The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-09-16

bring larger rcturncs In the shape of ~pecunia.
ry value.
But that there should be the fullest inccnt-
I've to and opportunity for this homo odoru.
mcnt, l submit n third proposition.
PERMANENCE OF
There should DO more pcrmnnenco in tina
farmers location. There can scarcely be n
s'ca'cr curse To agriculture than the migra-
'ory disposition In American farmers. Tin
ei"nt preaching may DO a good thing, but
"iherant farming Is certainly not. Yet itiu-
Grant farming Ii the Inevitable result of igno- |
ram farming. The man who has by his pro- |
cesses exhausted the fertility of one farm,
must move or starve. He generally prefers
10 move. There may have been u time when
this was individually advantageous, in appear-
ance. 30 long AZ the farmer who had begun
to exhaust the fertility Of his farm, which he
had bought for ten shillings an acre. could
sell u i0r zen or nfteen or twenty dollars, aud
go furtner westand buy virgin soil again ut
government price, 30 long he continued 10 do
II with some show of reason. II don't believe
ne gained anything In the end, but he seemed
u ghin.) The time has now come when every
interest Of the Observation-Disclosures and
prospectivo--rcquircs that he should cease to
he itincrant. There IL no q land he can find
to repay him VI before. Tho continent IL
nearly Overrun. II IL now his duty To curt
bis nomadic prOpensities and seek to improve
the farm he finds himself upon Qf be knows
what farm he Is upon, after Its many wander
ings). III there Ii any one within the sound
Of my words, or amy ono reading them after
they are In print. who Is dissatisfied with the
fartu no owns anu Ii upon, and Is meditating
removal 10 any other place for the purpose
OF bettering his condition US u farmer, let me
say To him us Punch said to the young man
contemplating matrimOny and ask King Its ad-
vice thereon-D DOM. The chances are you
Will DO worse of.
The law Of compensation now very general
~ prevails. II the soil IL more fertile west Of
tho Mississippi, the cost Of transportation ID
greater, ana hence the prices of produce less.
Ii you goto New England, prices are big, but
~ are the stones, and II takes too long 10 find
any loose dirt. If you 70 south, land can had
Tor u song, but your chickens will be 'had'
may less abound, but the winters are long
enough here. Stay where you are and follow
the advice In my fourth proposition.
That farmers should seek
SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT
of the resources of their farms In both fertili
ty and beauty. This is u great work needing
y life time and 'eorthy of u life time. II
farmer should intolligently plan schemes Of
Improvement for years In advance aud shoul(
every year do something to make his faru
more valuable and more attractive. 1t 10 4
truth not always observed that I'm farminl
beauty and utility 20 together. The besi
piece OF corn In u nelghbOrhoOd looks the besr
IN every respect whether In appearance, OF thu
plant or In cleanncss and color of the soil
The field Of potatoes giving most pleasure u
the eye Ia the one freest from weeds, with tn,
straightest rows and largest and most perfec
vines. Sot the best looking farm is the bes
farm. Go to John JOhnstOn's farm near &c
ncva, New York and It's beauty attosus IL
value, us surely and quickly as the beauty o
u horse attcsts its value. Hence In discussing
this subject l put beauty and utility together
D, How easily and rapidly taste and skill cal
transform u scene Of uglincsS into q vision o
delight l have already intimated. Where wa
u more unsightly spot than the acres that wer
transformed into the Central Park of New
York City2 The designer raised his cnchani
ing wand and the rocks took Oh forms an
clothing OF beauty, and trees sprang up an
vegetation in a thousand forms of grace GOV
cred what was before Il desert.
: just SO q farm. however ugly II be, can b
! transformed by the skillful hand and eyc of IL
wner into a scene of beauty. Not all q
once, but slowly, inexpensively, In accordanc
. with q plan devised and followed. And 1
, there any worthier work for u u Is Their
any work that gives more satisfaction in tn
doing Z The making of a beautiful and health
$ full and valuable home for ones children 1
c freedom and glory of the cO%untry-a home 1
d which they shall take delight and feel pride
, a home which IL shall be hard for them I
d leave and impossible for them to forget-ca
u man do u better thing than this ? Such
n home might descend from one generation {
|, another in the same family, AZ in England
n occasionally--far too infreQuently-i
this country.