The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-10-31

A Woman ON Agriculture.
And why not? Is it any disgrace to know
how to raise corn corn, wheat, and even
beans and potatoes? We think not. Some
times women are left widows with small chill
dren AMI farm on their hands. In that
case how essential is the knowledge of agri-
culture. And suppose woman has not such
necessities pressing upon her, will knowl-
edge of farming lower her in the estimation
OF all sensible people? The opinions of 9TH
ers she need not care for. Now we give il as
our deliberate opinion that agricultural infor-
nation is an accomplishment of which any
woman may be proud, whatever her condition
in life. In England, and on the conti-
nent, women moving in the highest circles of
society, feel just pride in being able to con-
verse intelligently and scientifically upon the
subject of agriculture iH all its various
branches. Such knowledge adds much to
their accomplishments and renders their soci-
ETY. more pleasant and agreeable to men of
senre and intelligence.
The women Of the Old World-especialy
in England-are far ahead of American wo-
meu in their knowledge of this noble and pri-
take them in due time. Fashion has great
deal to do with this subject as we'll as with
all others. The time is coming when the sci
ence of cultivating the earth will be fashion,
able and the American women will study it
as an accomplishment. And why shouldn't
nt,1 frirl I
learn how to manipulate Mother Earth to
make her yield the most sustenance to all
that live upon her bounties? Surely such
employment is honorable as well as useful
The crops that from the soil form the foun-
dations upon which all earthly things are
built. Successful agriculture requires brains
as well as muscles.
We have been led to the above general re
marks by reading a communication from a
woman to the New England Farmer. She
writes from Maine and is surprised that veg
citation comes forward Sc early "away down
East"
She thinks one may imagine that the South
has veered round to the North, There has
been some swinging around the circle'' in
TIE political world, and why may not such a
demonstration occur in the material world |?
1t is true that the Southern States have suf-
fered less from heat the past season than the
North. The time has been when elepha ats
lived in Siberia and stalked along the banks
OF the Lena. And who knows but that time
may come again?
In July she saw one field of corn in Paris
covered with quite large ears, which is some
thing of en- achievement way down east.v
If she had looked little later in the season
she might have seen thousands of fields coy-
cred with quite large ears; for the farmers of
Maine have grown good crop this season.
We like this woman correspondent. She
looks beyond limpid brooks, placid lakes,
flowing rivers, beautiful flowers and grand
old hills and sees something substantial as
we'll as ornamental, We endorse what she
lays about farmers occupying too much land,
she says: "The one great fault and hindrance
to successful farming in this part of Maine, in
my estimation, is too much land. Many of
the farmers are considered "well off, yet
ohOh PiOoPSAIoy SlNOo buCu nO ICoplIc lIOHl
really slavish toll" 1t is true THAT farmers
at least many OF them--cultivate more acres
than they can manure properly. And when
labor is scarce and commands high wages
planting large breadths and having but little
manure is very bad policy and improbable
practice. 1t is much cheaper to raise fifty
bushels OF corn on one acre than the same
amount on two. And then, when this acre
is laid down to grass, it produces as much
hay as two acres. This is a very plain case
and needs no argument, and yet farmers will
continue to cultivate twice as much land as
they can manure properly and thereby sub
ject themselves to mach hard labor from
which they derive no profit.
We have preached this doctrine in previous
articles, and we thank this correspondent oil
the New England Farmer for her timely ad-
vice on the subject, and all the more because
she is woman. We have great respect fol
women who think it is no disgrace to them
to write upon the subject of Agriculture
We hope the number will increase. 1t will
be 1ecollected by the classical reader that the
olCChS, Hldliy SCHtuiiCo ds,O, idu luSCllutu Ou
the Pantheon, This Temple is dedicated to
ceres, Ine U0udeSs OF CORN, Or agriculture.
And the japanese have similar inscription
ON a marble slab in front OF Temple in
Hiangho, a city containing more than half a
million of inhabitants. The inscription upon
this slab is in the following language: "Ths
Temple is dedicated to the Dety-that is, to
the Sun-who protects Agriculture" The
japanese worship the sun and we think this
japanese deity has good deal to do with
Agriculture, much more than the tabled God
dess OF the Greeks.
The truth is, agriculture has been honored
by civilized nations far back in the past, and
in our. country it more and more every
year engages the attention of learned men.
A knowledge of this branch of human indus
try is really growing popular and fashionable
50 that women need not be afraid to acquant
themselves with the interesting science.
AGRICoLA.