Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-02-09
4 Shady View of Farming.

"Seg' uoes not tehu TO ueYel0pe the menta
faculties, or to increase that power whic
chiefly distinguishes man from the lower orde
Of animals. presume none will dispute M
in this, but shall 60 a step farther, and sal
that, in my opinion, it not only binders men.
tai growth, but it tends to bind up and de-
crease the higher mental powers. In THU
probably all will not agree with me, but
challenge proof to the contrary | suppos,
that ia man fair mental endow.aents wer,
put at the age Of twenty years. at work in
coal mine, and Obliged to labor continually a
digging coal stopping only as it was neces
sary for his physical convenience not havin.
an opportunity to read one word, or speak I,
human being, or in any way to exercise hi
mental faculties except as connected with hi
continual digging, at the age Of forty he would
not only have not gained in mental power
bat would have lost good share of the ideas
that he had at twenty, as well as the abilit,
for getting new ones The disusc Of hi
faculties Of mind would destroy them entirely
also suppose that if this same man, at III,
age Of twenty. were put in conditions the
most favorable to mental growth and only OK.
cised his muscles as was necessary to keen
his body in a healthy condition, there would
be absolutely no end to the expansion of hi,
intel!ect--no bound to the powers Of his mind
while existence lasted II this be the case,
then in just the proportion that we combine
mental and manual exercise in our pursuits
in that proportion do we obtain mental growth.
or lack it. This certainly looks rather un.
favorable to the calling Of the farmer. 1t
has been uufayorable, it is uniavorable but
lciH not be so in " the good time coming
This has been and is the only real objection
sensible man can fad to earning his bread
in the sweat of his brow. This is one of the
chief obstacles which turns so many young
men from the farm and the workshop to the
law office, the merchants counter and the
medical college. Not mainly because they
dislike the work itself, but they dislike the
conditions the work imposes. 1t is useless
to talk to them of the dignity of labor" of
the honor and independence of the science
OF agriculture when they know that in order
to get respectable living, to say nothing of
amassiug wealth, man must work early aud
late, year in and year out and if he be
young man without means, endowed with the
laudable desire to own the soil he tlls, his
leisure hours must be very few, and taken
then by leaving something undone which
should be done. For the thrifty farmer who
has an eye to. the improvement of his farm,
as well as an ear TO the chint of money neper
finds the time that something does not need
doing
1t is useless to talk to them of the profit
of agriculture, when they know that to sue.
coed in it man must wear coarse and patched
clothes every day, while he wears his 5est
coat so seldom that it is always out of style
while his " thin boots )" are sure to be square.
toed, If the fashion is round, and pointed when
they should be broad His team must be
such as he will not be proud of when he is
shiftless enough to join his professional friends
in a ride to ..thc Springs" No silver e,rls
are seen on his table, no rich CARPET velvet
chairs and costly sofa in his parlor, no beaut.
full pictures on the walls, but few hooks unon
his shelves. His wife's bonnet. ike his boots
is in the fashion once in about seven wears
The young man who would carve IN, b;s
fortune by tiling the soil has little ,ime 20
spare for the cultivation of his intellect In
summer he must work early and late IN do
everything in its proper season. and when HE
days work is done he is ready to elav his
weary limbs to rest" He is nm before the
sun and has plenty of small Jobs. besides tho
chores to do before breakfast II 10 ussless
TO try to iind time in the summer to do other
than necessary farm work. which Is nlwovs
driving. Most kinds of farm work need close
attention to details. One gets little chance for
specializing in the profound. If he cots IN.
minatiug on Bellies Letters. he cuts nm the hin
of corn aud leaves the weeds standing or he
forgets to turn around at the end Of the fur.
row. He puts the pig corn in the wrora
basket, or he miks one COW twice and one not
at all. His mind must be all the time upop
bis work, and as a consequence it soon yet. TO
running in the same channel, and seldom gets
much above the general level. He improves
day life Thus he tolls on. and if he he one