The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-08-16
WEST VIRGINIA STATE GRANGE.
Office of Executive Committee,
Valley Grove, Ohio County, w. Va,

a lecturing tour We will take advantage of
his absence and send you two notices
from the leading papers at our State cap
ltai. lie seems to have made favorable
impression wherever he went; but here
are the notices which you will please in
sert before the lecturer returns, as, being
a modest man, he may give us "lecturing"
not laid down in the bills. re -
The Register has a long editorial under
the head of 10 asta-s~4-G agrr
s. FARMER TALKS. -H. at
Hon. {. [. Butler, the genial Granger
Senator from Jefferson county, paid the
Register office a visit, yesterday, in pass
ing through the city on lecturing tour.
MIR. b. is the State Lecturer of the West
Virginia State Grange, and his business
IS, as we understand it, to hold familiar
talks with farmers in the various sections
OF the State on the things which most
nearly concern them. For instance, when
talking to collection of farmers in some
sections of Marshall or Wetzel county, he
will point to their hillsides which, the
oftener they are plowed the poorer they
will become, and contrast them with the
hlllsides of Ohio, Brooks and Hancock,
which are covered with grass and sheep.
will, of course, exhaust it, unless the most
intelligent >care is taken in rotating the
crops and in the gathering and application
of manures.5 But from freshly plowed
steep hillside the soil will wash away by
the heavy rains even more rapidly than
growing crops will exhaust it. Mr. But
Ter calls attention to these facts and then
to the further fact that these same hillsides
will grow in fertility while yielding a
good retnrn to their owners if they are
we'll set in grass and MANFRED by a flock
of thrifty sheep. a GAINS ls-,1a saa
Mr.. Butler informs us that he finds
many evidences of improvement and a
better condition of affairs every way
among the farmers where he has recently
traveled-he instances especially Marshall
county. The barns ale better, the resi-
dences OF more modern structure, and the
grounds about show signs of culture and
taste. Better sheep, improved breeds of
cattle and hogs, and even chickens. More
attention is given 90 education; school
houses are nearer to each other, more
commodious and more handsome. The
fields are in better filth; the fences better,
and the fence-rows cleaner. In the gar
dens are found something more than po-
something more digestible than the his
toric "hog and hominy." Hot beds, for.
the production of early vegetables for the
farmers table, are no longer uncommon,
while strawberries, rasberries and other
small fruits find place in every well-reg-
ulated garden. Both health and money
are found in this better mode of living.
Mr.. Butler is also gratified to find that
farmers are rapidly increasing their pat
ronage to the newspapers. When he goes
into farm house and finds three or four
good newspapers he is sure of finding a
thrifty farmer with an intelligent and
Christian family. Everywhere he. goes
he advises his farmer friends to stake the
papers" They should read much--not for
the purpose of swallowing in an undiges-.
ted form all they read, nor yet for the
purpose of controyerting it; but they
should read and reflect. Read the news
eminent; watch with a jealous eye the
doings of the public servants; take live
ly interest, as becomes all good citizens in
the affairs of the country; have political
convictions intelligently formed, upon all
public questions, and maintain them cour
teously and firmly; but above all read up
in your particular line of business. Do
more head work and your muscles will be
put to a lighter strain. 3a4<s 4isli
Mr.. Butler is plain man of strong COM
mon sense, a farmer of experience, whose
hair is streaked with gray. Heiis an earn
est and intelligent talker, and the State
Grange showed wisdom in selecting him
as its lecturer. His talks can scarcely fail
to do a great deal of good.-Wheeling
Register.