The Dawson journal., 1883-08-23
DAWSON. Ca. August 20, 1883.
Permanent Improvement.

the development Of a country is the
Improvement of It's natural resources.
To accomplish this end, first of ali,
q people must have education, not
only through a general medication of
knowledge in the schools, but by a
special enlightment in all the depart
ments of material science. Schools
and colleges OF agriculture are es-
sential to the progress of every sec
ton of country; and the dissemina-
tion of a literature for general infor-
nation upon all the subjects involved
III the science of material develop
ment, is an indispensable means to
so desirable an end In some way
or other the people must be educated
to improve, and not only to improve,
but to make permanent Improvement
ofaH their resources. Even by watch
ing the progress Of other adjacent
sections Of country, and keeping
thoroughly"'posted in the literature
of scientific journals and papers
everywhere published. we may by the
theory, practice and example of our
distant neighbors and cotemporalies,
keep respectable pace with the adj
vancement of the world aroGnd and
beyond us. Let us observe that a
people who will not educate-espe-
cially in those departments of learn
ing essential to their interests-can
not advance beyond the confines Of
an Ignorant and eternal and non
progressive conservatism. The boy
carrieRa pumpkin in one end Of his
sack and rock in the other, whie
he might have carried two pumpkins.
His reason for his folly was because
his 'dadly" did it, AMI he intended
to follow the example, forever, Of his
paternal Rip Van Winble.
Now the great point to be attaine
by the farmers of this country is
permanent and progressive improve
ment- Instead Of system of ex-
haustion to put few dollars in the
pocket, to buy more meat and bread
with, or to lay by in store for a rainy
day, lei. every man put bis capital, or
surplus, in his land, in his stock, in
his house and in the means of living
comfortably and happily. Make Your
houses and lands valuable by i'm
proyement, and.fyou,.are laying up
treasure that continually produces
more treasure for extended improve
ment and enterprise Build fences
and residences and farm houses that
are intended to stand. Cultivate
stock that does not consist in the
multitude for value, but in the quality
and utility OF their pedigree. Dig
up the stumps in your fields, and
whenever possible employ labor
saving machinery by which one in
dustriouS and skilled laborer can
accomplish five times more than a
lazy, lounging, senseless contra
band who works only half his time,
does not work hard at that, and
whose theory is to live from hand to
mouth and destroy as he goes. Gull
tlvate less land, and make that per-
manently and continually better the
longer you plow and hoe it. Train
your.children up to do likewise, and
when you die leave them a homestead
that is heirloom worth having and
which they would not part with, save
at IA great price. Have place-have
cattle, hogs, horses, sheep, chickens,
houses ard lands that somebody else
IS anxious to buy, but which cannot
be well COTTON.
Again a problem for South West
Georgia to solve, is the best methods
of agriculture. Happily thsre is
some progress in this direction. Fer
tilizlng is one step in advance but
the preservation Of land, the variety
and variation of crops constitute
another. Why plant SO much cotton
How clearly is It proven at this time
the ability of the people to stand a
drought in the cotton crop, since
they have so much meat and bread
to back them up in case Of failure. Il
is hard enough to bear guano debts
and the like at best, but when "hoq
and hominy' and yellow-legged Shick-
ems stand back in reserve and come
to the rescue, it is infinitely better
than to endure debt and have to buy
pork ana corn. The people of this
section have wisely turned in this
direction, and are in better condition
than at any time since the war. The
stock is in good condition; the fields
are better cultivated the homes are
brighte~ and hannier. and Won do