The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-09-09
4xx,s md 5s,lseksi2.


fOetS anu MUSICIANS nave Wtitycu
and sung of their ideas Of perfection
in the production Of eweet sounds
and Q harmony will Be found to exist
between nations music, the instru-
ment by which 1t is produced and the
character and natural surroundings
of the people. So the harp and the
violin, the guitar and flute, the bag
pipe and the horn--have each its
place in a peoples life, and arc keys
to their character and condition.
So we have the spade and the pillow
as the accredited implements Of hus-
bandry, par c.reelleace-and ancient
poets sang of the time when "Adam
delved," as the ipitiatory period of
the culture of the soil. We have Of
ten felt inclined to take exception to
this idea, and to-day, with the Their
mometer in the shade, in o DRAFT, at a
hundred-fcel positively opposed to
the idea that Adam was 90 simple as
to start the spade when he left Para
disc first, because there was no ne
cessity for it till long after-nature
was young, pure, rich in productive
element and It took years Of bad cul.
tnrc or neglect to produce the trouble
some weeds. Second, when he found
he had to stir the soil lie had but to
"tickle 1t with 3 stick to make It
laugh out golden grain" And third,
no man with the thermometer in the
niucties would touch, let alone, In
vent, a spade when hoe would do
the work so much more simply.
The ancient forms of the plow are
bui pointed, forked stick, drawn by
an OK and guided by the husbandman.
The ancient plow is but the applica-
ton of extra power to the familiar
form of the hoe-not the spade. The
turning principle was evidently an
after thought; first in the spade and
then in the turning pillow. 1t will be
well, however, to leave this truly val
liable theme for some learned disser-
tation. It may produce B. A. or
L. L. ID. diploma to . "coming geni-
us" when his handling the hoe itself
would prove a failure.
All play aside, we have long felt
that there is no one implement of hus-
bandry ofgrcater importance, less un-
derst0od, or more universally under
valued than the hoe. We have long
known Of blowing matches and pre-
miums offered fer the best spading-
but we never hear a word in behalf of
the hoe. We would suggest that an
appropriate premium for an essay on
the hoe be offered by some of the en-
terprising agricultural societies. This
is a want of the time and move in q
good direction.
The hoe is capable of performing q
greater divcsity of work under great
err diversity of conditions than any
other implement of husbandry. We
can, with it invert the soil or simply
stir it ; can work it up in clods or leave
it fine as ashes hill, level or produce
burrows: can strike deep or only
shave the surface and expose the cut
up weeds to the crisping influence of
the sun. II is essential alike in the
cornfield, orchard, yinyard or flower
garden; and can be used with ease,
convenience and profitable results by
the robust man, the delicate woman
or The fragile child. At this season
its use is invaluable. What, in this
dry, burning weather, will maintain
lite in flower or plant like the hoe +?
Where the pillow, or spade, or cultiva-
tor, would be certain death, the hoe
gives life and vigor and beauty.
How few know how to use hoe !
We doubt if we have seen three men,
in life spent mostly in horticulture
and agriculture, that thoroughly UNI
derstOod the hoe or were masters in
its use. How few know what hoe
really is! When we sec and think of
the clumsy, heavy, blunt weapons
that used to be generally in use, our
wonder becomes less in regard to the
differentiation of this implement.
But now, just to see some Of those
light, handsome, bright, polished, ar
tistic tools, and we do not envy the
man or woman whose hands do not
Jingle to ply them in the garden or
vineyard.
Then there are so many forms and
notifications, for particular purposes
that all can be suited.
The great strife of mechanical in
ventors has been to produce machines
that could do the work of the hoe, but
so far with little success. Let US see
the hoe put in its true position by cul-
tivators, and its use honOred as it de-
serves to be.