Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-23
Agricultural Journals and Their Sur
roundings.

Agricultural Journals ana Their sur
roundings.
All agricultural journals should be pub
lished in the country, where their surround
ings are such SIS are likely to inspire love and
enthusiasm for agriculture. They should also
be published by men who have had expert
ence as practical agriculturisss, and they
should be edited by men of the same class.
Otherwise they are apt to become sgricult-
ural journals only in name. Man is Great
ure of circumstances. He sympathizss with
and becomes part of his surroundings. He
imbibes the ideas and gympathies of his asso-
ciates and associations, and in his writings
and publications he reflects these opinions
and sympathies. If surrounded by CONNER.
cial and mercantile men he becomes part of
such men, in one sense. He becomes &C.
auainted with their transactions, with their
successes and lcsses, with their hopes and
fears with their aspirations and ambitions,
and naturally and sympathetically partskes
of all these feelings, and reflects these feelings
in his conversation and communications.
Thus it is that those agricultural journals
that are published in large commercial
cities become in reality more commercial
than agricultural journals. They seek out and
obtain commercial patronage, and in return
for this patronage and support are compelled
to listen to and advocate commercial inter-
ests. This would be all right, if commercial
interests always ran parallel with and cor
responded with agricultural interests. But
this is not the case, but quite the contrary.
1t is true that wheB agriculture OF any
country is prosperous the commercial inter-
ests of the same country are apt to be in
prosperous condition also, Just as when we
have an abundance of snow and rain III the
mountains, the rivers run full of water.
But commerce., to great extent depends on
agriculture for its prosperity, and the men
engaged in commerce and general trading
make their profits, to q great extent, on
handling agricultural products aud agricult-
Gral supplies. They therefore resort often to
doubtful shifts and shams to reduce prices of
agricultural products in first hands, and the
frequent repetition of these shifts and shams,
and the great number of persons engaged in
their preparation, leads each individual in
terested in them to smother any conscientious
scruples he may have as al individual and
shift all responsibility from himself to the
shoulders of others, whom, he says, would 60
to the same extent even if he were not en-
gagged with them. In other words, he satisfies
his own conscience by spreading out all respon-
sibility till it rests on him 80 lightly that ne
does not IeSl lI. ln6 Journal tl8I eAAs-s III tus
midst of this atmosphere necessarily draws its
life and Inspiration from its surroundings, and
can not well be true to the best interests of
the farmer at all times. Hence we find it
often Occupying doubtful positions on inpor-
tant questions as between the agricultural
and commercial interests, snd very seldom
squarely on either side of such questions.
We would not have an agricultural or COM
mercisl journal on either side of the interest
of either industry to the exclusion Of justice
and right but we would have both true
to the interest they represent, and fair to the
opposite interest. We do not believe q COM
mercisl journal could exist in purely sgri-
cultural community from whichit drew large
share Of its support and inspiration, and at
the same time be true to the interests of COM
merce. And we do not nbelisye the con-
verse of this position. Ali our commercial
Journals are located in commercial centers,
snd SO should sl our agricultural journals be
located in agricultural centsrs. The COM
mercial journals are expected, and it is de-
msnded of them. that they forward the best
interests of their clients, under any and all
circumstances and so it should be expected
and required chat agricultural journals should
at all times forward the best interests Of
their clients under any and all circumstances.
We hold they cannot do this when their sur
roundings and inspirations are not sgricult-
ural.