San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-03-08
TAINTED, 10000 Young Men.

900 young men or more, to engage in
progressive agriculture. Though soil
culture employs more than half the peo-
pie of the country who are engaged in
any useful employments, all other ranks
of industry are better filed than this.
Agriculture furnishes the raw material
for nearly all our manufacturers, yet
while the factories and workshops are
overbnrdened with skilled laborers, the
harvest fields are too often worked by
the poorest labor that strolls tile high
ways Educated mechanics, formerly
successful merchants, and highly intelli-
gent manufacturers are seeking employ
ment by hundreds, but find the ranks
of their Ceilings full, while agriculture
has plenty of room for such men.
Thousands of young men "are adrlft in
the large cities" as has been very aptly
stated, simply because, they can do
nothing that anybody wants DONE" but
let them go to the farms of the country
md they will find abundant opportunity
Tor intelligent, wiling labor; at lowwa-
ses, it is true, hut sure to result i'll
ucalth and happiness, II thousand times
better than the, precarious existence
hey maintain in the city. Ii. the trades
md professions have no employment fol
the lhyriads of idle hands, the farm can
'nrnish enough for all. The unoccnpiel
ands of the West, the abandoned farms
# the South, the many neglected fields
Ill over the East, all offer opportunities
Tor every idle man in the country to
yain bread, clothing, shelter, and ulti.
mate comfort and happiness; for out OF
he soil comes all we eat and wear. II
is the unemployed, intelligent, active
sorlimen THAT can find useful employ
ment on the farm. And to intelligent
Young men, and active men out of bus
mess, but possessing some capital, from
$1,000 upward, agriculture holds ont
tempting promises, and promises that
she will fulfill to those who work fol
them. There are few farmers more sue,
cessful than the merchant who conducts
his farming on the same prudent yet in
telligent business principles that gave
him success in trade. 1t is a pleasant
fact to contemplate, that over four and
one half million acres of new land were
actually occupied by settlers in the
Western States during the last fisca
year, and especially pleasant when We
consider that the settlers were not emf
grants from foreign countries, as in for
mer years, except to small degree, but
we're mostly from the overcrowded
Eastern cities many Of the class above
described. The real estate dealers make
the statement, also, that the demand fol
small farms in the Eastern States has
never been so great as within the past
year or two. This movement tends to
an improved condition Of affairs for the
whole nation, and we hope it will go on
until the old and proper balance be-
tween city and country is restored. But
to the young men just coming upon the
stage of action, agriculture offers spec
ial attractions. There is great need
among farmers of more education IN
those branches of science that pertain
to the breeding and treatment OF AMI
mails, fertilizing the soil, growing plants
and all the various phases of the call
ing. Those men who are familiar with
the advancing thought and practice OF
the time, and bring the most intelli'
rence to their work, are the most sue
cessful farmers Of to-day. SO it will be
in the future to even greater degree
| and those farmers anu Otners "loueSie
their sons to become successful, leading
agriculturists, and prominent in public
affairs. should see to 1t that thescyoun2
men receive as good intellectual train
ling as those who intend to embark In
kthose callings that are universally adj
mitted to require q liberal education
Veterinary medicine, agricultartai man
ufacturing and trade, and even az,
ricultural journalism, are also open
fields to young men educated in agri-
cultural science and practice. Last
month, we gave an example OF what q
college-educated man had accomplished,
by blinging his mental faculties, disci-