Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-04-06


Aye, Aye;
And may Heaven It's blessings shed
Down upon the farmers head,
TIN We cease our cry for bread
Aye, Aye.
~ MIRA MYR7ls.
Have our readers ever given the above
heading a thought; that agriculture is the
foundation Of all; cease the cultivation Of the
ground and you cut the thread Of your exist
ence; or in other words, without the farmer
you could not live. The cultivation of the
soil is the basis Of all national prosperity
People may reason and theorize about the
comparative usefulness of different pursuits
and occupations. We will not quarrel with
any man because he insists that trader or
broker is as useful a man as the farmer, but
we wiU quarrel with any man, in gentle
manly way, who viii not admit that the
farmers life does possess as much true dig
nifty and utility as any other. We will, for
civility's sake admit equality, but can &C
knowledge no superiority. 2
As we stated above, agriculture is the
foundation Of our prosperity. A child may
see that if the earth is not cultivated, the
whole population in single year, or at most
in two years, when the cattle are consumed,
must starve, while society could exist to an
indefinite extent were the labors Of any other
interest to cease at once.
Observe the course Of trade, and inquire Of
the merchants, even Of our own valley, and
we shall find that upon the products Of the
soil does all the prosperity of trade depend.
If the wheat crop fails, the B oston and New
York merchants at once feel the effect of the
failure, for the western merchants cannot
meet their liabilities nor incur others.
When all things are prosperous, the farmer
is almost forgotten. He labors hard and
brings the product Of his labor to full mark.
ct. He is met by sharp spectators with the
cry, that the market is glutted, that his sup.
plies are not wanted, and is compelled be-
cause he cannot enter into combinations to
meet the banded monopolizers to sell at a
price which gives him but scanty pay for his
industry. He feels that all the world is pros
porous except himself; and the trading pub
lie, forgetful or careless that the farmer
maintains and even produces all this pros
perity by his quiet pursuits, look down upon
him perhaps with contempt.
But by-and-by the scene changes; the
crops are short; business is deranged; the
country traders are discouraged-the whole
country languishes, and there is general cry
of " Hard times" The world stupid as it
often is in times of general peace and pros
perity, noso appreciate the farmers useful
life. The fact is there is no employment on
earth more noble and elevating, giving health
to the body, vigor to the mind and purity to
the morals, than that Of the husbandman.-
Agriculture has ever been, as it ever must be,
ranked among the most important occupa-
tons of mankind The cause is one of deep
and abiding interest to the prosperity Of our
valley. Stop the onward march of agricul-
turc, and you stop the very foundation of all
other industry and enterprise Look but for
a moment at our beautiful and Hourishing
town, which has been justly styled the
" Queen Of the Valley;" see the rapid strides
she has made, and is still making, towards
view with pride and admiration,
as you doubtless viii do, the various avenues
leading her on to wealth; cast your eye for .
on the valley before you, then let
your inauguration lead you up the rich and
lovely regions between the Cedars, thence to
the finely cultivated and extremely fertile
country north, east and west Of you; to what
are we to attribute our unrivalcd prosperity
and happiness as people, but to this noble
cause-Agriculturs. Then foster it, cherish
it support it and encourage it, and you may
say how can this be done3 One way it can
be done, and that is aid our Agricultural
Society.