Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1867-10-23

r themselves TO his senses as palpably as tn
! machines do, he doubts perhaps the exis
5 tence of such principles, and almost al
ways doubts their efficiency, their Teliabil
t ity, and often sneeringly terms then
: Book farming" or Theoretical farm
5 ing" and flatters himself that he has Civ
en- the matter a quietUs by an Gd captain
: dam" argument when in reality he hai
: only confessed his own utter ignorance.
The practical farmer sees here on exhi
bitOn improved breeds of domestic ami
mails; they fill his admiTing eye, and he
, points with great pride to their well deveL
Oped and symmetric forms, as a great tri'
umph of the art of agriculture. It does
. not occur to him that this perfection Ot
form and symmetric beauty has been at
tanned by rigid and persistent application
of scientific principles. He perhaps pur.
chases pair of these improved animals
and taking no more, or no greater care OF
them and their progeny than of very or
dinary animals, in the course of several
! generations is surprised to find that they
have detenOrated in many respects, and he
then perhaps becomes disguSted and pro-
nOunces them a cheat and a hUmbUg. The
truth is, simply, that he has omitted the
application of those scientific or physiOIOg-
lcal laws and principles, which, originally,
secured the improvement. In order to
demonstrate that the position assumed is
correct, it is only necessary to refer to the
fact that the domestic animals which 25
/ years ago triumphantly bore away the first
premium, would at present scarcely re-
ceive any consideration at the hands of
our in intelligent awarding committees. Just
as much as the domestic animals of Ohio
are superior at present, as compared with
those of 25 years ago, just precisely so
much progress has been made in the recog-
milton and practical application of physi-
/ illogical, or scientific laws and principles
whether acknowledged by these names or
! terms, or not. And this recognition and
/ practical application is due to the labOrs of
/ the County and State Agricultural SOcie-
! ties rather than to any other cause what
ever.
However many things these Societies
may have done which they should not
| have done, and however many things
they have not done which they should
/ have done, they have nevertheless accom-
! plished one very important object: they
| have awakened an interest in agricultural
and mechanical pursuits, and developed
many sources of productive industry
| They have enlisted the sympathy of think
! ing minds, and secured the attention Of
/ benefactOrs of the human race; and more
! than all have made labor and industry re-
spectacle and honorable. If you require
proof of this statement I refer YOU to one
phase in our social life which fully demon
strates it, viz: 25 years go there was very
little more than one half the population
there is at present in the State, and vet at
every term of Common Pleas Court ten
times the idiers and spectators were in at
tendance that there is at present; people
have learned that it does not "pay" to
drop the ordinary farm labOTs and work
shop to attend the court; in fact those only
90 there now who have business there, and
instead of making the court room their
pleasurable resort, they now so there IN
der cOmpulsiOn. Twenty-Five years ago it
was considered post of honor to be OF.
the Jury" at present our best citizens
avoid the position as if it were fraught
with pestilence, and that class of people
who chang around the Court House, and
are professional jurymen, have lost the
cast Of their former social status.
Now that an interest in agricultural af-
fairs has been awakened, it becomes US Sc
riOusly to consider how this interest may
be directed so as to produce the most bene-
fetal and practical results. These agricuI- I
tural societies may very properly be regar- \
ded as agricultural primary schools, the di- /
rectOrs or managers occupying the posi-
ton Of teacher and the public constituting
the school or scholars. If the teacher is |
competent and efficient, then the school
will flourish; if, on the contrary, he is in
competent and Indifferent, everything will |
be taTdy and irregular The directors
should be gentlemen, not only in their
manners and address, but persons in whose |
ability and integrity the pubicshOuld have
entire confidence, because there is a heavy
moral responsibility resting upon them
If for the sake of a few dollars they will |
prostitute the purposes of the society, and |
convert the annual exhibition of industri- |
al products into a circus, or place of prof |
itless amusement, they may vitiate the |
taste of the entire community by q persist |
ent course Of this kind of conduct, may re- |
tard the progress which otherwise would |
certainly have been made, and bring agri- |
culture and its progress into local disre- |
pute. The Judgment of the board of direc- |
tors should have as much weight in agri-
cultural matters, in the county in which |
they reside, as the decision Of the Judge on I
the bench has in the county in which he
delivers his opinion on a case tried before /
him. In order that the directors may at
tain to this prospective desirable influence,
many reforms now practical are not only
desirable but essentially necessary. The
history which the county agricultural So
cieties in Ohio present, is very similar to
the history of child:-first period of alb
soute helpless infancy, then a period of
teething. then measles, then Group, then /
then whoOping cough, &C.
In many instances the societies succumbed
to the malades, and passed out of exis-
tence; others, more robust, struggled stout
Iy-lived through the difficulties and are
now on the high way of success, rejoicing. II
The directors however must inaugurate a
new system as the societies are apprOach-1
ing maturity, and must deal more earnestly
with the mission they have undertaken, Is
and do something more than simply con- II
luct an exhibition. K
Almost every society in the State owns
IN fee simple, the grounds on which these
exhibitions are held. So far as agriculture
S concerned, these grounds lie idle from
)ne years end to the other, except the week
If the fair. The society should erect on )
he grounds comfortable dwelling house,
which should be a model for convenience
md comfort, and within the
means of persons of moderate means to
initiate; then they should secure a cOmpe- u
ent and IN eCeTy sense trustworthy tenant
o reside in it. Whenever any agricultur-
Il tool, implement, or machine, is brought g
before the board for cOmmendation, it I
'uOulu ue pleSSllIeu oJ tLle llIIouuCeI ttS a
yift or donation to the society, and the Off {
,ers of the board should place it in the c
hands of the tenant for thorough trial and I
o report upon, either written or orally to |
he board, after n thorough test has been 5
made. The decision Of the board will II
hen he of intrinsic value, not only to the {
but to the agricultural COM {
nunity; because if the tool or implement q
ioes not, upon trial, prove to be as was 8
then Of course the board will /