The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-03-30

scourge as the one supposed is lost upon
us il it does not teach US TO properly
care for our cellars, sewers and wells
to study the laws which govern our
own organism, and be guided 10y their
precepts in caring for ourselves and our
households.
BAD LUCK.
The farmer, too, who talks of bad
luck, when his stock from like neglect
fail to thrive, or die of disease contract
ed in consequence of his own culpable
ignorance, in this respect is little better
than n heather. There is an appropri-
ate law which governs every pheno-
menon which the farmer observes in |
connection with his calling, aud he, as |
the most profound naturalist, should at
least learn the effects of the operation |
of those laws which Immediately apply |
to himself and his business. Sequence
follows cause with mathematical pre-
cision in the calling of the farmer rs
well as in the laboratory of the chem
list.
WANT OF THOUGHTFUL, OBSERVING
HABITS.
The same natural changes are rs con-
stantly occurring before the eyes of the
most stupid farmer as the most learned
naturalist. The one in his stolid
apathy heeds them not, while the other
ia int int fa1 OH nj
intelligently watches for their occur
renee. Every farmer with right habits
of thought and observation may be a
naturalist, and while acquiring fund
Of interesting knowledge, also add ma
terially to his prospects of success. He
should be as interested an observer of
natural laws as is the astronomer, the
chemist, &c. They usually apply them
selves to the study of pure science; the
farmer should to that ofapplied science.
The pursuit of one is no more noble in
itself than the other; each present their
appropriate problems for solution,
and those, too, which the best intellects
have not yet been able to solve. The
intelligent pursuit of agriculture inn
plies the constant study of the great
book of Nature, which an Infinite hand
has spread out before us, on every page
of which we behold the impress of its
Author.
WHAT WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND.
We cannot comprehend many 81 tie
phenomena which we observe in the
pursuit of our calling. II is not for us
to comprehend that mysterious power
which directs the growth of animal and
vegetable life which directs the giant
oak and the tiny flower to assume their
respective sizes and forms, when putur-
eddy the same soil. We cannot COM
prehend that power, which gives TO the
oak its peculiar characteristics. or ar
ranges with more than painters skill
that beauty of design, that variety of
tints and perfection of coloring which
every flower-garden presents that
power which causes the different plants
to Gull out from the same soil, and
u
elements which constitute the deadly
vegetable poison, the luscious, the sour.
or the bitter fruit, the saccharine
sweets. the aromatic spices, or those
! fibrous vegetable substances from
which We weave so many of our valu.
able textile fabrics.
We cannot tell why the delicate,
fibrous rootlets of the tree penetrate the
soil, and gather up the moisture which
holds in solution some Of the constitu-
ents of its own future composition, and
propels it in the form of sap through
the woody labyrinths of its roots, trunk,
and branches, to its leaves, where by
their peculiar mechanism, 1t is assiml-
lated, and prepared to perform its Office.
We cannot comprehend the cause of
its return, TO assume the place assigned
it, in the wood, the bark, the flower.
the fruit, or the seed, just where it il
wanted to perfect the full development
of the tree producing in each variety
of trees and shrubs their own peculiar
form Of development, each re-produc-
ing its kind in infinite succession. We
can only say, that that lfe-giving prin-
ciple which produces these strange
phenomena, springs from the First
Great Cause, and cannot be compre-
hended by finite minds.
EVIDENCE OF DESIGN.
The farmer is surrounded with these
evidences of design, and by them he is
brought into direct and pleasing con
tact with that power which. by estab-
lished laws, not only directs these
minute affairs of Nature, but also holds
and guides the planets in their courses,
and peoples the immensely of space
with its countless systems of worlds.
WHAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND.
Though it is not for us to comprehend
the original source of these laws of Ma
ture, we can observe their operation
and determine their effect. 1t is ours
to understand and apply such of them
, as may contribute TO our success to
trace the relation between causes and
effects, which these laws have made
inevitable, to SO arrange and control
: those causes and conditions which we
can influence, that the desired effects
may follow,
MECHANICS.
1t is ours to understand those me
chanical laws which apply to the con-
struction and use of those appliances,
which an advanced and progressive
Agriculture demands, that we may
judge correctly of the principles upon
: which our farm machinery is construct
+ ed, that there may be no unnecessary