Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-07-17
Agriculture a Profess: on.

young mar Of my class. My custom
is, toward the close ofthe course of my
students in college, to ascertain in a
familiar way the Profession for which
each expects to prepare himself
With rare exceptions j. we're unnec-
essary to make such inquiry, for as
a general RUE young men hang out
certain signs revealing their purpose
and which may be read as dis +inctly
as the signs showing whether 8
young chick is to be a rooster OIL
the other sort. | have found thai
o half or more students who pcrse
we're through college mean to quality
for the law, a four for the ecalpe.
and the remainder for the pulpit.
trade, engineering and other pqr
ENTHUSIASTICALLY one for the me
chanio arts, and once | had a stu
dent who said be was qualifying tc
escape professional victimage ; he
meant to be able to escape physic
law, theology end other sharp prac-
tees by which a mans life, fortune
and morals are taken away by com
minution Or strategy, and, said he,
Il will thereby save what Inherited
trom good and wise p2rents-a
sound constitution, large property
and good conscience
"But tho young man last describ-
cd is not the remarkable case first
alluded to /; the other had fixed
on a profession and what one do
you think, in all the scope Of caIlings
requiring a college preparation? 1t
was Agriculture; Or, as he said, to
till the ground from which | was Ia
ken and be an honor to Gods first
command after the fall I~hei4f0ra,
the Lord cod sent hin forfh from the
garden Of Eden, to til the Nound from
i9E6nt6 h. lgaS taken, Gen. III, %.
"I"My-young student who aspircd
to the Profession of Il farmer, has
since graduated and gone to live on
his farm in Grant County, Wis.
The lest conversation | had with
him Was upon tbs subject of mental
adaptation, in wf,ch he discovered to
me, as he had previously, g mind ca
pablo Of .th% highest chituro in all
Tho sciences. Possessing ih-t elabo-
ratenes5 which causes one to feel to
himself" ahd'BceY TO others as first
rate among men, | INQUIRED whether
ho meant to confne his leisure spells
to the study of farm books, NO.
said he, | shall devote a couple of
years to my rural library, and by
e of what learned at college
shall soon be able to take up a clOd
of'rrGirie soil, analyze it, and tell
It's Fco6mEcsitlon end the parts OF
Sand, clay, Fine, iron, phosphorus,
vegetable mould, &c, and then tell
what is wanting to make it perfect
for wheat, corn or potatoes. If any
essential part may have been eX-
hausted by the culture Of wheat,
that IAN be supplied by culture in
clover, then clover shall be the crop
if corn, then corn, &c. In stock the
hrt of bleeding finn degradation to-
ward perfection Is simple but must
be learned from books. Horticul-
ture, Though Science in itself and
pot necessarily a part Of farm
work, has its rules which arc toe
dearly acquired from experience
and must therefore be learned from
books. Local adaptation of grains
fruits, roots, vegetables and flowers
CanhOt be1earneQ from books, as the
farmers make no records Of their cX.
perience and observations. In the
dopartment Of local adaptation
wherein is TO be learned and taught
to othors how far the soil of my sec
ton of country is adapted for treat
meht according to the book record:
Of New England and the middle
States, and what the departures O
tres.tment must be. | shall soon know
and Then tGilp6se' a book for the
public. There is much scope in thi;
single department, for one to distin
guish himself, far more than in the
exhausted departments of law, medi
JofAG'&Hd other e the professions
And thcteis vast large for doing the
public a rich service and adding t
The public wealth and happiness al
other professions but agriculture ap
pear exhausted, or over ridden
Th6reis money in the law also, il
medicine Eh& il the pulpit there i:
favor, nattcry, dytpepsia and prema
ture decline. And for the farm.
there is health, long life generally
obscurity, but by giving to agricul
ture what the law,'nedcihe anc
pulpit lave so long held as Z mo
nop6lv. through college learning, 7
am sure the latter will afford all and
more to distinguish the man thar
any of the former, besides, Il better
and longer life lease, and grandel
sphere as q citizen, philanthroplst
and good example for mankind.
We'll, my two years of reading in
farm literature through with, and
good pLysical training behind the
blow. shall devote a time to the
arts and mechanics, rural architcc-
r &c, with souneof the practical
~ forn,ar p,tlet Ia . tOlprablp