The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-10-06

0 - I'M" ''o ~ < e''iJ INi'iss' 80
that extensive institute the National
Garden. AS early as l76l there were
thirteen agricultural societies in France,
having nineteen auxiliaries. ae
Agriculture is an indispensable auxil-
iary to national prosperity, and the only
sure and effective highway to wealth. II
promotes health Of body and activity Of
mind--encourage virtuous and temper
ate habits--it is incentive 10 purity Of
moral character These virtues are the
strong pillars Of good government and
constituted the undoubted support of our
National independence. consequently our
National Government protects with yigi-
liant eyes and encourages with untiring ex-
ertion the great agricultural interests of
our country. Is it not then an honora-
Bile occupation? We stated further that
| it is one of the most ancient of arts. In
the earliest periods recorded in profane
history, we infer the raising and manu-
featuring of fabrics, which leads us to con-
clude that it is not of recent invention.
As early as the Time of Joseph the Egyp-
tians were considerably noted for raising
aud weaving flax into linen cloth. Solo
mon imported from Egypt large quanti-
ties of fiaxen yarn, which was woven by
bis subjects into cloth, and fine linen was
among the ornaments of the temple. But
we can trace agricultural pursuits back to
even an earlier date. The first mention
of Agriculture is to be found in the wri-
tings of Moses. There we learn that
Cain was a tiller of the grodnd, and that
Abel sacrificed the firstlings of his flock,
and still later, that Noah began to be an
husbandman, and planted vineyard.
The earliest efforts of man to emerge from
state of barbarism, was directed to the
tillage of the soil, and the first seeds
pletllcu WAS QUO VI ZIG ioG dCto VI Clflll-
cation. Egypt, the cradle Of civilization,
so far perfected her tillage that twas said
the banks of the Nile was adorned by a
succession Of luxuriant plantations. The
hills and plains of Palestine were rich in
their beautiful gardens. The Queen of
the East heard of the fame of Solomon.
Her ships brought him the gold of Ophir.
The kings of the earth were his tributar-
les, when he made orchards, delighted
to dwell in gardens, and planted his vine
yards" 4
The Persian Empire had extended
from the Indies to the Archipelago, when
the Paradise of Sardis excited the aston
ishment of a Spartan general and Cyrus
mustered the Grecian auxiliaries in the
spacious garden Of Selane. The Greeks
had repulsed the invasions of Darius and
Xerxes, and i thens had reached the
heighth of her glory, when Cimon esta-
blished the Academus, and presented it
to his fellow citizens as public garden.
Rome had subjugated the world, and
emulated Athens, in literature, science
and the arts, when the palaces of the
emperor's were environed by magnificent
gardens" h
The pleasure which gardening offered
men even in the earliest times may be
gathered from the scriptural account Of
the garden of Eden, and the garden of
Gethsemane is memorable in sacred his
tory. In view of the pleasure and profit
derived from thorough and well directed
effort, 10 gardening, who will not endea-
vor in the future to excel in this depart
ment of agricultul e? The history of the
world establishes the truth that progress
is stamped not only upon the arts and
sciences, but likewise in every branch Of
| business. s is
What gigantic leap from the slow
process Of transporting news by the post
boy on horseback, to that of the telegraph
transmitting thoughts across the CONT
nent as soon as they are conceived. But
the cable across the Atlantic is the giant
wonder of modern science, one that as
tonishes the whole civilized world as q
stupendous achievement-an achievement
unparalleled in the worlds history, trans
hitting thoughts almost instantaneous
/ from one continent to another: So, like
wise, have great improvements been made
! in the science Of Agriculture. There was
time when the farmer covered his grain
with rake, rcaped it with n sickle,
threshed it with fail, separated tho
chaff by throwing it against the wind
and finally made his flour by pounding i
in mortar. BY the aid Of modern labor
saving machines, you are enabled to per
form with case, pleasure and profit, :
| greater amount of labor, evincing that tn
improvements in agricultural implement
are not inferior to those appertaining t
any other branch Of business. Agrlcul
ture is not only an honorable occupation
but it is likewise q profitable one. IN