The patron of husbandry., 1881-06-25
DeSOtO County.

Editor Patron: Agriculture is the first
and noblest of all occupations; it is the
only one directly instituted by our Crea-
tor. History proves that where agricul-
ture has been fostered, that nations have
prospered and reached higher degree of
perfection; but where it has been neglect
ed, degeneracy began.
| wish to ask this question, Who are
Grahgefsf wish to apply it to every in
dividual in our Order. And first, wish to
use our Manual as the Divine would the
Holy Bible. Then Granger is an honest
man; one that findeth wisdom and getteth
understanding; he notices new and useful
ideas, for they are the material with which
progress is made; in his intercourse with
his fellow beings, he will correct an error
tenderly and with affection. not bruise a
wound he wishes to heal his aims in life
will be true and his conduct correct, keep
ing the mind bright by deep thinking and
active use; he will keep his heart and
mind open to receive good lessons; he
will be merciful and compassionate to ami
mails; he will persevere in overcoming OBJ
stacles; he will think and prepare the mind
for the growth of knowledge and wisdom;
he will free his mind of ignorance and
Undue it with the spirit of philosophical
investigation and research: he wilt try to
improve and increase fine fruits to their
fullest extent; he will spare all the trees
that lend fragrance to the breeze and
beauty TO the landscape; " hle they inter-
fere not with mans wants and pleasure;
he will have plenty of seed, and assist his
companions in securing the same for their
| land at the proper seasOn,-he will do all
| this as laborer. AS cutivator of the
soil, he will guard against selfshness; he
| will feed the hungry, and he will be chari-
| table to all meQ-'Whatspeve a man
| soweth, that shall he reap;"-he will sow
such seed and so cultivate them as to re-
| ceive the approval of our heavenly Father:
| he will let no year pass without planting
at least one vine or fruit tree, so that he
| can say, Il can sit under my own vine
| and fruit tree he will encourage the cul-
| turc of flowers, and study tn ir forms and
| beauties; he will see the beautiful trans
! formation of seeds into attractive plants or
majestic trees, and admire the wondrous
works of God, and the beauties of this
world; he will plant not for the present
| only but for the future also-thereby erect
| ing his own monument while living, he
will cultivate the mind and destroy error,
and keep his thoughts quicke1ed and ready
to receive and apply new ia It's as they ap-
pear; he will also prune idle thoughts and
sinful suggestions and thus keep his pas
sions an due bounds AS a harvester of
his crops-he will reap for the mind as
well as the body, and inculcate Friendship,
Truth and Charity; he will honor and
| dignity labor, and make it cheerful and
conducive to the happiness and benefit of
mankind; he will beware of covetousness.
for a mans life consisteth not in the
abundance of things he possesseth. but in
the right use of Gods blessings; he will
be grateful for the abundance of fruits:
his character will ever accord with the
beauty and fragrance of flowers: he will
see in the nurtured harvest not the pro-
duct of human skill and labor, but our
| heavenly Fathers gifts, to awaken that
charity which nourishes the soul unto Life
eternal. AS husbandman garnering his
| crops-he will love his country and take
interest in all that belongs to it its occu-
pations, its sports, its culture and its i'm
provements; he will look with earnest
solicitude upon children and their welfare,
and will remember that they are to take
his place and occupy his position; he will
| adorn his family circle with the noble
traits of kind disposition and thus with
affection try to induce all to love and not
fear him, to- love is the only endearing
|
of faith; he will draw nigh unto God in
his daily labors, and his life will show he
appreciates his honored position; he will
nurture hope,-it is the heavenly light that
! gilds his labors, and flowers is the emblem
to this hope; corn will be to him an en-
| bem OF charity, and the agate will be an
| emblem of fidelity; his principles of man
| hood will be as firm as the lasting colors
in the stone, and his friendship as firm as
the stone itself. These principles are ap-
| propriate to all the walks of life and
| Granger will, as laborer in the spring
time of life, be diligent and persevere in
| search after truth and faithful discharge
of the various duties that devolve upon
him as cultivator of the soil; he will be
! impressed with maxims that lead to habits
/ of observation, industry and order in life's
| summer time. AS harvester of the crop
he will learn to be joyous and thankful for
the blessings that in each autumn reward
his efforts to increase the store of comfort
and happiness vouchsafed to man, when
the ripened fruits and falling leaves of
| autumn give place to winter. AS a hus-
| bandman garnering his crops-he will en-
| ter into the en- oyment of that rest from
| physical labor, which gives him leisure for
| mental and social culture and which in our
| Order brings him into that circle where
unbounded confidence prevails and where
the welfare of each is bound up in the
good of all; he will treasure up the lessons
both by successes and failures and plan
wisely and hopefully for the future and
strive to make his life as harmoniously
beautiful and bountiful as are the works
OF natures God. These principles are the
quintesence of our Order. Then, who
IS Granger? Echo says, 'Whof"
Again, as the Holy Bible is to the Di-
vine, so | would in the second place make
our Declaration of Purposes, and again
would ask the question: Who are Gran
gers? Are we united by the strong and
faithful tie of agriculture? Do we mutu-
ally resolve to labor for the good of our
Order, our country and mankind? Do
We heartily endorse the motto, ''In essen,