The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-02-22
FARM AND HOME.


Labor Difficulties
G. Il. Fleece recently read an address
before the Shelby county grange, dis
cussing questions Of nenent to farmers
in which he said;
"Ihe result Of twelve years ct hard
work since the war, in every branch OF
agriculture has been a general decline
in prosperity, lamentable increase in
the area of worn out lard, very mesgre
increase in farm Improvements, and,
withaI, general result at once mortiiy-
ing, discouraging and unsatisfactory.
Indeed, farm lsborers, and some
proprietors. far from being prosperous,
are generally poor, hopelessly in debt or
insolyent.
eve attribute this sad condition of
our people, in a large measure, to the
fact that no system of labor hiss been
generally adopted since the substitution
OF free for slave labor, which has been
equitable, remunerative, practicable and
permanent"
Living, permanent institutions spring
from vital germs, and can 10 more be
manufactured to order than one can
fabricate seed of perfect wheat from
dead earth, water and air
We have killed one institution and
signaIIy failed to substitute another in
its place. We may safely say an enemy
has done this, like the man who sowed
tares in bis neighbor's wheat while be
slept. No matter; the killing has
been perpetrated, and we must do
the best eur circumstances will allow.
Instead Of extending the area of worn
out land" it would be infinitely wiser to
extend pastures FOR grazing sheep, cattle,
horses, mules, swine and goats. Il viii
give Us neither bread nor meat, shirts
nor overcoats 70 grieve over the loss of
anything buried in the recent or remote
past. One thing is certain, we canno:
prosper by running into debt; bu: may
lose all that we have LETT in that way.
Settle ali misunderstanding between
proprietors and laborers as suggested by
Mr.. Fleece in his essay, and the work
goes on amicably, Transforming the
virgin soil into a barren waste by never
ceasing TO consume and export the
elements OF crops. Can agriculture,
conducted by u wise and moral people,
do nothing better than make desert
over the best farming and planting land
the sun shines upon for the benefit OF
posterity ? Is there no mistake in this
southern industry? Deny the statement
who viii, our agricultural labor Is sadly
unemployed and misdirected. The
author Of the address before US fails to
see this pregnant truth.
Oar rural economy was defecti re
when slavery existed: it Is no better
now. Men who assume to know already
All that is movable, never improve
their practice OF principles. In such a
case nothing remains bat for kind death
70 put an end to q malady and all
its pains, which ara otherwise incufable.
This done, immigrants will come
in with less bias in favor Of tillage and
planting, less prejudice against grass and
grass culture, less antipathy TO sheep,
cattle and horses, and more just appre-
citation Of domesticated animals, which
have changed man from a wild flesh
eating beast Of prey into a social, moral
and intellectual being of wonderful
attainment and ambition.
Illumination, or the chewing Of the
cud, is an agricultural function of ines
Unable value 10 man, who has no such
powers in his person OF double mastica-
ton, and prolonged, efficient digestion.
How few appreciate this remarkable
addition to the vital resources of human
life la a thousand ways man can make
cultivated animals and cultivated plants
minister to his comfort, his dignity and
powe. with very little labor on his part
al our trouble comes from the combined
evils Of superstition and tradition
clinging TO the errors and follies Of the
past, which act as sharp dead thorns in
living flesh. Tradition will not let the
dead bury its dead.