The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-05-12
From the l'ohry Fhrnen
READING AND UNREADINa FARmRps

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not appreciate tho advantages Of intellec,u.
al culture in Its relation TO their pro.
fession; who do not acem to realize how
much mind has to do with farming. Thcv
count muscle, bone, sinew, as tho grand out.
tit TOR a farmer. If he is largo enough, and
strong enough, he will do for tho farm,
whether hc has brains or not.
Now, from all such views we boo lcavc to
dissent. Much as we value bone and mus.
Gle, we prize brain more. Much rs strength
is needed in the farmer, m,nd is needed
more. Valuable ae are the bodily forces.
tho mental forces are still moro so. The
body is but tho tool, the mind is the hand
that works it. Mind is rs all-impor,ant
with the farmer rs with tho statesman, tl,o
poet, or divine. Indeed, nowhere is mind
more omnipotent than in tho domain of ag-
riculturc. Give the farmer mind enourl,.
and he will make tho "deserL blossom Ms
the rosc," and the very rocks yield him
l'arvests. The barren country becomes
fruitful under the tiIlago Of intelligent far
mers, while tho richest soil wastes its oncr-
g'es under the hand Of ignorance, howcvc.
strong it may he. Mind is tile farmers
might. AS everywhere else, so on the farm,
mind is the moving force. Farming is
successful and profitable just in proportion
to the amount Of mental force cxpendsd
upon it. ''Ihc mind is tho measure Of the
man." and farmers must he measured bv
this standard. Put that down as fact
fact number one.
Fart number two is this: Mind is eni.
cient i'll proportion to its culture. Tn every
ae'd Of mental labor, success depends large
" on culture. The best musician is ho
w!:o cultivates most his power. The best
artist is he who gives tho best culture to
his 'faculty divine" The best ma aNgator is
he who studies most, and with llio best
Judgment, the science Of the sea. Tho
bost engineer is the man who most thor.
oughIy prepares his mind with tho requisite
readiness and skill for scaling mountains
and bridging valleys. The best profess
ional man is he who gives the largest cu,-
ture to the mind lie employs in his profes-
sicr. Just so it is with the farmer. The
better his mind is cultivated in tile direc.
ton of his calling, the moro successful will
he be: The more ho knows the
more he does. TO use machinery, to an.
ply science, to evolve pr ncples in his put.
suits, requires cultivated mind. Tho doit
and ignoramus cannot do it. At glance,
anybody can see that mind works success
fully just in proportion to its degroo Of
| culture.
Now we have third fact for tho reader.
1t is this: Reading is one of the be,t
means Of mental enlightenment and cul.
tvation. Tho reader is tho man of knovl-
edge and culture. Tho artist studies the
books OF the Masters. The poet reads tho
written words of fro aglow on tho pages Of
the great oIos gone before him. The phil.
o'opher reads the productions of all pro.
found thinkers. The professional man reads
the books of profession. To be great, ons
must road. Reading develops the strength
as well as the quality Of tho mind. Every
man must road in the direction Of his prac-
tice The farmer does not want 70 read
works on philosophy, poetry or music, sd
much rs on farming. Farming is his busi.
ness; his profession. In 1t lie must live.
and rise and shines. If he shines at all
lie should have and read farmers library:
Books and papers on farming should be
his study. lie should study it and prac-
ticc it us science. So will ho cultivate
his mind; so will he give wondrou, pow
er to his hand so will his fields wlitei
with an abundant harvest his flocls null
up!y and improve; his home beaulfv his
wife smile; his children grow up to gladden.
his heart and improve the world, anu hoh:
ors gather thick and fist ON bis intellircni
brow.
Great Layyeys-Tha Lou,Jon No,re i1uS