Nebraska advertiser., 1860-10-26
RGRIGULTHRBI..
Erorn fbs 1merlcan = So. s. IonSno ~
Education OF the Farmer.


btfaT FrOm fhe American ss6sz Journal. =
Las- Education OF the Farmer.
Ii Doctors, lawyers, editors, ministers,
book-keepers and clerks are edueated Cor
their particular calling; and nechan
hserve a term of years TO qualify them
selves for the work before them tora hfe
time. But it is a too prevalent notion,
and a most erroneous one 100, that all men
are by natnre farmers, aud have only 10
fuse the common sense that God has given
them 10 make tolerable progress as cuIiI-
vators Of the soil and stock breeders If
thereris any calling in life where a most
Thorough education is required. II IS that
Of the farmer. BIZ education We do not
Emeanthata man should 90 thro0gig college
and learn 10 read Latin and Greek to nj
him for a successful farmer, Lul we do
mean thai he. should have such a kuowl-
ledge of chemistry aud other Sciences, as
will enable him to see on examination
what his soil needs 10 produce certain
lcreps in their grealess perfection, and suf
fcient practice aud experience 10 know
the best method of cultivalng bis grounds.
Without al education adapred TO othe pro-
Efession, no Intelligent man az this dayex-
poets the full measure of success in the va.
bFious branches of agricultur7; aud such
education can be obtained only by patienl
study, thought and careful observation.
The term farmer, as IN common use
EembrBses the tIIler Of soil, and uthe stock
breeder, raiser and feeder No one of
these branches totswhich the farmer may
give his especial, attention, can be prose-
tcuted with sure Success without thorough
knowledge of it. resulting from study and
Epractical experience combined. When the
country was new and our lands were in
their virgin state, planting aRd ordinary
cultivation, With The smiles of kind Prov
Eidence, insured tolerable crops, without 1
returning an equivalent to the soil each
year. Bun such is not the case on oHrold
and worn lands. If the culiiyalOr would /
| reap an a6undant and remUnerauve har- I
vest each year, he must return to the soil
| IN Fertilizers an equivalent for that he has [
htaken from il, or his lands will IN tinie |
beCome worthless. II is a modern discov- I
ery, that different plants require different
kinds of food for their growth, and that
fthese are TO be sought in the soil in which
fhey are planted, aud the air by which
tthey are surrounded Andaithat if the
proper elements are not contained in lAe
soil in which il is planted it is worse than
idle to attempt TO force it 10 grow there.
These discoveries-all important to the
lfarmer-are but some of the results of ed.
ucation and SCIENCE ou
- The breeding and management of farm
stock requires an equal or even greater
amount of science, knowledge, education,
or whatever other term may be given it.
No man has. been eminentIy successful as
| a breeder or Faiser of stock without he has
in some way been educated his business.
Bakewell, a century and a half ago con-
ceived the idea Of improving the English
breeds Of sheep, and, after much study
and thought, succeeded IN doing the world
a great benefit and making his name al
most immortal, CoIling, at later period
| by education, achieved a revolution in
stock culture which has added untold mil
hons,to thelwealth Of England and the
world. fu r1oaE 5F js
,Rarey's power over the horse results |
from his thorough knowledge of the ma
t1re Of the animal, and the disposition Of
the particular one in hand for the time
Hbeing The old adage that knowledge
is power,p is as true when applied TO this
as any other subject. such is the comPe
tition in almost every branch of business,
land especially IN stock breeding and rais-
! ing, that he wh0 would succeed must, so
ito speak, be thoroughly "posted," educa-
! t4d to bis. business. Formerly, when there
was a scarcity Of books and papers devoted
tc this subject, there might have been an
excuse for the ignorance Of farmers and
! stockmen, but since some of the most
blearned men in the country are now GeTo-
btiBg themselves TO the dissemination, Of
knowledge upon the different branchgs
that most interest the farmer, and books |
and papers are abundant, there is no good |
reason why they should not make their
business a study, and when iti5 50. it be-
comes a pleasure rather than a burden.
and is almost sure to result In thrift and |
happiness.
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