The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-10-16
0be Tarm.
What we Need.

The fair held recently at Poplar Tent,
Cabarrus county, was a very creditablc at
fair. and is worthy Of imitation by the peo-
pie of every county in the State. Such
gatherings are calculated to do much good.
They bring a number Of people together
who interchange ideas on various agrlcul-
tural subjects, and who, we hope, return to
their homes with enlarged views as to the
importance of their occupation, and we
further hope with a determination to proht
by what they have seen and heard. But
there are some lessons to be Cleaned from
this fair upon which we would be glad 10
have your agricultural readers ponder.
Did it strike no one there as a Illuminating
fact that the gentlemen called upon to adj
dress that large resemblance of agricultural
lists upon the subject of agriculture ana
kindred topics-tO teach US how to farm
to tell us about our business, were all pro-
f~essional men-men, probably, who never
in their lives had an iota of practical eXpe-
rience in farming2 How do you account
for it, and why do We see the same condl-
ton Of things at all our agricultural fairs !!
The answer, to our shame, is plain enough.
There IS not the mental culture among the
agriculturalists of the land requisite to fill
the position of speaker or orator of an as
se:rblage of farmers to be addressed upon a
subject most familiar to them; therefore
we must call upon professional gentlemen
to do this for us, and without a thought of
the acknowledgment that this carries with
it-our inability to find among our own
member one competent to the performance.
We have become, by long usage, their
slaves;-we even call upon them to do our
thinking, and so long We have worn these
lo lroC Of corvif1la WQ fool hOnprl6 IN tho
wearing of them. The legal branch of the
profession is fully aware Of this lack of in
telligence among the farmers, and make use
of their knowledge to control and direct
the passions and prejudices, which natural
ly accompany Ignorance, to their political
and personal advantage. One half of the
lawyers feed and fatten upon the Ignorance
of the farmers. And thus we become the
tools of designed politicians-mere cats
paws to pull their chestnuts out of the fire.
There is but one remedy for this condition
of things, and its application is in our own
hands. But first, there must be an awaken
ing to the fact of the woful lack of irtelli-
gence and mental culture among us, and 20
take the stand in social, intellectual and
political affairs of our country, the great
preponderance in the employed population.
wealth and business of the country enti:lc
US, intelligence and mental culture must be
the rule and not the exception in our ranks.
When we begin to see and realize the i'm
portance of these truths we will begin 10
apply the remedy.
Not long since | urged a farmer, who is
regarded by the community as a good far
mer, because he has made some money at
the expense of his land, wearing out and
cutting down, to take an agricultural pa
per. No. sir" he replied, mo book
farming or book farming for me-" In the
course of further conversation, he inciden-
tally mentioned that he had lost at least a
hundred dollars worth of good stable ma
nure by mixing lime with it. To use his
own words, she would be dog goned if the
lime hadn't burnt it 50 bad it was no ac-
count | told him if he had taken some
good agricultural paper he would probably
have learned in the course of a years read.
ing that lime should never be mixed with
stable manure. But no s'book farming
for him. Certainly not. So much for his
ignorance and contempt of book knowledge
exceptional among the farming class. This
is what's the matter, but we haven't vet
found it out. Will we ever &c. Ned. in
Southern Home.