New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-10-09
THE REFNEMLYrs or AGRIcuLTuRr


This is tbs season % Cal,c-Sbows, or to speak o!
them with more respectful pToprie'y of Agricultural
Fairs They serve TO remind ~ OF the advance Of the
fame. in the honest. not the poe;ical estimation Of
~ world and ci the enhanced dignity and cniightcE
meat Of 4 calling always honorable For thousands
of years the world took il for granted that tho Tas'f
u, he Ear behind the wtaae population IN ali quail
tics Of Intelligence and refinement, and These yeFy
slec.ircs imply difference in god manners alto
gether in favor oc The jewellers in towns. Farmers,
outside Of ccogues c!oihorpcrs," villains.
"chaw 5acuns ard the millinery b. 'izzcnment of the
pastoral poets made counry-iok at best but artificial
objects OF sound critical contempt. IL was thought
wonderful thing that Diocleian should prefer the
culture of cabbages TO the power and the pleasures OF
the palacc-so wonderful tat the world has talked
about, IL ever since There has been 10 end Of adni
r,tion a, the spectacle e Cncinnatgs taken from tis
nlov 20 be made Dictator; but we turn farmers INFO
senator, and senators into farmers every year, con-
vert large landed propretors into mojoTsereras, and
iinG the growers Of ,urnips aad potatoes acceptable
contributors 70 the monthly magazine.
Taere was, it caano. be- doubted, tendency in The
old farming life t. stolity, 70 loarseues5 Of tie
earth earthly, TO the mechanical m"dioc-iiy Of du..
routine, and 10 a contempt for ilc polished pursuits
Of literature and at UniorUna;ely this coarse sell
sufiiccncy also extended to contempt io- scientific
discoveries 10 foolish dstrust Of real Improvements,
10 ANYTHING out o. the sal aud tue-honored course
Of blowing clumsily reaping painfully, exhaustns
body and soul aud SOIL all three together, by bgoied
adherence to the ways of the foreathers The farmer
was thrifty, hardworkng peasant, with his chief
pleasures almentary; and his boys and girls t is not
TO be wondered att ran away to the cities TO become
brokers and the wives Of brokers' merchants MILL
ners-anythng but the weary drudges of the field and
the dairy.
A modern Agricultural Fair proves how all this has
been changed. The material Improvement is marvel
Gus as shown in tho increased production, in delicate
fruit in gigantic vegetables, in golden butter, and in
stock advanced almost to perfection. This is to be
referred to that simple principle of competition with
out which the world would cease to move, or would
only retrogade The prizes bestowed are something's
but they are too small to be regarded in the light OF
recommendations they like the cross of the soldier or
the simple certificate Of merit which the school-boy
proudly carries home. The moral advantage is that
the farmer sees what has been achieved aud is fired
with an honorable ambition 20 equal to excel.
What Jones has done in the way OF pigs Smith ac-
complished in the way Of pumpkins, Brown feels
that he can do-and does il. But above all, in the
solemnty, il we may say so, of the OCCASION in the
ability of the addresses and their subject matter, in
the judicial estimate of the merits Of the exhibitors,
in the general pomp and circumstance Of the whole
festive affair." the farmer feels that the Importance of
his profession is admitted that its dignity is respected
and that it is recognized the calling of all Others
with which the world is utterly unable 10 dispense
without apsng into harbarism or experiencing vast
amount of social suffering. He in contact with
all his fellow farmers Of the county; be gives them the
ripe result of his experience, and he carries of their
own in turn. In tie sharp collision of many minds,
all working in one direction, there is always birth of
new ideas and regeneration of old onCs. The Agri-
cultural Fairs arc TIE Far ners in Council and the
Farmers are the Consorpt Fathers OF the Republic.
Another great gain arises from the circumstances Of
the time We have just emerged from long and
wasteful war. This did not, it is true, Immediately
interrupt our peaceful pursuits; spared the
modification and distress Of neghborng ravage and
rad but the work of the agricultural population
was, to certain extent, interrupted, and for time
its quiet monotony may have seemed ingorious.
However we may regard it, must como back to il,
and pursue it more steadily than The task now
before US is literally to farm ourselves out Of debt.