Demoine courier., 1855-12-06
industrial and commercial enterprises
he dnimates, he more he quickenS ALL"


OF every art the source,
Which man has polished. life sustained
Since time commenced his course.
Where waves thy woodworking wand,
What splendid scenes disclose!
The blasted heaih-the arid strand
Out-blcoms the gorgeous rose!!"
Until the farmer shall appreciate hi.
importance, and assume the Responsible
I,ies tina, rest upon hiu, so long will the
political policy Of The country be against
him. These suggestions are thrown ou'
fer your consideration. and j, is for you
10 determine their importance.
We have thus e%ndeavored 10 present.
our hu nbIe opinions of the importance
of Agriculture. and the duty OF The gov
ernment TO sustain il. We perhaps nigh,
as well stop sere, for we told you before
tina, we came net hers 10 instruc, you in
The details OF practical husbandry; but
simply to arouse IA feeling in behalf OF
that grea. interest. may be INDUCED
however in the relation Of a few facts
winch have come under my own obser-
%valion, of The practical benefits of i'm.
proved ~hasbandry. In the county where
| reside. for many years a d~issipa.ed, in
dolent man owned a farm, and for many
years cultivated a certain field in corn.
The land was originally about equal in
fertility with your best uplanas here; bu,
by plowlng il year after year abou, three
inches deep. aud planting it in corn. j,
became so poor that five or six bushels
Of orr per acre was The result. Ii was
considered worthless. An Eastern far
mer purchased i~t-2lougheG il six inches
deep and sub-soiled il about six inches
deeper-puti il in clover-next year turn.
ed it under with a good Goa. If top dres-
sing. planted III q corn, and gathered from
ite;ghty bushels per acre. Another in
stance, a farmer had upon his farm a
swamp, or a hillside tina, was nate SO
swampy by springs tina, within my recol-
lee ion j, could g; be creased by a horse
without his besrg swampeddown. The
trees were cleared from II some years
ago. and the surface dried up so tina, a
sod Of grass grew over il. The owner
finally duehed i. with ooen bitches upon
each side and ends, with one or two
blind bitches through the middle. He
KEPT II 10 grass a number Of years, and
il became so dry, that he concIu'ied to
plough i, and plant it in corn. He did
so. and al the Wayne County Fair. he
received the premium for 1877 bushels
from one acre. 8
For some years previous 10 1850.
there was not, to my knowledge one sin
gle thorough bred animal in our county.
We got up a county Fair-commenced
talking about the Improvements in agri-
culture, aud particularly in regard to cat,
tie, sheep and hogs. Now there is in
county a, least one hundred head Of tho
rough bred cattle, which are worth at
least $4,000. The number of high
graded cattle or full bloods, has been
largely increased, and their value over
The same number Of commo stock,
iabou. ten TO one. s
might de,ain you with the recital q
many other incidents Of benefits which
have resulted under M own observation,
but doubtless similar circumstances have
t%ranspired within your knowledge.
Before ! conclude this part Of my adj
dress, permit me to say a few words 10
The young men of this au iience and oil
Iowa. Although lam not much your
senior n years, | have seer much of life
and the %avocanons which men pursue.
TO those of you who are about deter
mining upon your course in life-,he
business , OF are so pursue. | beg os you
TO consider well before you leave the
farm for city lia-,he heallhfM employ
men, Of agriculture for The duties Of an
office or the counting room. | know
.ha, parents have much influence, aud
justly, TOO. in the selections of their sons
a~voca,ions, and i. is too frequently the
case tina, an over-iond paren, thinks he
discovers superior in,ellec, in a son. and
a, once, in a false ambition to make him
figure in the world, determines That he
shall be lawyer, or doctor, or merchant.
If he truly possesses superior talents,
where can they be made more available
than on a farm. There every faculty
tina. belongs TO intelligence may be cxer.
cised. There il the widest field for
science. for energy, enterprise and sue.
cess. and IN no position in life will these
qualities bring more honor. fame or dis
ilnciion-more usefulness to vour fellow
men. or happiness TO yourself. and those
who may cluster around your hearth
stone. Then. yosng men. avoid The
temptations and hacn,s Of vice in city
life. stay in the country where every
thing in its purity shall remind you. dali
Iy and hourly, of the holiness O: nature
Remember, God made the country
and N an the town."
But my friends, | desire for q few min
utes to call your attention TO the more
practical operations OF The profession and
occupation of he farmer. In this State
you are blessed with a mos, fertile soil
You have a genial climate. and every
influence favors a rich reward to the la
bora Of the husbandman. But no soil,
however fertile, will long continue thus,
unless some equivalent is returned, for
that which is taken from it. If it is,
year after year. requlted 10 aivs I'D lis
powers 81 vegeiai,c,in, and no return
made % il The syil must eventually be.
~ - ~. 49, la -