Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-10-17

WORK IL No. III itsch
good only in its results, and good Tor no.
hing except as something useful Is
thereby accomplished. In saying this,
we are fully aware that We are opposed
by the venerable adage about that per-
sonage who, according to the couplet,
is said TO be ever finding
-" Some mischief still
Ford hands TO do
and which was all doubtless very true
when it was written; but that was
long time ago, when If man was not .
working, he could have nothing else TO !
DO but to get into mischief But with
all the means for mental improvement
which now exist, the saying no longer
holds good and II any ne,"ith i.ufai,
or some other newspaper or book, can
not now keep 5ut Of mischief without IN
cessant work; why-weii the evil one
will and ought to get him, any how 5.
We are therefore, not III the least al
,rrned lest the rapid improvement IN
farm implements, and the almost nniser-
sa substitute Of horse or steam power
for uman labor, shonli leave our iaTn, r.
unduly exposed to the temptation to la1-
mess, from superabnndance OF leisure.
OF this there Is little enough danger, as
most of our readers, can testify. Indeed,
farmers, as a class, have aiwsys been tne
hardest workers in the world. Most
farm operations are, OF necessity, ex-
trcnoly laborious, aud where, as III THIS
country, land Is plenty and cheap, me
temptation is aways strong to buy and
cultivate more than the number OF la
borers can really perform. In the great
hurry of sowing ard harvesting, thousands
of constitutions are annually ruined SIM
ply by over work and while this is ex
tremely unwi.e, t has really been almost
necessitated by the disproportlon OF
work to the number OF laboreTs. II,
therefore, any machinery can be nitro
duced by which these tolls can be hight
ed, every farmer should avail hlmeelt OF
them as fully as possible, not only as
matter OF policy, but from considerations
OF humanity. 1t is only within few
years that the greatest improvements IN
farm machinery have been made, and
their extended introduction Is the best
evidence of their necessity.
| Bnt It is not alone in making farm
work easier than these new implements,
fthe reaper, and binder, and mower are
OF gtcat practical value to the country.
They enlarge the bounds Of Of civilization
by opening to cultivation large tracts OF
and in the extreme west, which must
otherw Use, for many years, remain an IN
productive waste. 1t Is, OF course, ltn
possible to tell how much more grain !:
raised than farmers would have attempt
ed 10 produce without the improved ma
chlnery for harvesting 1t. Even Is West
ern New York we know the gain iron
this source is considerable, while IN the
West, where farms Of thousands OF acre
are found, it must be immense. Now
when the reported scarcity Gin EuroP
gives us a prospect OF remuEeratV'
prices for all sorts OF grain,the Increases
production, too this year alone, from tn
use Of reapIng machines, may very pos
siby be sufficient to pay the entire cost
1t is a curious fact and worthy OF nc
tice, how improved implements in on
department OF farm industry make room
for. and even necessltate them In Others
Years ago, before the introduction {
the reaper, there was little If any nece;
sitv ior the use OF any other power tina
horse or OK in blowing. Farmers coul
easily pillow as much or more land tina
they could cut over with the reapln
hook, the scylhe, or even the cradl
But now, with improved means Tor hal
yesting, the necessity of using steal
power is beginning to be felt, and il
vcntive genius is already turned IN ths
direction, and will, We doubt not, PR
duce just the implements needed
soon as the necessity becomes urgent
for there is always most remarkab
and providential timing all Of these II
yentlons, which makes it Almost lmpo
sible that they should be produced b
fore they are needed.
The effect will probably be to plat
the farming land of the country IN fey
or hands, rot only because these III
chimes enable an individual to accoi
plish so much more than before, but .
so because they can be most avant
% geously operated on large farms. v
-. think the census, now being taken, if
= does not show AN obsolate decrease
" the number of landholders, (which
in scarcely possible, on account OF the va
~ tracts OF new territory which have be-
m opened,l will yet show that the numb
~ of farmers has not Increased in propC
h. ton to the growth Of the country. +
al cry yer more of our population will I'll
nv their homes in cities or villages, and Il
tr proportion will probably increase
is some time. This tendency to desc
at forming over which some mourn, as t
:; effect Of laziness or other wrong ide:
r.. IS really a necessity,-tor, if the sal
so proportion of our population as for
cd years ago, were farmers, the market
r., grain wonld speedily he overstock'
az Supply and demand will, and must, re
or uate these matters, and we doubt y
M will DO il wisely.
M The UNyoRruSArE Mis-. SIcKI
er- AGAIN A MornER.-A New York let
aft to the Buffalo C5mmercinl SAYS:
or The lady who was the leading actrt
"d in the Key tragedy, it may be added
re-, an item OF news, is again mother.
me Ever since her return from Washingt
Ter and her reconciliation with her husba
she has been living in secusion. i