Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-04-09
The Bearing of Farming Upon Health

| airy aspect OF a profession or calling. That
business is chosen which promises the lar
gcSt and quickest rct,rns. Z" Let the gol
den stream be quick aud violent is the
| prayer of the multitude, prayer often an.
'swcred but at the expense OF health and
life. The folly of such choice is appa-
rent enough all who are not personally
Interested in it, and the miserable victims
themselves bttcr)y lament it, when too late
to retrieve their steps.
Massachusetts pays good deal of atten-
ton to vital statistics, aud, in the Eleventh
/ Report of the registrations Of mortality,
made by the Secretary of State, the results
OF the bills for eighty years, ending with
lS3l, are made out. 1t is assumed that
every man business affects. to some degree
his health and chunccs of life, and that the
average age of themembers of any profess
ION or calling is the proper measure Of its
healthtulncSs. Whether we admit this or
not, it is, probably, the best measure We
bave' From these statistics, covering
period ct eighty years, it appears that agri-
cuIturalists live to the average age of o.
% years; while blacksmiths live only to
the average age of 81. ~, and s!locmakcrs
to that of 1872, which stands lowest in the
scale of mechanical cmploymcnts Taking
| the whole Of these employments, and the
average geto Which they attain is only
46 years This gives to the farmer an ad
vantage of II years over the average of
mechanical cmploymcnts and pursuits car
ricd on in close rooms.
These results we think, give farming a
greater advantage over other pursuits than
is commonly supposed. Young men es-
/ tpecially, who arc decided upon their bust
ness for life, do not consider that in turn
ing away from the farm, they are virtually
deciding to throwaway seventeen years FROM
the most enjoyable and useful part of life
hale old age
Yet the longevity of life upon the farm
is what any competent Psychologist would
predict, knowing the circumstances Of far
mcrs and those who follow other pursuits. !
Farmers, take them as a class, have bet
ter stock of Health to begin with than those
who follow scdcptary life. That son is
selected to fll his fathers's place, and oc-
cupy the homestead, who is pllysical!yablc
to endure the toll of the field IF there is
a weak one in the hocll, he is quite likely,
kept at school steadily in boyhood, and in
the Grccnncss of his youth sent to college
to become teacher, or to enter one of the
learned professions.
If there be u lame one, or otherwise de-
formed, he becomes tailor or shoemaker,
where the organs of locomotion are less
essential. The Scripture proverb, 'to him
that hath shall be given" is fulfilled in
farm life. The stout aud able,bodicd son
is selected for that, pursuit which is best
calculated to discipline the physical pow
crs and keep .hcm in their normal condi-
ton. Good health aud long life are, in
some measure, dependent upon constitu-
tional vigor. In this respect, farmers are
u picked class of men, aud it is not strange
that selection for this calling, based upon
| this principle for succession of genera
tions should result in frmcr health, and
longer life, than We find IN. other callings
When the life that they lead is calcula.
ted to make the NEST of this advantage,
all the orgaus of the body arc frequent
and varied exercise, 80 that every part is
symmctrically Developed. This exercise
is mainly taken in the open air, so that he
has the full benefit of plenty of,oxygcn for
his lungs, and sunlight for his skin, upon
Which animal health is quite as dependent
of vegetable. Their food is more simple
md nutritious, and generally taken into the
system i'll a freshcr condition, and their
sleep is more scasonnhle aud Eefreshing;
early hours being everywhere prevalent in
the rural Districts. So far as the mind
affects health, they still have the advan-
t;lgc over the merchants and mechanics, -
They have their funds invested in What is
deomed the scc.West farm. The soil and
their products are of very uniform price,
sothat they have little anxiety, about e-
thcr-capital or interest With, industry,
and the ordinary blessing of Providence,
they expect to achieve a competence, aud.
educate their children for positions Of use.
| tulness' They know little of the business
excitcmcnts and heart burning rivalrics,
the frivolous amusemehts and 'corrupting
| pleasures of the city. Favorable as these
statistics are to the agriculturist, we heye
no doubt Chat those of the ten years fol Il
lowing the close of 1851, will show that
this average term of the farmers life has
been longthened several years. The tenn
porance reform and Improvement in ,tIt1l
style ofliying, and in the tone Of public
morals, must have had an important bear
ing upon the longevity of the husband,non;
These facts ought to have weight withal
the jpultitudcs who arc now. debatiug the
question of quitting the farm, for other
pursuits. These re@ncarTy all ov6rcrowd-
ed. The fIym has always had too few la !
boreIs. . 1t is this that mikes all farm pro-
ducts 50 high. Itisa romunerative cnll-
ing, With the moral ccrtaintyof seventeen
b,,ln or1 lo.,,t - ,,o,y., II n - 49, 49,, 4