The Osceola times., 1876-04-29
Fancy Farmers.

The Chicago Times has few truthful
paragraphs describing fancy farmers,
which read rs follows:
No class of men have been ridiculed 10
much, and none have done 20 much good,
a. those whe are dcnominated fancy
farmers. They have been, in all times
and countries, the bencfactOrs of the men
who have treated them with derision.
They have been to farmers what invent
ors have been TO manufacturers. They
have experimental for the good of the
world, while Others have simply worked
for their own good. They tested theories
while others have raised cropsfor market.
They have given n dignity and glory to
the occupation of farming it never had
bofore.
Fancy farmers have changed the wild
boar into the Suffolk and Berkshire the
wild bull of Britain into the short-horn I;
the mountain sheep, with its lean body
and hair fleece, into the Southdown and
the Merino. They brought up the milk
of cows from pints to gallons. They
have heightened the sirloin Of the bull
lock, deepened the udder of the COW, en-
larged the ham of the hog. given strength
to the shoulder of the OK, rendered finer
the wool of the sheep, added fcetness to
the speed Of the horse, and made beauti-
full every animal that is kept in the SER
vice of man. They have improved and
hsstened the development of all domestic
animals till they hardly resemble the
creatures from which they sprang.
Fancy farmers introduced irrigation
and undertaking, grinding and cook
ing food for stock. They brought guano
from Peru and nitrate Of soda from Chill.
They introduced and domesticated all
the plants we have of foreign origin.
They brought out the theory Of rotation
Of crops as natural meansof keeping up
and increasing the fertility of the soil.
They first ground up gypsum and bones,
and treated the latter with acid to make
manures Of peculiar value. They first
analysed soils rs means of determining
what was wanted to increase their fcrtil-
ity. They introduced the most improved
methods of raising and distributing water.
Fancy farmers or fancy horticulturists
have given us all our varieties Of fruits,
vegetables and flowers. A fancy farmer
in Vermont few years ago originated
the Early Rose potato, which added mil
lions Of dollars to the wealth of our coun-
try, and proved to be most important
accession in every part OF the world
where it was introduced. Another of
these fancy men originated the Wilson
strawberry, and another the Concord
grape. 1t was fancy farmer who brought
the Usage orange from Texas to the north
ern states.
Among the men in this country who
were classed As fancy farmers at an early
day, were Washington, jefferson, Frank
lin and Livingston. The first introduced
mules; the second, the cultivation Of i'm
proved rice; the third, the use of land
plaster, and the fourth, the raising of
lucerne. More than any men Of their
time did they add to the wealth of the
country. After them came another race
of fancy farmers, who introduced Ara
bian horses, Spanish sheep, and the i'm
proved breeds of English cattle and swine.
These fancy farmers added immensely Ia
the wealth of the practical farmers Of the
country.
EADs' JErTIEs. A petition signed
by the lcadiug ship agents of New
Orleans, and the masters Of nearly all
the vessels in port, has been forwarded
to the secretary Of war, protesting
against moving the government dredge
boat from tho southwest pass to com
plete the work at Eads' jetties. The
| Republicau saws that under Eads' con