Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1867-07-17
IMPROVEMENT IN FARMING

Timothy Iitcomb, in his Rural Life, saws -
1.-The improvements made in farming and farming
implements have not been made by farmers them
selves, but by outsiders-mechanics and men of
science-who have marveled at the brainless stu
pidity which toiled in its old track Of unreason-
ing routine, and looked with suspicion and dis
couragement upon innovations The reason why
the farmer has not been foremost in improving the
instruments aud methods of his own business is
that his mind has been untitled for Improvement
by the excessive labors of his body. man whose
whole vital energy is directed TO the support Of
muscle, has, OF course, TO direct to the sup
port OF thought. A man whose strength is habit
ually exhausted by labor, becomes at length in
capable Of mental exerton; and / cannot help
feeling that half the farmers in the country estab-
hshed insuperabe obstacles to their own improve
ment by their excessive toll. They are nothing
more than the living machines Of n calling which
so far ehausts their vitality that they have neither
disposition or power 10 improve either themselves
or their calling. There is no doubt
about the TACT that life whose whole energies are
expended IN hard bodily labor is such life as God
never intended man should live. | am perfectly
aware that ! am not revealing pleasant truths
We are much in the habit of clarifying rural life
and praising the intelligence and virtue of rural
populations; and if they believe us they cannot
receive this with pleasure. But the question which
most interests them is not whether these statements
are true. is the philosophy sOundP Does a Sc
press mental development and tend 10 make life
hard and homely and unattractve? is this the
kind Of life generally which the American farmer
IeadsY Is not the American farmer generally
man who has sacrificed free and full mental de-
yelopment and all his finer sensibilites and alice
tons, and generous and genial family and social
life, and the dignites and tasteful prophecies of
well-appointed home, TO the support of his muscles
There instances at better life than this among
farmers, and | should not have written this. II
those instances had not proved that this eyerlast-
ing devotion TO labor is unnecessary. There are
farmers who prosper in their calling and do not
become stOlid-wbose homes are the abodes of re-
hnement, whose watchword is improvement and
whose aim is TO elevate their calling. II there is
man on earth whom honestly honor it is a far
mer who has broken away from his slavery 20 la
Dor, and applied bis mind to his soil. Mind must
be the emancpator OF the farmer Science intel
hgence, machnery-these must liberate the bond
man OF the soil from his long slavery. When |
look back and see what has been done for farming
within my brief memory, am full of hope for the
future. The pillow, under the hand Of science, has
become new instrument. The horse now hoes
the corn, mows the grass, rakes the hay, reaps,
threshes and winuows the wheat; and every wear
adds new machinery TO the farmers stock, 70 SUI
persede the clumsy implements which once bound
him 10 his hard and never ending toih When a
farmer begins to machinery and 10 study the
processes Of other men, and to apply his mind to
farming 80 far as he can make il take the place of
muscle, then he eliminates his calling with new
light, and lifts himself into the dignity Of a
man."