The Dawson journal., 1885-01-15
FARMERS.

interfere With the farmers and
you interfere with every other
business and relationship in the
the world. Merchandise, manu-
facture, commerce between the
nations, railroads, schools, colleges
everything must suffer and
stop when the farmer suffers and
stops. Everything begins in the
soil, and the best and surest gold
mine on earth is just six or twelve
inches below the surface. The
rich ores of California and Colo
RADIO, the diamonds of Peru and
the pearls of Ceylon are worthless
when the tilling of the soil stops.
The wealth of the country depends
upon cotton, corn, rice, wheat,
pork, beef and the multitude of
productions by the farmer. Give
US enough to eat and to wear, and
all the other interests of humani-
ty will take care of themselves.
Let drought and famine come, let
starvation stalk through our
streets-and what is all else be-
sides worth to the greatest coun-
try beneath the sun?
This reminds US of the impor-
tance of cherishing and fostering
all our agricultural interests.
When farming and farmers -four
ish, everything else t1oulishes, and
vice versa. There ought to be ag-
ricultural schools and colleges
built in every section Of country;
and farmers ought to be among
the best educated and informed
men IN the country. The agri-
culturalist ought to be, to some
extent, scientific man-knowine
al about the nature and character
Of the soil he cultivates, the seeds
he plants and reaps, the stock he
raises and sells, all about the
principals and properties of fer.
tllization and the methods of hus
bandry by means of labor-savint
skill and machinery. Farmers
ought to be fairly educated men
and ought to know how to make
the farm profitable and the coun
try home attractive and comforta
ble for himself and his rising gen
eration.
One of the sadest features of to
lay in the South is the tendency
of the young people to quit tn,
country and flock to the towns
There is but little tendency to
ward improvement in farm devel
)pments and country home socie
ty. Little regard is had to cult
ure of any Northumberland
moral, religious or even physical
Everything, with but little excep
ton, is left to negroes and ten
lnts; hence thousands of goo
farms are worn out or 60 to rack
Houses are badly built or KEEP
| No attractions are seen about tn
yards and surroundings. A
lleas of taste and refinement ar
| ,gnorcd. Good schools are ul7
known In the country, and books
newspapers and music are strar
gers to our country homes. Th
boys and girls are either uncul
ured, or if they have little gen
us and aspiration they seek th
neighbering village, town or cit
for refinement and development
This ought not so to be. Ou
farms and country homes ought t
be places of attraction; and as i
olden times, people of the town
Nd cities ought to covet these ri
raj retreats as places of refneme1
and elevated association at leas
There ought to be as good societ
in the country as anywhere elst
and farmers ought to be, in lare
measure, as cultivated as othe
people. How pleasant and prof
able it used to be to make a Wis
to many of our country places!
This is not all. BY the scientifi
cultivation of the soil, and by I'll
proper culture of home life an
society in the country, the farm
ing interests become more valu,
BILE and productive. The land
enhanced, and skill and brains ne
only make more than plodding is
norance can even accomplish, br
they leave a lasting inheritanc
for future generations. VIII
waste our resources by unskillfl
farming leaving worn-out plant,