Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-09-03
FARM LITERATURE.
a Letter from the superintendent OF
the New Hampshire College Farm.

lFrom the Manchester Mirror.l
/ It savors somewhat Of presumption in me
| to address advice to the readers Of tho Mirror
on the topic Of farm literature. In palliation
| / offer the occasional letters asking advice in
selecting farm works, and the wide personal
observation of farmers libraries, and of few
| public libraries supported largely by farmers.
While in most farmers homes one or more
| papers are found partly or wholly devoted TO
farm interests, it is perfectly safe TO assert
that even with "well-to-do" farmers meager
| library is sadly deficient or entirely wanting
in works devoted to farm practices or farm
| science He who would stride his high horse,
sentimental, and read the farmers q lecture,
wants first to be sure that the same fact is not
true of every other great industry so far as
! special literature is concerned. Ifnot an am
| pie, there is large measure of apology for
the existing facts; they are, however, fast
losing their force. We are no longer farming
a virgin soil where skill counts at its mini
mum. We have sharper and sharper compe-
tition from n virgin soil for our markets.
The law of blind imitation is no longer the
only law known or desired by the farmer
The habit OF investigation has opened new
and inviting field. The so-called science of
cultivation is no longer founded upon Undue
ton from assumed facts. A vast corps of
workers. by the experimental method, have
begun Mt the bottom and are ascertaining
what the facts are. Hence our recent agri-
cultural literature gives less uncertain
sound" That great philosopher, Lord Ba-
con, is said to have ordered aud had his or
der executed to burn his large collection of
farm books for, said he, I'm all these books
| can find no principles they can, therefore,
be of no use to any man" The popular ap-
probation of farm books has at times been
but little higher than Lord Bacons. Some
conservative men might still say that the
farmers book.shelvos fbook shelves he has,
guiltless of farm works, are a criticism of
present farm works. If you will allow me to
question, are the empty shelves critics of the
farmer for he has not kept pace with the
changed character of farm writings Forget
ting for the moment that "rtading maketh
the full man" and that the man is before the
farmer, and bringing farm books TO the inev-
liable Yankee standard of dividend paying
investment there can be no longer Il shadow
of doubt that 81, or any reasonable multi
pie of it, judiciously invested in farm works
with the critical study OF those works. is one
of the best diyideud-paying farm investments
possible to make. For books are farm fac
tors, forces as indispensable and cheaper
than farm horses and cultiyators. They ex-
tend our range of observation, enlarge our
ambition and multiply our power of accom-
plishment the latter by acquainting and IA
miliarizing us with agencies slowly learned
by imitation by the non-reading farmer. |
am frequently reminded of objections that
are raised at this point did space permit, it
would be useless to review them.
What | would urge, especially for young
farmers, is to procure modern works that
treat upon what Bacon so wished in the books
of over POO years ago, principles upon which
farm practices are based. | would not be
understood as advocating purely scientific
farming there is no such thing at present
Farming is yet, and for long time will re-
main so, largely empirical. What | would
emphasize is that vast storehouso Of infor-
nation has been gathered in recent years.
and an author that is worth reading has col
lected facts from the four quarters and CLASH
fed them, down to the date Of his work, and
that while there is great work in farm de-
tails ard management that can never be learn.
cd from books, but only by actual contact
by farm experience, yet there are a thousand
mistakes, that a well-read young man CONVEX
SAINT with farm laws need not make, that many
have to learn by experience but better still, IA
knowledge of those laws cannot fail to ad-
vance him in his profession, for it will be a
profession to him
The cost of books frequently deters farmers
from buying. that are of moderate means. /
know the cost Of dollar to the average hill
farmer. Such farmer most needs the best
aids to achieve success. book bought for
the boy every three months even, and read
while not heavy tax is step forward. II
our young farmers could be interested in the
chemistry of plant growth, in the laws and
chemistry of animal growth and animal nu-
triton, the laws OF tillage, ETC. etc, the in
formation would not only be source of
pleasure, but would lend an interest TO the
business of farming which it could not other
wise have, and make the book.cos of few
dollars entirely insignificant. While l have
nothing to do in this article with general liter
allure, yet may be allowed to state that the
movements in New England farm life will
not allow of this narrow limit to farm litera-
ture. Several farm organizations, particular
ly the Patrons Of Husbandry, and the drift of
events, have stirred the ambition of the farm.
or and wife, of the farm boy and girl, to act
an honorable part in the social, political and
business world, so that besides two or three
farm papers, the political paper, the scien-
tihc monthly, and magazine for the ladies
must come into the home of the wide-awake
farmer, and his library will have to be Sc
lectod upon n broader basis. 1t might be ex-
pected that | would advise list of desirable
farm books after basing an article upon such
occasional requests. | will content myself by
advising the young student Of agriculture to
avoid books after the style of Every Man
His Own Doctor - rather purchase works de-
voted to single branches of farming if a
thorough and comprehensive view of farm
laws is desired. There is a lack of works de-
voted to first principles of agriculture in this
country for each of the departments of farm
ing. But the farm literature of the country
is not barren of reviews of recent farm de-
| velopments Unfortunately, however it is
scattered and fragmentary and open to only
| few. In the desert Of semi-usoless matter that
crowds boards-of-agricultu reports for the
various States, and the Irrational department
| of agriculture reports and reports of various
farm organizations, articles Of very great value
are found. To command tho opportunity to
obtain all this matter for the masses, farmers
need to organize farmers libraries To make
complete library involves a cost SO large
that it would need to be borne by associated
effort. No library would be complete with
| out the works of the Royal Agricultural So
ciety of England that cover nearly forty years
with a published volume yearly They con-
tain the researches of the renowned chemist,
Prof. Noelker, and the brilliant and grand in
vestgation of the great public benefactor,
DIR. ]. b. Lawes. But every farmer, wheth-
err there is public library or not, wants a
few farm books for reference.
Respectfully,
]. w. SANDoRS