Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-11-02

change in her laws, and hence concludes
that there should be no change in his nan
ner of dealing with her. If she accepted
his service last year. and made fair return.
she will not despise the same tribute for the
year to come. Then the extent of his de
pendencc upon natural laws and forces
III ks him distrustful of man's work He
can move his soil and SOW his seed; then
he must loyk for rains from heaven. and
fruitful seasons" to fll his heart with food
and gladncss. All this is beyond his con-
troll; and the result is the same whether
he frets himself and his neighbors in his
anxiety, or possesses his soul in patience.
Nature, too, moves slowly--is never in
haste except in storm, and storms he does
not re k,n among the useful movements
The unrooing of his barn. or the prostra-
ton of his fruit trees. is, to his apprehen-
sion, the only result of such spasmodic ac-
ton. Slow and steady is her useful work.
and "slow and steady" becomes hi: motto.
The farmers life is an established circuit;
it does not seem Ike progression in strLisht
line. He must repeat this year the move
ments Of last year. Harvest follows the
seeding. in the same invariable order He
compares the family record and the alma
nae, and finds that he grows older. but the
saae round of duty occupies him, from
youth to age. This path becomes familiar
to him. and outside operations distasteeul.
The position of the farmer places him
out of the range of the excitements which
traycrscs the land. He looks upon them
at safe distance, or reads of them in his
weekly paper. If he is of an excitable na-
ture, his blood may tinsle with sympathy
for an hour. but nights sleep restores him
to his usual tone The excitement passes,
and in most cases leaves no valuable result
He congratulates himself upon his discre-
ton in avoiding it. and settles down with
renewed confidence in his habits and reposc. /
Then, again, it is by contact Of man, that
human activity is aroused. The farmer is
naturally excluded from su:h contact He
is brought into no strife or competition with
his fellows His wits are not sharpcned
by daily scramble in the mlrkct for bread. |
He depends upon the force within him for
his impulse; and this works quietly and
uniformly.
Thus the farmers conservative-and 50
he should be. Society needs balance
wheel. and here we have it An excess of
radicalism would turn the world upside
down; but the superabundant force may
exhaust itself upon this vast regulator. and
scarcely accelerate or retarl the movement.
Here is our safety in social and political
COMMISSIONS.
But this conservatism sometimes amounts
to faqy.sm. and keeps the farmer behind
the times. H. makes him slower than is ex-
pedient. in the adoption OF the improved
processes, and better views It Is an indu-
,nce against which he must eohteuI. unless
lis constitution saves him from the o.lnger.
It is fast, which cannot be questioned, !
hat almost all the efforts in Agricultural !
have been commenced by men
n other pursuits, and have been prosecuted
ften without the sympathy or cooperation a
f farmers Agricultural Fairs. for the s
own, the county. and the State. have been 7
initiated by professional and mercantile q
len, and mechanics; and the farmer was q
t first inclined to stand by. and look on
t was something for him to come to the u
how, with his vile and children. leaving
is stock and his farm products at home
tut at last lie has buckled on the harness, il
uA 10 NNL1Ah5 " W eilS hOAA- A1TIeUllu- II
Il papers have been started. and are, to 4 p
reat extent. patrcnized by others than RI
ractical farmers. This difficulty is pas b
ng away, but it has required much pa
ence to Oyercomeit. Agricultural schools,
nd farmers colleges. will be built by pro- b
ssional and commercial men, and for many i
ears filled-if filled at all-by city boys.
generation hence. those for whom they il
,e mainly designed will begin to appreciate m
.em.
Farmers are cautious and distrustful of
w things. They propose to leave the risk 81
experiments to others. But it is better gl
fail now and then, than to make no pro- ..
ess from fear of imposition Those de- ";
rye well of mankind who have the cour-
C to step out of the beaten track, and ad-
nture something. in the hope ST discovery. ha
leir neighbors, who sneer at the adven- Ii
re, will share in the spoils-O. Farmer. In
A LETTER from tie Rev Mr. SDuroeon