The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-10-12


bare OF trees and shrubbery and green
grass around the dvors as if there were
no element of beauty in the human
heart. How many barns are shiftIess,
how many barn.yards immense cess.
pools of wasting aud demor.lizing filth,
instead Of carefully preserved mines Of
wealth; how many farmers homes are
as devoid of anything like real comfort
as tho Yards are devoid OF beauty. How
many farms arc stamped With repulsive
ug'inesss in the very fence, which so
much gives character to the whole place,
apparently writhing in very shame that
it is such a slovenly disgrace to the
green earth Do you tell me the
ground will raise just. Is large crop
inside an uncouth and untidy fence,
that these things bring in no money,
don't sell in the market, cost time and
labor, aud ask me for what? Let me
tell you-you send your boys to the
town to school-there they soc different
homes meat, tidy, we'll kept yards, .
kind Of material beauty that appeals to
their hearts and when they 60 back
to tho farm they mark the contrast aud
they early learn to think the farm home
Is the necessary result of the farm life,
aud the first opportunity they leave
it. They see the over worked wife and
mother, ADD think little or no help
in tho house is tho necessary re-
suit Of the farm life, and tho daughters
won't, if they can help it,marry farmers.
But say you, we have no time for Ill
this mprovemeus-no money to pay
hired help in the house,-then take It
from the necessary labor on the
farm, not from the necessary expenses
aud living, but from the days
you spend gossipiog, aud talking
and idling 10 the town, at tho st,re or
the post Office, from the money you
spend in such things as are not ncoes-
saries. Clean up the yards, straighten
up and tidy up the fences, mend your
harnesses with leather and not with
rope, bring order out Of confusion, have
the gates swing On their hinges, keep
your chickens whore they belong, and
your pigs off your front door steps
do anything and everything th,t you:
can do to make the farm attractive and
make your home just - near . para
disc as your labor and means can make
it. Think-in the even,pgs-in tho
winter time how to do it best-how to
improve your farms most: give fair
study to the best agricultural papers,
form judicious plaus-combine mental
labor with your physical labor, give
your wife the needed help in the house,
give her time to think, and see how
wonderfully it pays. Teach your boys
the true ambition, to add something in
thought and labor to the wealth Of the
world: to aim to be tho best farmers in
tho county and State to love work
not politics : to obtain farm of their
own-not Office aud that there is no
truer, nobler life than that which com.
bines the labor OF the farm with the
deep thought of science. Then keep
out Of debt, don't mortgage your farm
to pay for agricultural machines you
can get along without. Work good deal
harder rather than do it, but if you have
done it, don't leave them standing
where you unhitohed your horses last,to
suffer greater damage from. tho wealth
er 10 year than they would in three of
use, but house them carefully, and when
the debt is paid learn q lesson from it
that at least will be Of use to your chill
dren. Educate yourselves and all about
you to love simple beauty-not mag.
oi6cencs and splendor-carry the re-
6nements AID amenities of life on to the
farm and into your homes aud remem.
Der that beauty is not necessary in DOL
lars and cents-tbat a log house may
b, refined and pleasant homo and that
the luxury Of the city is no nearer hap.
piness than the free air aud broad acres
and green grass and shady trees Of the
country. Dignity your labor aud your
vocation, aud your children will all love
the farm where they have been taught
such lessons Of happiness and been
educated with such a true ambition.
And here perhaps some Of my sgricul.
tural friends may be wondering why if
the speaker thinks farming is 80 Zoe he
don't try it himself: Well, It is tho
misfortune of some men to have been
educated lawyers instead of farmers
And to make farming profitable it is
necessary, rs with every other kind of
business, to know how. Tho speaker
has got too poor in the last sixteen years
trying to do something he knew . little
about to attempt new business Of the
practical details Of which he knows 10
little, and although he would not prs-
sumo to attempt to instruct you Is how
to raise the best crop Of wheat it is yet
possible that bis suggestions may be Of
value IS to the more important inter-
ests Of the welfare Of your boys,
But the humao mind is 20 oonstitu.
ted that for its improvement it needs
the friction Of contact With other minds.
The lawyer who never meets another in
tho trial of = case, can never improve