The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-12-01
LOCAL CORRESPONDENTS.
"lncog" thinks people do not de.
vote enough tinac go Agricul-
turc, Tint the disposition OF
young men To leave the pursu I
OF Agriculture IL caused Dy
their fla thcrs.-Rfow to rcned y

MT 10 AeUNt hnf
OF Agriculture II caused by
their fathcrs.-Rfow to rcmedy
10. &c.
Editors Ner Domination -
have thought it would be better
if our people would give more time
to agricultural and less to political
discussion, and | see no good reason
why our county papers should not
maintain an agricultural department
each week, and if partly or entirely
original, so much the better.
For this purpose l shall offer YOU n
few articles designed, If perchance
their merit be sufficient, to awaken
some interest in local or home agri-
culture. There seems to be a dispo-
sition in most young men to abandon
the farm and its pursuits for other,
and, | fear, often less independent
undertakings. There is doubtless
some real cause for this inclination,
but often only fancied. And whether
it be because of the failure of our
somewhat illustrious predecessor,
Cain, to produce an acceptable ofey-
ing, is hardly pertinent now to en-
quire, since husbandry and tilling the
soil are now combined in agriculture
The fact that a gentleman recently
advertising received a hundred an
swers in relation to clerkship, to %
half dozen for a laborer, goes strongly
to prove growing aversion for hon.
est toll, and this growing evil we
must endeavor to regulate and over
come.
Where shall we begin Right at
home! Now ! candidly believe that
much of this disposition on The part
of young men to leave agricultural
pursuits for trades and professions
has been created by the mistake of
their fathers, by taxing them with too
much physical labor and not giving
proper opportunities for improving
their minds--in word, in not striv-
ing to elevate the calling to an edu-
Gated standpoint. And this is done
by not furnishing and encouraging
the boys to read good agricultural
literature and by the introduction of
good labor-saving machinery. We
should also try to make farm life
something else than everlasting
drudgery. | am fully aware that
farming has many misunderstanding
vorable seasons and accidental losses,
which often discourage even the most
energetic. besides this, our agricul-
turists are often victimized by sharp
ers, selling some royal patent hum
bug, and are also misled by some
highsounding theories of professional
teachers, theories the practical re-
suits whereof are ruinous. There
fore, the only safe ground is an in
telligent and careful examination as
to cause and effect, and our brightest
hope for future success in a combined
and earnest effort to elevate agricul-
tural pursuits to higher social and
intellectual standard. There are
many ways to accomplish this--by
showing practical home results, by
interchange of knowledge from actual
experiments, as by meeting and dis
cussion, by making the pursuit give
food for the mind as well as the body.
To promote this end is my object in
writing for your columns. AS this is
designed only as an introduction,
think it lengthy enough. When time
will permit | will consider some of
the ideas suggested in this, in detail.
INcoG.
Valley Farm, Nov. 9th, 1877.