The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1872-02-22
THE ENTERPRISE.
SweetWater. Thursday, Feb. %, 1872.
What Farmers Need.


What farmers need would be a long
story to tell. The first thing is greater
enthusiasm in their professian. Farmers
generally place too low an estimate on
their calling; they judge Of it from its
commercial relations alone Seeing
merchants, lawyers, middlemen, getting
money rapidly, making fortunes in a
single season, they bewRil the slow pro-
gress TO wealth their ayocation compels.
But is there nothing desirable but mon
ey? The esthetical possibilities Of the
educated farmer are beyond those Of fany
other profession. Read Irving's sketch
Of Rural Life in England or White
heads Pastoral" and sayif any picture
the artist ever placed on canvass equals
those described by these writers, How
ever thu farmer may be placed, or wher
ever, he has in his hands the means to
touch hero and there the canvass, and
make it more beautiful as the years go
on. The farmer should possess his fac
simile with an artists aspirations, and
change and bsautify it, making it to
"bud and blossom As the rose" Agroup
of tress, single tree, will change the
lsnd-rase it sometimes from inanity
to an almost speaking intelligence. Who
has ever planted tree and has not felt
al interest in its growth beyond that of
trees planted by others? II a fruit tree,
has lie not watched daily the develop
ment Of the fruit from flower to full rip
ened richness and when at last, full of
tho summers sun and dew and rain, it
has fallen to the ground, has he not tax
en- it carefully up, exhibited it to others,
and waited many days with q sort OF
fondneSs asking to relationship before
sacrificing it on the alter of tasteP An
apple on the bough is more than an mp
pie TO him who planted, tended and saw
it through infancy, youth and age
Whom tho farmer considers that he
owes more to the farm than that does to
him, he will begin to be worthy of it. 1t
teaches j"s'ic". 1t will give but it must
also receive, and its giving will be in
proportion to its receiving, with this diff
ference--that it takes our crude gifts
and changes them into refined, and re-
turns them "things Of beauty" 1t will
have us near; will have our care and
sympathy.
The farm teaches intcJriN. No shams
allowed here; what you do must be well
done; you must SOW good seed You can
not get figs for thistes. Youmay cheat
yourself, your neighbors, but you cannot
deceive tho farm. When the farmer
learns these things, he is better than
money can make him.
The farmer needs perseverance in a ell
considered plan. If n dairyman, let him
follow daring through to its complete
triumph, If mixed husbandry is a tpe-
ciality (and it is good one, then fol-
low that, without that unstableness often
witnessed. We see, for instance, that
when wool is paying crop the whole
attention will be given to sheep; re-
verse comes, and then "pelting" will be
the order of the day. Now, when pork
is q! low ebb, many farmers are making
small provision for a future crop, and
the result will be no hogs, or few, for
sale when prices are remunerative. The
same is true Of horses, large crop and
small demand; and too little attention
to breeding such as will pay is the re-
suit.