Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-03-24
Good Letter from n Country Parson.
.Rlyrn FAILS. Marchl5. 1870.

a A'' -RivEIt Falls. March Is, 1870.
MEssRs. EDIToRs IL owe The JOURNAL a
debt. 1t has been sent to me by your be-
neyolence, for near two years. am taught
to '' owe no man any thing, but to love one
another" So have purposed TO try to make
some returns. by submitting an article or two.
We are all interested in home paper and in
home interests
The spring is here. and 1 Thought would
give your readers a thought or two upon
farming a strange theme, you may think for
Paison. But it was my good fortune. see
ing my lot has fallen among farmers. TO have
served a rather thorough apprenticeship upon
the farm from twelve years old to before turn
ing my attention to the ministry. SO have
had something of anexperience with its hard
work.
II is not all poetry /; though we have some
very pretty poetry about The singing of birds,
and the lowing oil The kline. and the fragrance
of the new mown hay. But let one go into
the hay field about two weeks and it will
take some of the fragrance out of it. Yet j
like the farm / have lost nothing of ms in
terest in matters of farming it is my passion
yet. (if sense of duty ever should permit
me TO ratify it,) to have a farm. The great
draw back to a rural life is, that We can not,
TO such degree, secure the moral, social and
educational advantages that denser popula-
iion, and greater concentration of wealth
secures TO large towns and cities. Money is
made more slowly, though more surely than
in tie world Of sradc. 1t is harder to build
up the institutions of good society, such as
chuiches, schools. and other means of moral
ard intellectual improvement. and hence the
necessity of making the nsost of our resour-
ces. We need capital for all these things.
and that must come from our labor. Hence
our warrant, and as good warrant as we n, :
for seeking to make the most of our labor
How can farmers do this is the question.
First. he must pay due respect to mother
earth. To her we are dependent for aim. 81
everything. And God has commissioned her
to yield a just compensation for every in
telligent expenditure of labor under proper
conditions. Toll, fertilization, wise culture.
are the conditions upon which the earth shall
unlock to us her stores. ALI that she receives
at our hands, she viii return with Increase
Some one has said we need but tickle the
ca nth with hoe. and she laughs with har.
vest" That however is true, only when she
meets with the first settler, and is SO glad to
see him. But if he attempt 10 impose upon
her, ask every thing and give nothing, she
soon gets over her good nature. But treat
her justly and she is as faithful mother a.
ever nourished children. Change, rest and
fertilization, wisely bestowed. are the condi-
tons Of continued fertility. Enrich hei, and
she will enrich you empty those farm-ya yards
and stock. yards upon your fields. and your
fields will smile to fill. in return, your barns.
Perhaps the most profitable policy our
farmers could adopt now. while produce is
low. would be to see to it that they 60 diver.
sify their crops as 10 get their lands in, good
heart against the coming rise. that they may
take advantage of it when it comes. 1t will
come. 1t has been observed that it usually
requires from seven to nine years, after an in
fation in values. for . reaction To take effect
and another wave of speculation to come over
the country. Sowe may not hope for ex-
IRENE high prices for year or two to come.
Let our firmers have an eye 10 this. and bv
diligently improving the present, they may
be about ready bv the time prices come ur.