Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-01-31
agricultural.
From the Bucks County Intelligencer.
SOl0n Robinsonss Lecture.

NtNt 10 bfceley HImScli, the VeHe-
rah!e looking individual W reports
rIt" cattle markets and the proceed
,ugs of the Farmers Club, as we'll as
the great variety Of miscellaneous ag.
ricultural items, is regarded Uy the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the Tribune as
tie impersonation OF that great news
PAPER establishment. Mr.. Robinson
is thoroughly identified with the pro-
grcssive movements OF modern agri-
culture, and by his enthusiasm upon
the subject has done as much as any
other man in the country to arouse a
spirit Of inquiry and desire for in
creased kno wledge among those who
I'll, the soil as any other man in the
country. Beside his constant contri-
buttons to the journal with which he
Is connected, he finds time to deliver
lectures upon agri .cltural and ccono-
uical subjects during the winter at
places not too difficult Of access from
New York. Last year he had one,
which was delivered before the Col
umHia County \. y Agricultural
Society, entitled "What is Grass 2"
This essay was subsequently printed
in the Tribune. where it attracted
much attention. His new lecture,
since prepared, is Of a kindred char
actcr, and The next is, What is
Dirt z'
\ loaf of wheat bread was placed
beside him, to be used in the way Of
Illustrating the relation OF dirt to all
organic substances. Bread was an
excellent example o. what is dirt p
We call it flour, but it is nothing but
dirt ground through the great labora,
tory Of nature. Yesterday it was dirt
to-day il is food. Yesterday the
carpets of your housewives were soil
ed by the feet of men from the barn.
yard to-day they bring the same
foul dirt into the house in clean linen
bags, and how lovingly and skillfully
it is handled. The wheaton loaf is
the highest type of human food, and
gives n0urishmentt to the highest forms
Of human intellect. You mingle the
flour in the tray with another form OF
dirt, and when the mass advances to.
wards decay the housewife fixes it by
heat, and thus it is eaten. This is
but one step from the practice of the
North Carolina clay-eaters, who con
sume dirt in lis natural state. Dirt
is the base Of all our sustenance.-
Wonderful are the works by which il
IS transformed there is an eternal
round of change. Waste not the loaf
for it will forever reproduce itself II
is bread to-day, dirt tomorrow, and
bread again next year. Food is Gre
a.ed by saving dirt, it builds up all
un earth From food to dirt, from
dirt 10 food, the conversion is perpet,
ual 1t extends through all the pro.
cesses Of milking, churning, reaping,
threshing, grinding, kneading, and
eating. This loaf will support more
bodies TO make more machines, to
gather more bread to make more men,
to make more dirt. Every atom OF
bread that is permitted to waste is
the loss OF one atom of human body
We all burn, waste or wash away
matter of as much value as our hous
cs and their contents. You think you
waste nothing but dirt you really
waste all the beautiful products OF
dirt. The fetid Odor Of dirt returns in
the fragrance Of the rose and tie mig
nonettc. 1t is Christian duty t.
gather up the fragments Saving i:
equivalent to creating-it enables us
20 he charitable and thus encourages
christianity. If you give food to tht
vicious It is no charity, for they neet
to be taught how necessary it is t.
gather up and save the Fragments
We all need to be taught economy
for il Is the parent Of great riches
Nevertheless, the speaker said he wa
not in favor Of political dirt-eaters, be
rause he spoke Of the near relation 0
food TO dirt The bcef-stcak you at
this morning was grass q few week
ago, and that grass was not long be
fore the very dirt Of which the house
wife complained. Directing attention
10 a glass tumbler, Mr.. Il. said tha
the composition OF glass might b
compared with that OF the loaf, wher
both are reduced to dirt. The resul
viii he the silicate Of potash, which
whcn mixed with the ammonia an
nitrogen which float through the ali
will bear and perfect the seeds c
wheat No conjuror could ever pei
form feat that would equal thi
change from dirt to food. You ca
perform greater mysteries than he
you can convert mere dirt into beet
butter, bread and human bodies -
What lessons the growth of a plan
teaches. The lilies of the field, hoy
gloriously they are arrayed how
wonderful it is that the beautiful flow
cr is made Of nothing but dirt. W
should never deSpise dirt, ,eqcept whe
it is out of place Dirt is then often
sive, and should be removed so tha
ii can be converted to some usefu
purpose. The duty of every one is t
gather up all the dust and fragment
and use them to make two blades c
grass grow where but one grew be
fore. How hard it is for dull farm
er to get understanding of some of tn
most simple facts connected with hi
calling. He possesses the might
power of changing dirt into pur
white bread. He ought to study hoy
he can convert by means of his cruc
hle, the greatest amount of dirt int
bread. Pulverization of soil is indis
Pensable to profitable agriculture. =
IS there any amount Of pulverizatio
which will not pay ? Is there any on
who knows how much manure he ca
profitably put into his soil to increas
the prOduct ? Is there an acra r