The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-09-21
MaNims for Farmers.

W. ~
bic ncighbOr than work for so poor n
paymastcr as he is certain TO prove
himself.
II. The good farmer is proved
such by the steady appreciation Of
his crops. Any one may reap an
ample harvest from u fertile virgin
soil; the good farmer alone grows
good crops nj first, and better and
better ever a%fiCrward.
III, 1t is far easier to maintain the
productive capacity Ola farm than
TO restore it. 70 cXhausts lis fccuud-
ily, and then attempts its restoration
b, buying costly commercial f%cr,ili-
i2crs, is wagtciul and Irrational.
". The good farmer sells mainly
such products IA arc least exhaustive.
Necessity may constrain him, for the
first year or two, to sell grain, or even
hay but lie will soon send OF his sur
plus, manly in cotton, or wool, or
meat, or butter and cheese, or some
thing else that returns to the soil
nearly all that is taken from It. a
bank account daily drawn upon,
while nothing is deposited to its
credit, must soon respond "No funds
so with Il farm similialy treated.
V. Rotation is at least Negative fer
tiIination. 1t may not positively en-
rich a farm it will at least rctard and
postpone it's impoycrishmcnL, He
who grow wheat after wheat, corn
after corn, for twenty years, will
need to cmi2ratc before that term Is
fulfilled. The same farm cannot
support COR cndUrc) him longer than
that. All our great whca'-growing
sections Of fifty years ago are wheat
growing no longer; while England
grows larger crops thereof ON the
very fields that fed the armico u Sax
ON Harold and william Tie Conquer
or, Rotation has preserved these
as the lack of It has ruined those.
VI. Wisdom Is never dear, proNid-
ed the article be genuine. have
known farmers who toilcd constantly
from daybreak todark, yet died poor,
because, through ignorance, they
wrought to disadvantage. If every
farmer would devote two hours Of
each day to reading and reflection,
there would be fewer failures in farm
ing than there arc at present.
VII. The best Investment a farmer
can make for his children is that
which surrounds their youth with the
rational delights Of u bcautcouS, at
tractive home. The dwelling may
be small and rude, yet Il few flowers
will cmbcllish, as choice fruit trees
will enrich and gladden. it; while
grass and shade are within reach Of
the humhlcst. Hardly any labor
done on u farm is so profitable as
that which makes the wife and chill
drrn fond and proud Of their home.
VIE. A good, practical education,
including a good trade, is n better
outfit for Il youth ihan II grand estate
with the drawback ofan empty mind.
Many parents have shaved and piarIl-
ed to leave their children rich, wicn
half the sum thus IayiShcd would
have proflcd them far more had it
been devoted 10 the cultivation of
their minds, tlc enlargement Of their
capacity TO thlnl, observe and work.
The II structure that no urigllbur-
hood can afford to NO without is the
pchooI-hougc.
IN. A small library Of well select
.,l Innl o IN Iiu IlJ,t, l,,a ga t,,l ,.,,,F
ayouth from wandering into the bale
ful ways ofthc prodiRal son. Where
parental striClnCBs and severity
would have bred nothing but dislike
and n fixed resolved to absrund nj
the first opportunity, good book and
pleasant surroundings have wrpucd
many a youth from his first wild
impulse to go to sea OrrrOSS the CON
%tincnt, and make him u dociIr, con
tented, obcdicnt, happy liu%crcr 10y
the parental Grcsidc. In n family.
however rich or poor, no other good
ia 80 cheap or SO prCciOusns Thought
iul, watchrul love.
y. Most men are born poor but no
man, who has average capacities and
tolcrabIc luck, need remain so. And
the farmers calling, though proncr-
ing ne sudden leaps, ne ready short
cuts to o%pulcncc, is the surcst Of All
ways from poverty aud want to CON
fort and independence. Other men
must climb; the temperate, frugal,
diligcnt, pr0yidcnt farmer may grow
into competence and every accessory
TO eternal happiness. Each year of
his devotion 10 his homestead may
find it more valuable, more attractive
than the last, and leave 1t better still.
- Horace greeley.
.rnR COMrAss rLANT.-ln the month
ly report of this Department for March
md April reference was made to the
compass plant ~(Silphium Iaciniatnm)
which it was therein stated "is alleged
to possess the remarkable tendency to
have the plane Of its leaves directed
north and south to such n degree that
these points OF the compass can readily
he determined from their examination
A letter, inclosing n diagram OF n leaf
OF \ plant has since been received: by
the Department from ). j. II. Snyder,
Of Moi rovia Kansas, In which the
opinion Ia expressed that the plant
does possess the quality attributed to
IL. The writer says:
Having been n resident OF Kansas for
sixteen years, ! have had abundant OPP
,ortunity to become fully acquainted
with the plant and it, habits, and | am
fully persuaded that thccoursc north or
sQ,Hi, Is lnfallibly indicated by it. %lcayc.,
,liat | would not hesitate to follow
their directions for hundreds of miles.
The leaves of tho plant from which the
accompanying sketch has been made
were taken from my orchard, which has
been titled for years. and the plants cut
M and turned over and under, and
every way yet every time they cam"
either from the old roots or srcd,
they invariably turn their leaves III 'h"
direction. There can be no
question ofthis fact, and If In agronp OF
these plants here and there, alcat varies
n little from the true course, the ap- |
of the stem and its relation to
tho other leaves show the reason for
.n,h Ii.rrnnnurr Tho uyprlVp of such |