Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-03-08
BRAINS ON THE FARM.

BRAINS ON THE FARM.
tnsslllgsacs aid Study - Necessary - q
the Store o. shop.
The successful farmer. East and
West, is the one who devotcs himself
most diligently to the business Of ag-
ticulture. He should not delegate his
work to others. nor fancy that toll OF
mind or body for which he pays can
efficiently take the place Of that which
he himself might perform. The man
who attempts to live BY any other pro-
fession or business finds that the first
condition of success lies in his full un-
derstanding Of his work and his COM
plete devotion to it The lawyer. the
physician. the merchant, the manufact-
urr. the artisan. the chemist all de-
vote themselves solely to the voca-
tons that they have chosen. all pur.
sue the lines of labor before them
faithfully. studiously, with unflagging
industry; and in direct proportion to
the industry and singleness of purpose
of each does he excel in the work he
undertakes. or achieve the object that
he has set before his life to attain. The
same rule holds good to the farmer.
His thoughts and his interest should
all center about his farm. his stock
and his crops. His farm should DO
his first interest and occupation; all
other matters in which he engages
should subordinate themselves COM
pletely to that.
BY this we do not mean that farmer
should become . dumb slave to his
work. We do not mean that he should
make himself mere draught horse.
toiling early and late under the self
inflicted gOad of avarice or stupidity,
even As his OK and horse labor for him.
We do not mean that he should toll, rs
farmers we have known have done. un-
remittingly Increasingly. allowing
themselves neither physical nor mental
recreation in their eager desire to ac-
cumulate wealth. until the health was
impaired. and their one desire was
thwarted by the very persistence of
their efforts to obtain it
No. the life of slavish toll that many
farmers lead is not only unwise, but
wholly unnecessary. A fair degree OF
effort, intelligcntly directed, will al
ways secure to him, If the conditions of
soil and surroundings are at all favor
able. more than living competence. A
farmer has it in his power to secure
more of ease and comfort, during the
time when he is amassing his fortune.
than the member of any other occupa-
ton. He is more Independent than
any other man. as entirely independent
rs any man can be in civilized society.
The enjoyment to be derived from pure
air, fresh fruits and flowers, and all the
beautiful things in nature, that other
men seek at cost of expenditure of time
and money. may be part of his every
day life. The conditions of real pleas
ure and comfort are his in far greater
degree than is granted to most of men
of other vocatio the question is how
fully he will avail himself of these
to make his daily happiness.
Generally speaking, the more intel
ligent farmer is, the more contented
and successful he is. The man who
most thoroughly understands. not only
the nature of the soil he til!s, the char
acter and value of all plants and other
things directly connected with agri-
culture, but other departments of
as well, and especially the
nature and needs of men, will. other
things being equal. prove the most sue
cessful farmer. We never yet knew an
ignorant man who was good farmer
The most truly success
full workers in agriculture read and
ponder and understand. With minds
active and devoted to their business.
they are ever ready to search for infor-
nation wherever it is to be found. in
books or papers. and to profit by its
practical use. and the farther they
search into the realms of science the
more thoroughly do they see that the
mine of useful knowledge revealed by
the proper study of agriculture and the
relative physical sciences is well-nigh
"Book-farming" is
often spoken of with great contempt.
but this contemptis wholly undeserved.
Books on farming contain the expert I
ence gained by many practical farmers
direct contact with their work /
for many years. He who reads and
profits by the lessons which these men
learned saves himself not only the time
spent in learning these things by the
slow process of experience, but time.
labor and money often lost through the
mistakes of ignorance. Every man.
then. who puts his hand to the plow
should be, in every wise and reasona-
Bile sense, a book-farmer.- Chicago
Inter Ocean.