The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-01-06

ouired by the latter. 7 GU say THIS rs dis-
couraging view. Isay SO too. But the prop
.er question is not whether it is discouraging,
but whether it is the true view. The ques-
ton NAV occur to some How is it possible
for a farm to be raised mp 2 Does it not al
WAYS cost as much as it is worth z For in
stance, suppose You have land otia certain
onality and wish to raise it up to quality
which will command double the price, will
it not cost you all the additional value
For every dollar which your land rises In
value. will you not have paid out either IN
cash or labor 100 cents2 The answer to
this will be No or Yes, just according to
your competency and skill as a farmer.
Farming here has no pre.eminence over
other occupation. Some mechanics work
hard all their lives and die insolvent Some
merchants labor day and night, handle
much money and come out bankrupts But
few physicians get rich, and as to lawyers. /
believe it is an old saying that they work
hard, live well and die poor. / said that
farming has no pre- eminence over other oc-
equations. In one respect, however, it has.
The elements with which the farmer works,
if honestly dealt by, almost always pay
good interest. Lend dollar to the earth.
She is no niggard. She does not come back
saying, II know thee to be hard master,
take that is thine" No. She gives back
the dollar with usury-sometimes 80, 10 or
even 100 fold. How. free. kind, generous,
nourishing is the earth -.
But in the main the farmer here does not
differ from Others, and while all will admit
that if we raise the condition of our lands,
we must labor as well as wait, there is an
other condition yet to be observed A man
might labor all day to split gnarly log and
the wedge continued to rebound. He may
strike harder and harder-toil and sweat
and the wedge but returns with more and
more force; he gains no Roadway. Here is
no lack of work, but nothing is accomplish
ed. Let him sand the wedge a little, give
it a slight tap at first, gently, then come
down with more strength, now blow after
blow with all his might, and the victory is
his. SO then it is not ac0rk simply, nor hard
work simply, but labor skiyfulty applied.
Here is what we lack, Even our model far
mer has told US that people here who pre-
tend to work about as hard as they do any
where, but the skill does not Keep pace with
the labor. Bacon's maxim that Knowledge
is Power is nowhere better illustrated than
in the business of Farming, and here 1t is
that look for the solution Of the problem
given above. Here it is that these Agri
cultural Clubs are to be a great means
OF good. IA They are to collect and diff.
fuse knowledge They are to establish
principles. No great work is accomplished
by one man. We must combine. Pint
shoulder to shouder-dollar to dollar So
our Railroads were built so our steamships
were built, so our telegraph lines.
In respect of dIffusing knowledge. the
same principles apply, A brand of fire hy
Itself soon goes out, put another with it, it
Is cniivened somewhat-let third or
fourth come to the same focus-and soon
there IS a fire life mofion-st diffusion of
heat and light. 1t is so with intellect. The
dulest mind. the hardest intellect may
serve as the flint against which the fine, pol
lsneti steel in another, may strike giving off
sparks of light. The advantages of com
bIned action. however. are not confined to
the accumulation and diffusion of knowl-
edge. Who should not four or five or six
of Ihe Club join and buy fine
sheep or'cow OF hog for the benefit of the
whole neighborhood2 Such animals would
not only may pay for themselves, but yield
a profit to the Stockholders. Two or more
might combine in getting improved nipple
mcnts. and by neighborly exchanges, much
reduce the expenses.
I mentioned that weeds should be thrown
into the compost heap before they mature.
1t is true that on farm there is always
to do, and that whatever is most
pressing must be done first Yet the query
may be suggested: Is there not too little
pains taken to extirpate weeds2 The avail
able force of the land is much reduced by
allowing them to grow. No man willingly
suffers them to grow in his garden. When
a farm once gets set with weeds, the expenses
'f working eats up the profits. Here, as in
other nuisances, prevention is better that
cure. The truth of the old rhyme,
Zone years seeding,
Is seven years wedding"
will be plain if we look, for moment, at
he great power OF multiplying which few
II our weeds possess. A single plant OF |
Black Mustard bears 5000 seeds. Shepherds
purse, 1850, Dandeliop, 200, Sinking Cha
nomile 10000, Burdock $4,000, Common
lock 13,OOO Red poppy $4,000. The most
veedy places on farms are where most ma
lure is thrown. The seeds do not all decay
n the manure heap. Hence all which are
pproaching maturity should be burned to
shes. --te' t
In conclusion-while it is admitted that
he length of time required to bring up the
arms OF this State to respectable standard
nay be source of encouragement to some,
ct it is not altogether so; and to those
Who have regard to the great object of life, |
may not at all be discouraging. Ifthe OBJ
ect of a man is to make money, let him
dept that pursuit and 60 to that place in
which there is the best prospect of success.
'ut if the object be to i've we'll and to die
'ell- to pass through life nobly and to leave
hopefully, why may not that end be secu-
ed here as well as any other quarter of the
lobe? To sensible man, the fact that he
) riding in fine conveyance, affords little
The point of destination is the
reat matter. Again to quote Goethe:
ut has been sud and over again said.
'here am well is my country. But this
onsolatory saw were better wor,led, where
am useful is my country. And now say
ct each endeavor everywhere to be of use to
imself and Others. This is not precept
r counsel, but the utterance of life ITSELF"
Ex-Gov. Charles S. Morehead. of Ken
lcky, died in Washington county, Missis-
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