The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-05-21
The FIXTURE os Farming.

In former days it was thought if
farmers sons were particularly
bright and intelligent they must be
sent to college and trained for one
of the learned Professions, and be
come lawyers, doctors, or ministers.
1t was supposed that it required
only ordinary ability to become
farmer, and that an education be-
yond what was given in the district
school would be of no essential SER
vice to the man who followed the
plow and planted the corn and fed
the oxen. Muscle, strength of the
limbs, endurance Of labor, were re-
garded as the necessary qualifica-
tons for the farm life. If a man
had these and possessed some pow
ers of observation, so he could fol-
low in the steps of his father and
grandfather in all the routine of
farming, he was thought quail
fed for the business And so he
was as things were fifty or sixty
years ago. But times have changed
A new era has commenced. A rev
olution has taken place. The age
of farm machinery is ushered in,
Science has taken the place Of en-
piricism and routine. Brain instead
of muscle now wins success. Here
tofore farming has been carried on
principally by muscular power.
Mental power is now taking its
place, and he who possesses the lar
gest share of it, and brings it into
practical application in his farming
operations, will be most successful.
If wealth is his object, he will reap
the richest harvests in the same way
that the best merchant, the best
lawyer, the best physician, the best
financie-, will win success. It is
surprising to what extent the busi
ness of farming is carried on by ma
chinery. But we have not seen the
end of this matter yet. Machinery
has by no means accomplished its
full measure of good. It's yet even
a question whether it has accom-
| plished any good so far as the toll
ing millions are concerned. Thus
far they have been crushed down
| by It rather than raised But this
phase of its action is but transitional
and temporary. New births are al
ways attended with pain and perils
When the silver cord is loosened
which binds together capital and
machinery, when the laborer and
not the capitalist owns the tools
with which he works, when ma
chinery ceases to be a monopoly,
when it becomes cheap as water
and as free as air, or when it is
placed in hands of every one who
is willing to use it, and who can
reap the benefit of its use, then every
species of lab r-savi'g machinery
will become a blessing. 1t will
crush none, but benefit all who are
willing to do their share of the
worlds work. Thus far in the his
tory of machinery its greatest prac
ical benefits have Injured to the
speculator. the inventor, the capital
ist, and has been of little use to the
farmer and the common laborer
The time is fast approaching when
our mundane affairs will be better
adjusted one thing with another
1t takes time and patience and a
good deal of study to put things IN
order, when they are SO badly dis
jointed as at present. When ma
chinery finds its true place in the
different fields of industrial life
when it is owned and worked by
the laborer himself, and when Other
things and other interests become
co ordinated with it, then peace
and plenty will reign supreme Owe
the earth To re adjust and co-or
dinate all the forces of nature as ap
piled to farm machinery, and to Sc
, his machinery to work in the mos
happy way, and make it blessing
TO all and curse to none, require
more of brain power than muscula
force; and our farmers want thel
sons, if they are especially brigh
,, and intelligent, to qualify themselve
for farm work, to engage in its pur
suits with the thorough persuasion
that they are the highest and bes
that can be engaged in. When on
young men bring the same enthusi
asm to bear upon stock raising, feel
: culture, fruit growing and all tn
minor details of farming that the
; now do on what is called tn
learned professions, then will com
he millennium of farming and tn
eign of peace.-Sbirit Of Kansa.