The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-07-12
Why Young Men Ignore Agriculture,

!,.s ss,'; Fl: ,: s :s.::
tura pursuits This is true enough in
the Eastern States and it is srikngly
&# true in California One reason for the
81 aversion which prevails here is that no
effort has been made to render agricul-
ture attractive. In fact, most young men
not taught that it is possible to
make the results of intelligent agricul-
ture more satisfactory in the long run
than any other pursuit They are not
made to understand how dull plodding
ee-serr, business can be redeemed and made one
of the most attractive pursuits in the
world. In whatever way wealth is
a quired, it does not comprise much more
than the comforts and Injuries of a
good home with some leisure for books
and travel. laz.-4 Il
But in agriculture we. have strangely
dropped out the idea of good home
sN Nine-tenths of the farmers homes on
this coast fail to inspire a single desire
- 49, in young men for any thing Of the sort.
$50 Here and there may be found attrac-
snesfs.s tive homestead. But the primary truth
sf4a# that young man ought to choose ag-
rcnlture because he early lay the
foundations for desirable home, and
that from first to last he can bring all
his skill and science to bear in prof.
table husbandry, in adjoining home
stead and in the qualification of the
most cultivated tastes-this truth is
rarely enforced The young mans idea
of farming here is dusty PLAIN farm
house little better than shed, hired
men sleeping in blankets, slowed away
asse IN houses, hard work, and doubtful
results. Just this ideal is realized in
many instances SO many in fact that
this is taken standard farming. The
young dislike it and turn away to any
.s-.s pursuit which will afford them pre-
carious living.
.sssss Practical agriculture involves hard
xsEsz- work here, everywhere else. But
there never was country where so
much could be accomplished in that
line by resoute and intelligent young
men who willing to put muscle and
brain into agriculture for what be
got out Of it. There is not single
treatise extant on farming which is adap-
ted to this coast. We have almost
endless variety of soils and climates
The are unlike any east of the
Rock Mountains. In the place of frost
which locks up the soil for six months
in the year comfored with rain
ssaH less weather, and slowly learning
how to turn this to the best account.
e Suppose young man, resolute and
intelligent, starts with the purpose
to make agriculture his lifelong pursuit,
and to conine his energies to such
moderate of land as he may call
g homestead He will not become rich
s rapidly But doing his best and never
-s- losing sight of the fundamental idea
. that he is to make attractive home,
and that all efforts to center in this
leading purpose, what ought to be the
result of his first ten years labor: His
three or four hundred fenced,
and fenced gates all in the right
A. ss-. places, grove of hardwood trees well
set and growing, good out buildings a
farmhouse we'll built and large enough
for guests and growing family, water
utilized for irrigation and domestic pur-
poses, the best breeds of cattle and
~ sheep-in short, every accessory of in
telgent agriculture, including libary
~ that never stops growing.
Now, modest these results may be-
ss--.-.,. has not this man had a successful ca
&c. e s. reer? How many in other pursuits
ss.- - irving at middle age have had fewer
- - ups and downs or have come out better
sr.. than he: If he has found leisure to
read, and has applied the result of his
knowledge to his pursuit. he has been
growing all these years. If he
has some cultivated tastes is there any
better sphere for their indulgence than
in the life of country gentleman The
fact is We have shown young the
ugly side of farming. Naturally enough
Ee they hate it and away from it.
1900 --.s. Let do something to show them the
.. 49,. higher possibilities of such life, and
we shall find better accounts +.
Bulletin.