Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1866-09-07
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From The GeTmantOlea Telegraph.
AGRICULTURAL READING.

III man has but single acre Of land, a
garden or even COW, and can raise a single
dollar, he cannot put tito better use than to
subscribe for an agricultural newspaper.
Next 10 the Bible, such a work ought to be IN
the hands Of every farmer. No man in his
senses ought to reject useful information rel
ative to the culture Of the soil, if offered by
one in the smallest degree competent to the
task: and how much greater his advantage
when the counsel and experience ofpractical
men from all parts Of the country are thrown
together in an agricultural asvspaper, and
laid before him. He there has the wisdom of
a multitude of counsellors, and c'fh listen
to their Interesting deliberations, and PFs''t
by them if he Will
There are, however, thoEs who have an
honest conviction against what they call
hook farming, simply becausethey sappose
It consists Of mere theory, and hence reject all
reading matter OF the subject, as being of
that character, while others rho haye proved
lheir practical utility, y,-because they combine
and Illustrate the experience of practical
men,-showing what has actually been done,
sao " vft Vv1IsEt V''y1ys ~ -1
Among the best and most intelligent far
mers in the land are always iouudth patrons
Of agricultural newspapers. Go where you
will, through the best farming districts Of the
State, where the land is in the highest state
of cultivation, and where the domestic econ.
omy is all regulated in perfect order, and
you viii invariably find agricultural papers
there; but they are seldom met with where
universal neglect and ignorance prevail
Nov, this is not theory; these remarks are
not based upon interest or mere imagination,
but are the results of actual experience aud
observation. There is no subject, whether
religious, political or commercial, that inter
ests the attention of men, which absolutely
admits of a greater improvement or more
boUhdlses variety than the cultivation Of the
soil Vast improvements are in progress
and viii yet be made to an almost infinite ex-
tent. The agrieHlturist' Of tie present day Is
only in the infancy of his batter plans: the
slumbering energies of the farmer are T-E5ng
and agriculture lis unmantling some of the
brightest features Of her hidden glory
Not only do different systems prevail in
different countries, but in different portions
of the same country; in some they are dicts
eed by peculiarly m soil and climate, while
IN others they have arisen out of local habit,
or they spring from improvements which
have not been generally disseminated, and
even in the rudest districts there may be
some things that merit our attention
Now, it must be evident that some Of these
systems mast be preferable to others, and
thar no man can determine which Is best with
out being acquainted with alb ner can a far
mer be said to be completely master Of his
business until he has attained that knowledge
And how can he more readily or better at
tain 1t than when these different systems and
improvements are presented to him in the
pages of an agricultural journal? It's not
sufficient that he already gets what he consid-
ers q fair return for his capital and industry,
if by other modes Of culture he can obtain
more. He may be satisfied with his present
yield of crops, taking his neighbors as stand
ard, but if by any other method he can grow
FIVE bushels more to the acre, tits certainly to
his interest and is his duty to adopt it wheth-
er it il 'book farming or not.