The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-07-09

by it; yet they may seek mental disci.
pine outside of their calling. And 50
with large share of the mechanical EN-.
Payments they are not in themselves
mentally or physically elcvating, yet
those who pursue them may seek both
from other sources The mani est want
OF opportunities for this while in the pur-
suit OF mlny calings, practically prohib.
its the attempt. Aud so the teacher, the
student, the accountant, the artist, the
author, aud those engaged in many other
employmentS may have sufficient vari.
ETY. and amount Of mental labor to per-
form in connection with their business, and
yet through their consequent want Of OPP
FORTUNES to secure physical health by
proper exercise, fail to possess that great
essential to complete development.
He who pursues an ignoble calling. or
engages in dishonest commercial enter
prise, will not improve himself in those
virtues which elevate human character
The slave-driver, the smuggler, the coun-
terieiter, he who purposely sells wares
Of any kind to be used for demoralizing
purposes, or engages in any kindred pur.
suit, which necessarily results in injury
and wrong TO his fellow men, though he
may develop both mental and physical
powers By his calling, will himself prove
moral failure.
In nearly every department Of legiti.
mate commerce strong temptations to
wrong doing constantly present them
selves which too often result in the NOR.
al ruin Of those who engage in it. Hence
the corruption, de2rayity and vice which
uniformly prevail in great commercial
centers which has rendered New YORK
city to-day unfit for self government
And had it not been for the wholesome
moral and political influence exerted up
on it by the surrounding rural districts,
which have furnished it with large pro-
portion Of its men of braius aud moral
worth, we have reason to believe it would
have ere this become a modern pandemo-
mum, surprising the ancient cities of the
plain in its depravity.
He chooses well who selects that call
ing best calculated TO elevate himself.
Aud that vocation which in itself pro-
notes in the highest degree the full and
harmonious development to him who pur-
sues it, and which presents the most fav-
orable opportunities for reading and i'm
provement in connection with it, and
which is the farthest removed from oil
demoralizing influences, is evidently the
most desirable and best adapted TO the
present wants OF man.
What industrial! pursuit more perfectly
fulflls these conditions than the calling
of the agriculturist, when properly con.
Quoted? As an intellectual pursuit il
has no superior. To fully master the
science of agriculture in all its depart
ments, demands higher order of INTEL
lect than was ever yet possessed by man.
1t is rather the sum of many sciences !;
a field in which the man of weak intel.
lectual powers may constantly learn if he
will but apply himself, and where the in
tellectual giant may spend his three
score years and ten in diligent study and
practice and then have failed to master
half its mysteries
The fact that vast majority of the
farmers of this or any other country gain
a subsistence, and thousands of them a
competency, with very slight knowledge
Of their profession does not disprove nv
position. We might as consistently main.
tain that the acquisition of medical sci
ence by the members of that profession
is unnecessary, and therefore that that
calling is not an intellectual pursuit, be.
cause medical quacks may gain CON-
potency by their practice in many local.
tiles and the same Of the legal profes.
sion, because legal quacks thrive pecuni.
arily everywhere in the same manner
Yet thorough knowledge of neither OF
neither Of these professions can be ac.
quired without manifest DEVELOPMENT
OF mental powers. And as the science
OF agriculture, or rather those sciences
which legitimate!y pertain to it, embrace
much wider range Of knowledge than
either Of these professions. their acouisi.
ton must of necessity be attended By
stronger mental development.
Ii Practically the pursuit of agricul.
ture has not this effect, it must be because
OF the truth Of that settlement of Baron
Liebig, quoted at your last meeting. that
agriculture, though the Oldest of the
sciences. has made less progress than any
other because a smaller amount of intel.
llgence has been pat into its pursuit"
Agricultural science, Ike all sciences.
will only develop him who acquires il
Those demonstrated facts which collect.
lively constitute the sum of all scientific
knowledge are the same throughout the
world, yet mankind for this reason are
not all enlightened by them.
If the professional requirements of the
agriculturists Of this country were to be
judged by the same rules that VIC apply
to other professions, how many Of u.
would escape the opprobrious epithet Of
quack As field for physical improve.
ment it fulhlls more perfectly the condi.
tons required than almost any other call.
ing. The farmer may degrade himself
by his own stupidity, while in pursuit Of
it, to the most abject physical slavery.
and by lie Of ccaseless drudgery blunt
his powers Of mental and moral porcep.
ton, obliterate every spark of natural vi.
vacity, and become wretched and unhap
py. But it will not be the fault of his
calling. He may do this in any other
pursuit
When intelligently conducted, agrlcul.
ture presents a field for the most varied
and healthiul physical labor. BY the in
PRODUCTION Of an improved system, the
use of labor saving machinery, and the
provision Of better conveniences in all
its departments, its most unpleasant fea.
lures have been or may be removed, and
its pursuit become pleasure rather than