Nebraska advertiser., 1868-12-31
APractseal Farmer.

Generally speaking, this means a
working farmer-One who can take
hold of any tool or implement used in
agriculture, and 60 ahead with L
through the day and through the Job
--One who can carry on the operations
on a farm with the raw hands at com
mand, and If needful, conduct the
whole with q beyy Of greenhorns.
There is so much stress laid on this.
and on the danger Of any one not inti-
mate with the details of agriculture
entering upon it, that many are deter
red from embarking in any farming
undertaking, when perhaps the party
thus discouraged is really very much
better adapted for first class agTicul-
turist than ninety-nine out Of hun
dred Of those who have been bred to
it, for those raised on a farm are some
times so blinded BY the prejudsees and
antiquated customs handed down from
one generation to another, that they
do not have the good sense to see
through inherited and inbred folly
and some lack courage TO reform, foI
in any attempt to abolish old customs
and introduce new ones, there Is ab0c.
as much opposition as there always L
by the old tories Of England against
every useful and enlightened altera-
tion of the laws.
There is no class Of men so slow 70
advance as the regular hOme-bred far
mer. It was always so; for If 8
brighter son than usual is in the fam
lily, he becomes disguised with the
toiling, dIudging habits of the farm
and takes to something else. 1t is
likely to be so in the future, till farm
ers' brains can save their muscles
some, for why should the practical
farmer and oil laborers under him be
called upon to work more hours than
any other class of men in the world
Why cannot the minds Of agricultur-
lists devise ways. and means to do all
that q man ought 70 do in twelve
hours, or even in ten, excepting in
harvest? =? Tradesmen, whose labor is
Of a lighter kind, do not continue on
at their work so many hours. The
horses and oxen could do all they do
now in less time and be much-better
for it, but then the custom has been
and is now to be about all these hours,
and, though common sense and every
mans own feelings tell him that men
and cattle could do all that they do or
ever can do in ten hours steadfast,
straightforward labor, yet longer days,
ane half the time idling, Is preferred.
There is not the least doubt Of there
being hundreds Of men who know
nothing about agriculture, and have
never had any opportunities Of farm
ing or any correct idea of farming,
who would yet make excellent men OF
business as agriculturists, would
eventually become better managers
than the practical farmer who derives
his origin from the land, and rise far
superior to any Of the regular, COM
mon, practical farmers, for when once
they master the common routine OF
operations, and have knowledge oi
the mode of proceeding through 8
whole season, they are more open 70
conviction on any point where Inn
proved systems are introduced. and
are free from the educational prejudice
of the hOme-bred farmer. --ro
A thorough man Of business, whose
early associations had not warped his
Judgment, on hearing that his neigh
boris stock was looking much better
than his, would not rest till he knew
the reason; and, on finding that al
kinds Of animals were turning out
much better than ordinary in q local
ity some hundreds of miles distant
would visit that part of the country
and aecertain how the farmers man.
aged there, and, if he found they haC
caused this improvement by obtain
ing good males from reliable sources
and by generously treating the of,
spring with uniform, suceulent
health-prOducing food, comfortable
shelter from heat, cold and storms
he would Immediately adopt the same
means, and probably, by having seer
the details Of management on severa
places, noted the different degrees o.
excellence in the animals on different
farms, and found out cause and effect
his adoption OF the best Of these pro
eeedures would enable him to 90 on a
once in q more rapid advancement
than any one Of these men had done
We extract the above from a very
excellent communication in q lat
number Of the Country Gentleman.