Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-01-05
of canals and conduits, from the streams

L Ancient Greece gave but little atten-
ltion to the details of husbandry. The
conquerors of Greece reduced the erigi
nal inhabitants to bondage, and imposed
upon them the labor of cultivating the
lsoil-and hence, the occupation and
those engaged in it, were held in con-
Itempt by the dominant race.
/ Among the ancient Romans agricul-
Eture was held in high esteem, and was
tcarried ON with great zeal, and careful
tattentiOn. The words which Cicero puts
Lin the mouth of Cato, show US the en-
thusiasm of the Romans for agriculture.
He saws: 81 come now to the pleasures
hof husbandry, in which [ vastly delight.
They are not interrupted by old age, and
hthey seem to me to be pursuits in which
la wise mans life should be spent. The
Eearth does not rebel against authority.
lit never gives but with usury what it
Ereceives. The gains of husbandry are
mot what exclusively commend it. l am
Icharmed with the nature and productive
Virtues of the soil. Can these old men
be called unhappy, who delight in the
Icultivation of the soil? In my opinion,
there can be no happier life-not only
because the tillage of the earth is salu
tary to all, but from the pleasure it
yields. The whole establishment of a
good assiduous husbandman is stored
with wealth that abOnnds in pigs, in
kids, in lambs, in poultry, in milk, IN
cheese, and in honey nothing can be
more profitable, nothing can be more
beautiful than a well cultivated farm"
And who of you does not indorse the
sentiments of Cato? Cato further, in
fitting language, condemns the negli-
gence, and ill husbandry of the sluggard,
and warns the buyer of his lands, say
ing, there Isl nothing so dangerous and
INSTANTANEOUS to the buyer, as land 50
tleft waste and out of heart. Purchase
of the man who has managed his farm
well! Do not despise the skill and
knowledge of another. Being asked
what is the most assured profit arising
out of land, answered, "To feed stock
well"-and being asked what next, an
swered, ITO feed with moderation"
Thus suggesting the most certain and
sure reward. was low cost of production
Such were some of the sentiments of
eighteen centuries ago; and it would
seem the sages of this nineteenth centu-
ry are borrowing from the sages of an
tiquity. these sentiments, as we find
them discussed in the periodicals of the
present dty.
In later times agriculture was neglect
ed. Under the Goths and Vandals, it
was held in cOntempt,until the Saracens
Of Spain revived and brought it into re-
pute. They were devoted to the great
art, and brought much skill and expert
ence to the cultivation of the soil. The
Of nnh1a h.. irrirr
ting the soil, attest their skill and indus
try. History informs US that as early us the
tenth century the revenues Of Saracenic Spain
amounted to $4,000, 900 sterling, perhaps
more than all the rest of Europe at that time
and derived chiefly from agriculture. the
same was true of Spanish South America.
Agriculture, says writer, had reached high
degree of perfection in the ancient Empire of
Peru, They irrigated the plains snd;terraced
the mountain sides to hold forced soil and
were skilled in the application of manures.-
The first work on agriculture known was that
of Fitzherbert, Judge of Common Pleas in
the reign of Henry 8th of England in 1884
1t quantity treats of farms, farm implements,
the methods of preparing the soil, the i'm
plements used, the sowing and cultivation of
corn, the narrowing and of rolling, also the
kinds of grain, wheat, barley, rye, oats and
corn, the harvesting and the following, and
of domestic animals. HIS says 1.-THE house,
band cannot thrive by his corn, without he
have cattle, nor by his cattle, without he
have corn," which would seem to be a true
ism.
In his quaint style, Fitzherbert has the fol-
lowing prologue as to the duty of farmers
wives, perhaps too homely for the present
time: She is to 'tmake her husband and her
self somme clothes, she maye have the
lockes of the shcpe eyther to make blankettes
or coverlettes or bottle. 1t is the wyves' Oc-
cupation 10 washe, to wrynge, to make heye,
to shere corne, and in time of nede to help her
husbande to pyle the muck wayne or dongue
carte, dryve the ploughe, to loade heye, corne
and suche other. and to go or ride to market
to sci butter, chese, mylke, egges, chickyns,
capons hennes pyggs, gese, and all manner
of cOrnes."
From these days much progress has been
made. Though truly, it seems remarkable
how faithfully many esteem the errors of
those who have gone before. How many of
this generation act upon the motto: "Do as
your fathers did," regardless of whether it be
error or philosophy.
Since the earth is the source of all earth's
wealth, the vast store-house aud labratory
from which, without exhaustion, comes every
thing which ministers to the comfort and
well-being of the human race, and primarily,
since the agriculturalist is the OILY producer,
it would seem that every farmer should bring
to his calling, not only industry, but intelli-
gence- intelligence in acquainting himself
with the best methods and industry in devel
oping the best results.
We live IN ali age of progress, the arts are
progressing, science is progressing, and we
are glad to chronicle the progress of agricul-
ture, both as an art and as science. Yet the
maxim in the latter seems to have been, ''make
haste slowly" Progress has been made in
recaiming waste lands by under-drainage,
deep drainage, deep ploughing, and also in
the analysis of soils, and the application of
manures and stimulants to soils.
At the beginning of the 18th century agri
culture in Great Britain was of the rudest
kind. Lands to great extent were unin-
closed, live stock of the township grazed to-
field. In the beginning of the 10Th century
great progress was made. Now began the
practice of following annually aportion of the
arabic lands, that of interposing green crops
between the cereals, instead of growing sue
cessive crops of corn until the land was utterly
exhausted, when it was left to recruit itself
by resting IN a state of nature, while other
portions were being exhausted, by like pro-
cesses.
AS population increased, and wealth from
manufactures and commerce increased, the
price of farm products increased, and rural
| industry received powerful stimulus. agri.
cultural capital was augmented and more skill
and enterprise in the business of farming fol-
lowed-and thus various and important i'm
provements were introduced, not only in the
system of alternating crops, but also in the
extraordinary changes in the breeds of live
stock. Here also began improvements in ag-
ricullural machinery and implements of hus-
bandry which were used in furtherance of ag-
riculture, and among all the industries of that
period none advanced with moIe lexampled
rapidity than agriculture.
Through all ranks was diffused such meas
4 ure of intelligence as enabled them to discern.
4 and skillfully and energetically to apply and
tprofit by the information furnished through
ricnlfurai achools then nrovided