Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-02-28

: the present, and note some of the change:
which have occurred.
s To labor has been the lot of man il
/ every age of the world. And during al
| these ages of incessant toll what do we
t findp-simply that the laborer has had tt
F.. deal with only two forces-the intellectual
+ and the physical At first the laborer hat
, his own unaided physical powers, to en-
I able him to engage in an incessant confic
t with all the elementssof nature. Every
} trade, profession and occupation seems tC
have been labeled, ain the sweat of thy
: face shalt thou eat breaI." All the forces
: OF nature-forests, deserts, swamps, rocks
droughts, tempests, floods, frosts and the
| barrenness of the soil rise up in opposi-
} ton to the successful completion of mans
work. The unaded physical power Of
man has never been able to compete with
these elements of nature very successfully
And thus for centuries man has been their
: ablect slave in consequence of the constant
development of the physical powers over
the Intellectual
And where there has been no brain
work brought to bear upon the labor by
the la6Crer, there has been no improve
ment, 10 progress. Such laborer, in
every trade or occupation, has simply
been an automatic labor machine. No
improvements or inventions sprung mp,
imperceptibly rs it were, from his labors.
These have their origin in mind, not in
muscle. And muscular power brings
forth steam engines, electric telegraphs,
moving machines, horse rakes, threshing
machines, hay tedders, plows, or any
other labor saving implement only us it is
guided by mind, intellect, education.
How rude, imperfect and unsuitable
were the tools, implements, and building
Of the ancient aborers, Compare for in
stance, the pillow which Cincinnatus left,to
become the Dictator of Rome, with those
in use at the present day.
Wherefore the difference The earth
was then rich with iron ore, timber and
laborers were plenty, muscular power was
us effective then us it is to-day. Conse-
quenty the only difference, between the
ancient and modern plow is this; The
one was constructed by uneducatod the
other by educated labor. The former is
stamped by ignorance of the material used,
size, shape, finish and adaptation to the
work for which it was built; the latter
shows unmistakable evidence of better
materials, more suitably constructed and
better adapted to the purpose for which it
is made. And so in every field of labor
in the past, us compared with the present,
we find that the only distinguishing marks
of Improvement and progress have been
the work of the educated laborer.
Yet how often do we hear the remark
applied to an ignorant young man, that
" lie is only fit for Il flrmer;" thus ignor-
ing the Importance of education on the
farm, while admitting how essential it is
in all other departments of labor. 1t is
this erroneous idea which has tended to
degrade the farm labOrer, and cause our
young men to seek other occupations. The
result has been that but little effort has
been made to educate the farmer or CON
duct the labors of the farm in accordance
with scientific knowledge. How often do |
we see the farm managed in hap-hazard !
way, and no attention paid to the chemi-
cal condition of the soil or the wants of
the several crops.
Wholly Ignorant Of plant growth and
rotation of crops, the farmer is ut II loss to (
understand why his crops fail to flourish as
they did years ago. He does not know !
that crops are manufactured, by the Eurm.
CT, and that they are subject to improve
ment or deterioration according us they |
are prepared and managed by scientific,
practical knowledge, or through ignorance, |
Right here is where the cry of these TO-
norant farmers comes in-away with Book |
Farming. But upon the farm, as well rs
in the laboratory of the chemist, every
thing is subjectlo the fixed and unchangc.
able laws of nature We cannot take our
selves, neither can we remove the opera
tions upon the farm, from under the con-
troll of these laws. And to comply with
these laws it requires some knowledge of
geology and chemistry, that we may learn
The character of different soils, and how
to combine different elements into ferti-
izcrs; also it requires some knowledge of
botany and chemistry in order to know
how crops feed, and Of the different kinds
OF clements which are absolutely necessa
ry for their perfect development. These
truths must be learned by every farmer
sooner or later, either from books or from
cough experience; for it is II scientific
ruth, that crops will exhaust the fertility
Of the farm, which will become barren,
run out in time, and the old ignorant
armor, with his old birch broom, will
sweep the snow out of his old, rough
boarded barn, which has sifled in through
he cracks, and mourn over the degen-
,raton of the farms, while his cattle stand
hiverng, eating straw, and low for the
grain and hay which once grew upon the
arm.
His ncighbor, nm educated man, who
las learned that it requires skill, and =,
'ertect knowledge Of the wants of the
everal crops, in order to feed and so
manage them that they will come to per-
ect maturity, has been dilgent in watch
I'll care over his fields, and when he has i
oticed that his crops are growing lean t
nd poor, he supplies them with feed, a
hosphates, nitrates, lime, ashes, gypsum $
+ whatever they cannot find in the soil. b
lie has laid aside the old birch broom, for il
is barn has no cracks in it, for the snow n
nd wind 10 si(t through, and his cattle "
tand stretching and shaking themselves n
yer The rich hay and n,-wholIy the r
'uit of educated labor The soil stands p
the same relation to his crops, that the g
arm does to his herd OF catlle,-it will be- o
ONE empty of all plant food, and must a
e refilled with those kinds which are n
dapted to each seperate crop. q
The wise fIrmer never loses SIGHT Of
lie fact that certain effects follow certain
'uses, in this world of law and order,
nd that blind chance dwells only in II
lie imagination. When misfortune b
omes upon him, his crops fail to W
ourish, his cattle grow poor and die, his "
utter tastes and smells rather strong, and "
drug on the market, his farming tools ii
e breaking and do not do their work in m
perfect manner, he does not sit down OF
ld say Gods will, not mine be done; u
1t he looks around him and tries to u.s. IN
rtain the cause Of all these mislortunes; nj
I'd as they are discovered, one by one, by IN
s unremtting toll and study, he soon OF
armed that mans will is Gods will. If u
chooses TO violate all law and order
III disregard cause and effect and bring
the effects of uneducated llbor down
ION his farm and surroundings, it is - =,
DDS will that he should do so; but he Nv !.
ust not murmur ut the result, for he has 81 ~;
ID his own way. But if he chooses to t tt
cy the fixed law of nature, and so MAN. va vi
e his farm that his fields flourish and e ,,'
cid IN hundred fold, his herds are of the III
st grades and are ever ready for the EPiI
lrket; the products of his dairy are "i'
t edged and command the highest
ices, and always ready demand for
en-, he too is complying with Gods tint