The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-11-13

anu oody. In the cold season there
are three to five hours daily which
can be devoted to mental work and
culture, which time is utterly wasted
in thousands of farm houses.
The excuse for this deplorable
waste of time and neglect of mental
improvement that after hard DAYS
work the body is too tired and sleepy
to study, is utterly void of truth.
Those accustomed to labor daily on
farms are not more fatigued than
any other class of people, and to
such a quiescent state of the body,
while the mind is interested and ac-
tive in the pursuit of some chosen
study, is the most restful of all con-
ditions.
The habit OF reading must be ac-
quired, if it mas been neglected, by
some effort, or languor will steal
over the sense of the outdoor la
borer when he composes himself to
read, after active exercise in the
open air, which will soon carry him
off to dream land, but little prac-
tice will soon correct this tendency.
1t must be understood that no very
profitable Roadway can be made if
the time is squandered in chafy.
miscellaneous reading. To habitu-
ally read what there is NO object or
profit in remembering, tends to
weaken and destroy the retentive
and analytical faculties, and this
is the reason why much fiction read
ing is injurious to the mind. The
reason our girls and young women
make SO little Roadway in acq uiring
useful knowledge, whenthe amount
threading they do is cont-asted with
the information of value they pos
sess on subjects which are most in
timately associated with their every
day lives, is answered ir their con-
slant and unremitting devotion to
fiction. Their mental pabulum is
composed of sugar and plums in
stead of wholesome thought food.
There can he found no higher
enjoyment, while at the same time
more profitable employment to far
mers, especially the young men and
women of the farm house, than the
study of different branches which
have direct relation to their daily
employment. These subjects are
numerous and of infinite variety.
We will enumerate few. The
different breeds Of farm stock, their
physiology, care, management, etc.
Farm buildings, dairying-which
carry the student into tie realms of
architecture, ventilation, heat, with
all the kindred subjects, and chem
istry with its wonders which are
but partially developed. The COM
position of soils, the growth of
plants, horticulture, with its refining
and athletic tastes, entomology, bot
any, ornothology. The diversity of
the field of knowledge which invites
every farmer to pursue its study,
and which enters into his every day
life and labor, is unequaled in any
other branch of industry. In the
household the developments which
are being made are scarcely less
numerous, valuable and interesting
subjects Of study. There is nc
class of people who have so inter
csting field for study and investi-
CATION, So much spare time to
devote to 1t, and from which so
large an amount Of pecuniary COM
pensation can be drawn, as Ameri
can farmers. Thousands of pre-
cious hours are wasted which should
be employed in disciplining their
minds to thought and training them
in mental vigor, to compare in some
degree to the symmetry, strength
and vigor of their persons. In place
of the dense ignorance which is too
often found in country neighbor-
hoods, intelligence and higher
standard of self culture should be
the rule. A change in the branches
taught in the public schools, might
be made to aid materially in the d.
rection we have endeavored to
point out,-Dirigo Rural.