New-York tribune., 1870-11-05
KILL.

do too little. know who are not arnefs at all
| only by virtue Of the fact that each of them IN.
herited, or somehow acquired. farm and have since
| lived upon and out of it, in good part upon that
| which it could not help producng-they not dong
30 much as one hundred fair days work each per
annum. One Of this class never takes a periodical
| devoted 10 farming; eyiDces no interest IN county
fairs township clubs, IA they may afford nm
an excuse for greater idlenes and insists that there
is no profit in farming As land steadily depreca'ts
in quality under his management hc ia apt to sell
out whenever the increase Of population progress
of improvement has given additional value to his
| farm, and move off in quest of that undiscovered
country where idleness is compatible with thrift
profits are realized from light crops and men grow
| rich by doing nothing.
| The opposite class of wanderers from the golden
mean is hardly numerous the iders. yet II is
| quite large one. It's leading embodiment, To my
| mind, is one whom knew from childhood, and who
born poor and nowise favored by fortune rated
as q tireless worker from early boyhood. and who
achieved an independence before he was forty years
old in q rural New-Englsnd township. simply by
rugged. persistent labor in youth on the farms of
! other men, in manhood. on one of hs own. This
man was older at forty than his father then seventy
and died at fifty. out with excessive and unin-
termtted labor, leaving widow who greatly pre-
ferred him to all his ample wealth, and only son
who so soon as he can get hold of it. will squander
! the property much faster, and even more unwisely
| than his father acquired it.
| To the class of which this man fair repre-
sentative Farmers Clubs must prove of signal value
Though there should be nothing else than sFarmers
Club in his neghbOrhood, it can hardly fail in time
! to make such o one realize that life need not and
| should not be all drudgery; that there other
things worth living for beside accumulating wealth.
| Let his wife and his neghbOr succeed in drawing
such q one into two or three successive meetings
and he can hardly fail 10 perceive that thrift Is
product of brain as well NJ of muscle; that he may
| grow rich By learning and knowing az well ~ by
delying. and that even though he should not. there
are many things desirable and audabc beside the
accumulation of wealth.
| true Farmers Club should consist Of all the fam
lilies residing in small township, far they
be induced to attend it, though only half their
! members should be present at any meeting. 1t
should limit speeches to ten minutes, excepting only
those addresses or essays which eminently qualified
persons are requested TO specially prepare and read
Ii should have President ready and able to repress
all inatured personalities all irrelevant talk and
especially all stIaying into the forbidden regions of
political or theological disputatOn. AT each Getting
the subject should be chosen for the next, and not
less than four members pledged TO make some obser-
to speaking in public. These having been heard,
the subject should be open TO discussion by all pres
! ent the humblest and youngest being specially en-
couraged to state any facts within their knowledge
which they deemed pertinent and cogent. Let every
person present be thus melted 10 say something cal
culated to shed light the suubect, to say this in
the fewest words possible and with the utmost care
not to annoy offend Others. and 1t is hardly posi-
bic that evening per week devoted to these meet
| inPs should Dot lee spent with equal pleasure and
| profit.
| The chief end 10 be achieved through such meet
ings is development Of the faculty of observation
| and the habit of reflection. Too many Of pass
through life essentially blind and deaf to the
ders and elories manifest TO clearer eyes all around
Ms. The magnificent phenomena Of the seasons even
the awakening Of Nature from death TO life in
| Spring-time, make little impression their senses
| still less on their understandings. There men
| who have passed forty times through forest, and
vet could not name within half Dozen the various
species Of trees which compose IL and with every
thing else to which they accustomed. They need
even moro than know intellectual awakening.
and this they could hardly fail 10 receive from the
discussions OF an intelligent and earnest Farmers
/ Club.
! genuine and lively interest in their vocation is
needed by many farmers, and by most farmers SONS
! Too many of these regard their hOmesteads as a
prison. in which they must remain until some avenue
Of escape into the great world shall open before Them
The farm to such is but the hollow log into which
| bear crawls to wear out the rgOrs Of Winter and
await the advent of Spring. Too many Of our boys
fancy that they know too mnch for farmers, when in
| fact they know far too little. A good Farmers
Club faithfully attended would take this conceit
out Of them imbuing them instead with realizing
| sense OF their ignorance and incompetency, and a
| hearty desire for practical wisdom.
Recording Secretary, able 10 state in tho fewest
words each important suggestion OF fact elected in
! the conrse OF All evenings discussion, would be
hardly less valuable or less hOnored than q capable
President single page would oftep suffice for all
| that deserves such record ont Of evenings dis
cus-iOn and this being transferred 10 o book and pre-
served might be consulted with interest and profit
! throughout many succeeding years. No other duty
should be required of the mernbet who rendered tins
| service, the correspondence Of the Club being de-
| volyed npon another Secretary The habit Of bring
ing gratis, or plants seeds 10 Club meetings, for
gratuitous distribution has been found 10 increase
! the interest and enlarge the attendance Of those
| formerly Indifferent. Almost every good farmer or
gardener will sometimes have choice seeds or crafts
! 10 spare which be does not or cannot expect
10 sell and these being distributed 10 the Club will
not only increase it's popularity. bnt give him right
! to share when another surplus Is IN like manner dis
trbuted II one has choice fruits TO give away the
Club will afford him excellent opportunity. but
would rather not attract persons 10 its meetings by
prospect of having Their sppeitcs thus gratihed at
4 Others expense. a Flower Show once III each year,
and an Exhibition of fruits and other choice products
| at an evening meeting IA September or October,
should suffice for festivals. Le, each member
sider himself pledged 10 bring to the Exhibition the
best material result of his years efforts and the Az