The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-01-26
AGRICULTURAL LITERATURE.


cultural papers, attends agricultural
meetings and discussions, and keeps
we'll informed on the issues of the
agricultural press, but who does not
mingle much with farmers in their
homes, will be apt to have a higher
idea of agricultural progress than the
facts warrant. A catalogue Of agri:
cultural papers and books looks for
midable, and considered in connection
with the multiplicity of fairs and cat
tale shows over the country would
seem to Indicate that the high tide Of
agricultural progress had been reached.
But a little observation about the
homes of many well-to-do farmers dis
pels this illusion. The general man
agement shows a clear advance over
that Of thirty or forty years ago. And
yet very little, after all, to compare
with the vast advance of the country
in business methods and developments
during that time. Machinery, as
shown before, has been forced on the
farmer, and in social culture there has
been a gain; but as to farm methods
not brought by machinery there is a
great deal Of stagnation, Indifference
and 1outine. One would rather ex-
pect to see agricultural papers, or some
of the great weeklies with agricultural
departments, in almost every family
making ~pretensions to social standing,
but, on the contrary, they are the ex-
ception rather than the rule. I do
not believe that such papers are yet
taken by one-quarter of the farmers of
the country, and even in many cases
where they are taken they seem to
exert little or no influence; while as to
agricultural libraries-that is, books
collected and preserved for reference,
such as physicians, lawyers, clergy
men, editors, architects, &C., collect
about them, 1t is doubtful if each
town averages more than one or two.
The influences that surround men are
often very subtle, and no doubt our
agricultural literature does influence
thousands in unconscious ways, even
in cases where outwardly men oh
%stinately set themselves against it.
The improved farming Of one man
among a dozen or two does it's "fne
work" in time and the paper which
has only the boys for readers instead
of the master Of the house is silently
instilling them with inquiring ideas,
which bear fruit when their turn
comes as landowners. Hence there is
no reason to lessen effort in this direc-
ton, but rather to increase it.-IHe~
Practical Farmer.
Agricultural progress is always the
key stone in the grand arch of univer-
sal prosperity.-It is the invariable
door way to everything that is sub
s~tantial and profitable in the business
relations Of the great world. The very
important obligation imposed upon us
by the indispensable industry Of the
farmers, deserves the favor of immedi-
ate and kindly consideration. There
is no success in any department Of
work outside of a considerate recogni
ton of our close relationship with and
entire dependence upon this worthy
class Of laborers. AS the best stimu-
lus to agricultural enterprise and de-
velopment, we would humbly recon
mend the formation of a Rockingham
County Farmers Association. Such
an organization has been formed in
the county of Wayne (the editors
home) and we can honestly certify to
the valuable interest it has engendered
and the great benefit it has bestowed
upon the farmers of that section
ReadsvaUe Times.