The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-04-03
An Agricultural Bass.

We meet many farmer who is too
fond of saying that it is of no use for
him tc try experiments, or meddle with
new ideas. lie has been unable, perhaps,
to acquire scientific education, he can
not ret up and address convention as
some of his neishbors can, and when he
takes hold of q pen to wriEe out his
thoughts, his ideas all seem to vanish.
So too often he leaves the new ideas and
experiments TO his keener neighbors.
They push ahead and publish their re.
suits and are called public benefactor.
He becomes discouraged at their quick.
ness, and goes back to the old ways, fully
satisfied that bis place in the world of
agriculture is but small one. Many a
farmer becomes discouraged He feels
that he is of little Importance, that
nobody cares for his opinion. He settles
down at last with the idea that this world
is pretty hard place, that people can
not appreciate his work, and that he
don't much care any way. Now this is
all wrong. No man in any occupation
has right to stand back and simply
'make living" No man has rig ght to
say that his work is not appreciated, or
that it is not his duty to himself and the
world to do what he can to make that
work better.
Look at the musicians in an orchestra.
The violin and the cornet lead the way
through it all, cutting out the tune and
never needing the rest. They get all the
credit because they make the most show.
But there stands the bass, solemnly
scraping like machine. He does not
receive the least credit for his part of
the performance. People accept it as a
matter of course. Suppose The rest of
the orchestra should stop and let him
play on alone. How ridiculous it would
be. Just few gruf notes entirely Ut
like the tune, and yet if he should stop
we would notice it in moment. The
tune would 60 on, but there would be
something lacking. 1t would not be
balanced. The gruff, monotonous notes
of the bass are necessary to make the
tune complete. They flow on through
the melody, adding note here, filling
in a part there, forming an undercurrent
that makes the whole perfect. No one
appreciates it, but it is necessary just
the same.
Now, why is not the agricultural world
like an orchestra? The keen, sharp
scientists and theories dash out in ad-
vance with new ideas and theoretical re.
suits. They are like the violin and the
cornet-they receive all the credit. But
their plans are never perfect, never are
taken up till the agricultural bass comes
rolling in the shape of the practical
results worked out BY plain, honest far
mers.
The agricultural bass is an absolute
necessity. Let no man think that he has
a right to drop every instrument because
he can not play leading one. Let no
man think that his experience and obser.
vation are valueless. There are too
many listeners now. The agricultural
orchestra needs building up, and the bass
is remarkably weak. Too many people
are reaching for the upper notes. Let
them reach. They will clash some day
and back they will come to the bass for
help. We slow thinkers who can not
keep up with these brilliant ones, can do
our own part at least. We can work out
their schemes carefully, and when we
find they will not work, come in with
perfect roar upon the agricultural bass
Live Stock Journal.