National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1866-11-02
REFINEMENT OF AGRsCuL.
1a- TIRE.


or to speak of them with more res
pectful prOpriety, of agricultural
fairs. They serve to remind us OF
the advance of the farmer in the
honest, not the pOetical estimation
of the world, and of the enhanced
dignity and enlightenment of a call
ing always honorable. For thous
ands of years the world took it for
granted that the rustic must he far
behind the arbane population III all
qualities of intelligence and refine
ment, and these very adjectivcs i'm
ply difference in good manners al
together in favor OF the jewellers IN
towns. Farmers outside of cello
CUES, Were clod-hoppcrS.' evil
lians," " chaw- hacons;' and the mi
linery bedizzement OF the pastoral
poets made country talk at best but
artificial objects of sound critical
contempt. Il was thought a won-
dertrl thing that Diocletian should
prefer the culture OF cabbageS to the
power and the pleasures of the pal
ace-so wonderful that the world
has talked about it ever since. There
has been no end admiration at the
spectacle Of Cincinnatus taken from
his p!ow to be made Dictator but
we turn farmers into senators and
senators into farmers every year !:
convert large landed proprietors in
to major generals and find the grow
ers Of turnips and potatoes accept
able contributors to the monthly
magazines.
There was, it cannot be doubted,
tendency in the old farming life to
stoliditV. to coarscness of the
earth earthly, to the mechanical med
ocricy OF dull routine. and to con
tempt fer the polished pursuits Of
literature and art. Unfortunately
this coarse selfsuiliciency also cX-
tended to & contempt for scientific
discoveries, to foolish distruSt OF
real improvements. to anything out
of the usual and time honored course
ofploning clumsily, Ieaping painful
ly, exhausting body and soul and
soil. all three together, by bigoted
adherence to the ways of the fore
fathers. The farmer was thrifty.
Woodworking peasant, with his Chief
pleasures allmentaTN and his boys
and girls lit is not wonderful to be
wondered at) ran away to the cities
to become brokers and the wives OF
brokers, merchants milliners-any
thin. but the weary drudges Of the
field and the dairy.
y modern agricultural fair proves
how all this has been changed. The
material improvements is marvellous
as shown in the increased produc
ton, in delicate fruit, in gigantic
vegetables, in golden butter, and il
stock advanced almost to perfection
This il TO be referred 10 that simpl
principle OF competition withou
which the world would cease to mov,
or would only retrogade. The prize
bestowed. are something !; but the
are too small to be regarded in tn
light of remuneration they ar
like the cross of the soldier, or tn
simple certificate of merit which til
school boy proudly carries hom'
The moral advantage is that I'll
farmer secs what has been achieved
and is fired with an honorable an
bitiOl to equal or to excel. W ma
Jones has done in the way of pig
or Smith ACCOMPLISHED in the wa
of pumpkins, Brown feels that II
can do--and does it. But above a
in TIE solemnity, if we may say 81
Of the occasion, i'll the ability OF Il
addresses and thris subject matte
in the judicial estimate Of the eXl
bitors, in the general pomp and ci
cumstances of the whole festi'
affair, the farmer feels that the il
pOrtance of his profession is ADM
ted, that its dignity is respecte
and that it is recognized as the ca
ing Of all others with which Il
world is utterly unable to diSpen
without lapsing into barbarIsm
experiencing a vast amount of $
cial suffering. He coWes in GO
tact with all his fellow farmers
the country he gives them the ri
result OF his eXpcriecc, and he ca
ries off their own in turn. In Il
sharp collision of MANY minds. ;
working in one direction, there is
ways a birth OF new ideas and Il
generation of old ones. The ag
cultural fairs are the farmers
council. and the farmers are I
conscript fathers of the republic.
Another great gain arises fro
the circumstances Of the time. '
have just emerged from long n
wastfui war. This did not il is trl
Immediately interrupt our pcacel
pursuits; Ne were spared the me
tificatiou and distress of neighb,
ing rayagc and raid but the wo
of the agricultural population ";
to a certain extent. interrupted. III
for time its quiet monotony III
have seemed inglorious. Howey
we may regard il, we must COZ
back to it, and pursue it more st,
Oily than ever. The task now
fore us is literally to farm ourscly
out of debt. II anybody doul
this. let him ask himself what
our greenbacls and bank notes Il
other public securities would
worth if all orr arabic lands were
he stricken with sterillity.
These are purely practical cons
erations. Something might be VI
of the advantages OF innocent I,