The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-12-24
FAR MING.

Farming is now not only profession,
but science. The farmer needs to he
educated as widely as the lawyer, and IN
his special department II has become
generally acknowledged that ignorance
can no more wisely guide plow that it
can c0nstruc1 one. Soils can he worn GU
or they can be renovated and made fat.
Ignorance does the one; educated skill
the other Not only must the farmer
know how to use his soil, bat be must
know what the soil is made Of. 1T Is not
enough to say ii is clay, or sand, or loan,
or gravel but Of what chemical ingredi-
en,s is 1t composed? For what crops Is
it adopted what will render it suitable
for the desired crop? In this way a
knowledge ofchemistrv becomes essential.
Success in agriculture involves also some
knowledge II uctcJrJlOgy, although the
constant improvements in machinery rem
der the movements Of the fdrmer more
and more independent Of the weather.
In Missouri, at least, geology becomes
something more than an ornamental
branch Of a farmers education, il has
decided the wealth or perjury Of scores
who have sold out TO SPECTATORS mines
Of iron and lead with no knowledge Of
their value. The fact Is, the mere clod-
hopper, whose only idea Of culture was to
pillow, drag and ap, is .being crowded
out by a new race Of men, Educated part
Is by the spirit Of the age, by the press,
and by available science, 10 more skill
full and profitable management Of the
soil The crude and primitive methods
in vogue not only were wastful, but rem
dered farming a distasteful drudgery.
A : soon a. the public school system quick
ened the ambition Of the boys, they rushed
to the villages and cities. This tendency
is now reversed Farm life is growing
to be more AMI more attractive. The
boys find the pittanee which they can lay
BY, after enduring the hard work and the
harder life of the city, less attractive than
the competence and independence which
are sure to follow industry in agriculture
It is simply all that young man can do
to secure room and board, without a
single comfort, on the salary of IN ordi-
nary clerk Statistics show that they are
beginning to understand this But the
most marked change already wrought in
farming is the creation r.. class of men
Of in telligence equal aeir industry,
who are exercising an IOrtant influ-
ence on public affairs!emphe ye--z "a ars'
unquestionably the rulers, and to become
more and more influential. They are
brought into contact with the world by
the net work of railways that run into
nearly every county Of the United States.
They are the supporters Of the daily press
Us well as of their own agricultural organs.
There is not to be found keener class of
thinkers than among the husbandmen.
That information may not be so thorough
in departments, but it is general. The
progress in this direction has been re
markable within the past half score of
years 1t il within our memory that all
that can be called scientific farming has
grown up The proper rotation of crops,
the intelligent economy of means, the
preservation of manures, the use of labor
saving machinery, belongs to this gener-
alton. OF course there must still be
great many Of the old stagers left whose
hay is dried sticks. Political farmers
still believe in the moon more than in
machinery and chronic otfice-seekers
have not time for science except in breed
ing fast horses. The tendency is to
slough off these, and to create Il thought
ful and invaluable class Of citizens.