The Richmond palladium., 1862-12-19
Aarieultural department.


l
ITO everything there is a season and a
time for every purpose under the heavens" ="
Granting this sacred truth. Farmers Iusti
tutes have . season. The fitting season is
when the harvests are gathered. when the
farmer closes the page of the year, rests in
the rich enjoyment Of his labors aud expert
ence. and through frost and binding snow
looks hopefully forward to the garnerirgs OF
another cycle. The present is the dawn Of
such a time and season. Its proper improve
ment is Of great importance to agriculture.
The subject, though not entirely q new one,
at such q time rs this needs re defining and
fresh presentation of its claims.
A liberal institute is some precept Of law
established-a settled maxim or principle.
A farmers institute is the establishment of
some precept. maxim or principle of agri-
culture. Any one familiar with history
knows that past agricultural principles are
in . chaotic state. The practitioners of this
art. to a large extent. have been men. whose
manual dexterity, from the cradle to the
grave, has been cultivated at the expense Of
their minds. They may have had close
contact with nature, and rare familiarity with
its laws, but there has been little recorded
observation. or close comparisons. or search
ing deduction. The agricultural wisdom of
the past has been q groping backward
aud downward, rather than forward and up
ward; recovery Of something lost. rather
than discovery; digging among old fos-
sis. rather than penetrating originalities.
A change has long been demanded by the
more intelligent and progressive farmers
They have felt the need Of counsel and in.
strucsion. and hence have sought agricultu.
raj books. This field being narrowly cir.
bod <kar Id o.eLo -
system, which by its comparisons, in it's day.
tagged 10 interest, the horse, muscular and
gaunt, for speed, was brought in to amuse
the crowd. Amusement not being the chief
end of man. the mere horse race can only
be popular with selfish lovers of pleasure
The farmers club lastly held the day. and
is only another effort of the rural mind
insits search after truth. Wherever these
institutions have degenerated into expensive
dinner parties. t cir decay and decline is
written. Wherever intelligent farmers have
sought chiefly intellectual good, they have
abundantIy prospered That luxury is the
bane Of intellectual AS we'll as corporeal per.
fection, these clubs testify. Like Jesh1rsn,
more than one has "waxed fat and Kicked
Self-denial and labor are the only stepping
stones to real progress.
There is yet another hopeful movement
for the farmer already alluded to. We
mean the institute. Farmers institutes are
practically schools of instruction.. where
leading minds collect to lead more common
minds in search of Agricultural truth
They might probably. for the present. take
the teachers institute of this State as their
model. The Secretary Of Agriculture might
inaugurate these meetings, as the Secretary
of Education does those. They should be
held at least annually, in every county of
the common wealth, should continue several
days. il the interest was sufficient. and
should be occupied with lectures, discus
sions. essays, illustrations and familiar con-
versations. Who can rightly estimate the
value Of such meetings, when once the far
ming mind is aroused to their importance?
Intelligent leading men would be found
there, valuable experience would be express
ed, the press would herald all contributions
for the common good, and each reading ru-
raj institution would work with the leaven
Of scientific truth. Far be it from us to
disparage either the cattle show or the far.
mers' club. Both are important in their
spheres, and both have their mission of use
iulness. While We would engIaft the farm
ers' institute upon the former, we would
raise the light of the latter in every village
and hamlet in the land. The farmers
club would only be lesser light of the
same great system. IL would be good
time to have q farmers institute at the ap.
proaching annual meeting of the Hampden
Agricultural Society.--Spyin2feld Repub-
AcdS.