve US in
our noble pursuit. We spend many hours
in Incidence and foolish conversation,
which, if spent with useful books, would
be of vast use to us.
The beauties of agriculture are not ap-
preciated BY an ignorant man. He lives
and sees the things grow around him
he knows that if he plants certain kind
of seed it will grow and produce seed ;
but how it grows, and what it feeds upon,
he does not care to inquire.
r. One man there was. and many such you might
Have met, who never had dozen thoughts
In ell his life, and never changed their course,
But told them DER, each in its 'customed place,
From morn till night, from youth till hoary age.
Little above the OK that grazed the field
| His reason rose; so weak his memory, -
The name his mother called him he scarce
Remembered; and his judgment so untsught,
Tbatwhat ut evening played along the swamp,
Fantastic clad In robe of fiery hue,
He thought the devil in disguise, and fed -
With grieving heart and winged footsteps home.
The word philosophy he never heard,
Or science; never heard of liberty,
Necessity, or laws of gravitation,
And never had an unbelieving doubt.
Beyond HE native vale he never looked; f
And thought the visual line that girt him round
The worlds extreme; and thought the silver moon
That nightly DER him led her virgin host,
No broader than his fathers shield"
How different it is with the enlighten-
ed farmer; he derives pleasure from every
thing that grows around him, in watch
ing its growth, in observing what it feeds
upon. He knows by examining the soil
what kinds of grain are best adapted to
it. He understands the philosophy OF
almost everything around him, and feels
ready to exclaim with celebrated poet:
:. Happy the man who knows the eauss of things.