Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-12-12
Ignorant, or Lazy2

A correspondent who does not send his
name, or add any signature to his article,
but whom we suspect to be our friend Il.
w. b., of Moretown, sends us the following,
under the above heading
"Very much is written, these days, about
the Ignorant Farmer. 1t really seems
that the writers believe that if a certain
amount of science could be got into the
noodles of the farmers, agriculture would
soon attain perfection never yet known.
As valuable as knowledge is, as essential as
science is to agriculture, there are greater
difficulties in the way of successful farming
than not knowing how. If every farmer
put into practice what he already knows
our farms would show a different state of
culture.
"The average farmer knows how to raise
good crop of corn or wheat. He knows
how to improve his grass lands. He knows
that manure, to be valuable must be housed.
lie will, in short tell all how farming should
be done, yet not one in a hundred put into
practice the knowledge they possess. They
design to do il sometime but have not got
around to do yet.
"If this be so, it is laziness, or shiftless-
ness, and not ignorance, that impoverishes
our farms and causes such cry about hard
times. The farmer, if he expects to succeed,
must make up his mind that he has got to
take off his coat and go to work. That
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written, that
"' lie who by the pillow would thrive,
Himself must either hold or drive
"The times demand that our farms should
produce more at less cost. 1t won't do for
farmers to hire all their work done. 1t won't
pay. But with industry and economy every
man may succeed
To the above very sound reason, our cor
respondent adds bit of rhyme, which will
be found at the head of these columns. We
are glad TO have some of our worthy brethren
of the plow come to our aid against the
brethren of the press who would have us
indicted for telling unpalatable truths. No
man with eyes, who will use them, can fail
to see that both ignorance and laziuess are
abroad in our farming. We have been re-
preached for having complained of the former,
and when we protested against the unfair
way in which our complaint was presented,
we were reminded that not only had we said
the farmer needs knowledge, but we had
added, speaking of the needless losses of
the farm, that "part of this loss is due to
laziness and shiftlessness, for which there is
no cure but DEATH We confess the offense,
if offense it is. But we have never felt like
spending much time in lecturing the lazy
farmer. Josh Billings says nothing will
cure lazness, though he has known second
wife to hurry it some.
But in all seriousness we think that the
majority of our farmers do work enough if
the work were as well directed rs it ought
to be, by knowledge and skill. We doubt
the statement that the average farmer knows
how to raise good crops of wheat and corn.
or is aware of the real value of the manure
he wastes. We believe that failures in
getting good and uniform crops from lack of
knowledge are the cause of much of the dis
enlargement that appears in the man like
shiftlessness. And we believe that the stub
born setness in old and Improbable ways
which so many show is caused by that lack
Of mental vitality which comes from want
of mental exercise. For the mind as well
as the body may become stiff for want of
use. And as it hurts stiff limbs to move
them out of their usual gait so it wrenches
the torpid mind to be forced into new and
more active lines of thought.
We do not believe, either, in cutting down
the hired labor on the farm. Now, when
wages are low, is just the time to hire more
help. A capable farmer, with plenty of
land, can make money on hired labor now,
if ever 1t is the labor laid out on land,
and not the land alone, that makes the
farmer rich, But he must work with his
men, with his hands when needful, and
,uit 10 haa Iall tba