Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-06-30
Farmers, Exalt Your Calling.

WISH there were desire and DISPOSE
ton on the part of all our farmers to ex-
alt their calling. / have often been
grieved to hear them lament over
what they term their hard lot 1t Is not
right, in the Western States, to hear the
owners of noble farms talk about drudg.
cry all work, and few or no opportuni-
ties for the children and we have e.
pecially been sorry to hear families lament
over the hard fate Of some promising
youth of seventeen or eighteen, who was
admirably doing his duty, had trained
himself for extensive usefulness and infiu.
ence. They have made comparisons b.
tween his situation, coarsely clad, working
hard, and coming in fatigued, with some
cousin at college or clerk in . city store,
till at length the boy has become dissatis-
fed, and begged of from pursuing his
true interest and happiness. There can
be no truer scenes of enjoyment than those
witnessed in American farm houses
where parents, under proper influences
and sound views OF life, govern well the
family. And why should It not be sof
The lands are their own; they have
every inducement to improve them; .
healthy occupation, and never ct
loss for materials to probably occupy
their mind. The physician has no more
occasion for research than the farmer.
The proper food Of plants and animals
will alone constitute . wide and lasting
field of investigation. The daily journal
of farmer Ii . source ofmuch interest to
himself and others. Then, the pleasures
of q country life, provided boys and girls
are not taxed with work beyond their
ability. And here let me ny q q general
thing our farms are too large. How many
of US would be benefited by selling one !.
half of our land and Supplying the pro-
ceeds TO the Improvement of the other
half! An acre Of land we'll titled with
plenty of manure, win produce more than
four acres Of poor land, and require les
labor. All the labor on small farm II
accomplished with saving Of time. and
he who saves time saves money also. The
going and returning from work, the haul
Ing Of manure and produce, each and all,
are more quickly done. The owner, too,
can always be In dght on small farm,
and his presence In the field win some
times work wonders.
No greater mistake can be made, and
perhaps no one oftener, q We think, than
that OF buying more land, extending our
domains while our lands are not half equal
to what they are capable Of This mania
of buying land seems to be an inherent
vice of our nature, especially among
Western farmers A farmer owns 100
acres or $40 Not satisfied with this, he
must have 100 more for Charley, and 100
for John, and 20 ON. In the meantime .
great portion of this land only brings
forth weeds, and keeps the whole family
drudging the year round. Would it not
be better TO live for ourselves a. well %
for our children! How many Of us fore
90 and have foregone the comforts of life
to obtain more land and portion 1t out to
our childreni Hence BY restraining our
desires for more and applying what We
might thus spend In lettering what We
have, We insure peace and comfort ct our
flresiies and improve our social condition
Charity and the blessings Of life begin at
home. Hardly house or the buildings
near 1t are - convenient and comfortable
ss they might be made. Let rs view these
things In the right light We will b
much happier and more prone to be grate-
full to the Dispenser Of AL good.-Oklti-
sat0r, il Western Rxra1.