Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-02-10
Do Farmers study Enough.

The subject of agriculture is one that
demands full rs much attention at the
hands of the reading public as it gets.
Indeed no theme presents itself that is
fraught with more real import, SO far as
regards our prosperity, than. the wants of
1.-THE agricultural world. What we mean
by attention, is studious. careful search
for the bet way of accomplishing certain
DIES red results, not superficial investi-
CATION oil some theory, merely for the
purpose of creating differences or pro-
voking discussion. The day has happily
passed when being farmer was synony
nous with being blockhead. 1t re-
quires something more than mere physi-
cal strength to keep up with the advance
of the age, in farming as well as in
science. Many of the systems of fiftv
years ago are no more applicable to the
demands of to day than would be an OK
team to run opposition freight line across
dhe Plains. The farmer who reads much,
and reads that much with care, is the one
who staLds in advance in intelligence, in
fluence, and prosperity.
Science can and the farmer in rai,ing
wheat or corn just as much as it can aid
the miller in grinding it; and the science
10 be applied in agriculture is nothing
more than a study of the composition of
soils and the properties that are; drawn
from them by certain grains. All this
cannot be done in n dav, any more than
n physician makes himself thorough and
successful BY staring at a drug store.
Study IN both instances, sustained by
judgment and experience, produces the
| desired result. 81 J1 ~ to-
The man to-day who conducts bis farm
upon the same principle as did his grand
father, is doing himself an injury. First
because the old system does not apply;
and second, land that is worth from $50
to 500 per acre, needs to be used with
more care, needs to be titled better, than
land that is worth but SIC, or $40; upon
The same principle The more capital in
vested the greater should be the income.
On some of the choicest land in our state,
men are found who 1plough. year 4after
/ year, the same " lots" their fathers
poughed before them, and are continu-
ally grumbli; 6 because their crops are
small. They accuse their seed, r,he
weather., eyerything,-oyerooking the
great fact that certain necessary chemical
properties have been literally sucked out
of The soil. ..
This desired study does not depend
upon reading alone; men often study
each other. Let agricultural societies be
formed whose avowed object is the dis
-semination of practical information. AT
this society let there be full discussion
/ of each others wants Let them call ia
the assistance of scientific men, throwing
away the old notion, hat there is no
community between the college bred man
and the farmer. Science can assist in
raising the grain upon the fertile inter
walls of the Chayhplain Valley, as wells
the brawny ploughmnn who turns up the
soil. -
7 1t is too often the case that such ap-
peals TO the farming community, are re
gardedeme the light of - bunconlbe."
This ought not TO be. The farmer should
i'cure -liuself of the. idea that reading
and study are Incompatible with his call
, ing, and he should never again be heard
to say that "John is going to college and
jim has got learning enough, because
he's going to be O farmer" Instead Of
/ all this let him labor to give dignity to
his calling. Do not impress on the mind
of poor Jim" that his education should
stopswhen heis~able to write bis name |.
MakeShim- understand that the irvestiga.
ton of important m tiers relating to his
calling is something that he can do for
himself Make him understand that if he
walks in the dark it is his own fault
Free Press. s.E s',odo '-pa a.s t-setal a-H