The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-01-26


alize that after all the railroad is the far
mer's highway to market? 1t is not as
means for travelling that steam has proved
most important There would without
steam power be no possibility of marketing
oue-thousandth of our crop of cereals. 1t
would be positive detriment to man In
the West to have thousand acres OF
wheat, or even thousand bushels. he
could do nothing with it. He could
neither use it, nor sell it, nor get 1t on
his land. So when the railroad was invent
ed something happened of immense import
ance to the farmer.
Fifty years ago one-third OF all our
laborers were agriculturists; now only one
eighth are such. Meanwhile the number
engaged in traffic and in mechanical arts
has proportionally increased The farmers
life was retired and lonely for the most
part: and the members of the family were
compelled to do for themselves what the
trades now do for them-that is, weave,
sew, knit and spin; make and mend their
own shoes, harness and clothes; mend their
own tools, and use them till worn to stub
and hub, to the great loss of labor and
time
Look at the inside and outside of our
houses by contrast | hear now the piano
or organ in place of the spinning wheel.
Often the change is not charming; but
music is a refinement and cultivator as well
as Joy. The sewing machine is in every
house. There are lovely window plants
blossoming in novels and in the worst city
tenements. 1t no longer pays to make
even our own rag carpets; it is better to
buy handsome rugs or Brussels, aud sell
our rags to be worked over into paper that
shall come back to us in books. Fifty
wears ago farmers library consisted of
perhaps twenty books. The best of them
contained Jays Sermons, 'Josephus,
'sFoxs Book of Martyrs, and one or two
more readable volumes, with a good deal
that deadened rather than quickened the
brain. Indeed, the chief use of a book
then was to sleep over. Now you will
hardly fnd farmers house without a daily
newspaper, with Harper, Seribner, Century
or the Atlantic, and generally two Of them.
| l know farmers who take FIVE or six papers
and foreign as well rs home quarterlies,
with monthlies. sit is cheap education,
said one, sand it crowds out the bad stuff.
This is the backward look; what can We
fairly anticipate by forward look? On
the same line of progress we have still a
good deal TO desire in the way Of machinery
We have to husk our corn by hand, only
with few mechanical appliances very i'm
perfect. We will not do this much longer
There is nothing the farmer more dislikes
than this late work, especially when, as in
! 1888, the weather is wet and cold. We
need improved methods Of hauling OUT
farm crops The horses and wagons are
an enormous exP@Se for feed, shoeiag and
repairing. An electric motor applied TO q
farm vehicle win be a blessing that viii
revolutionize us Our hardest winter work
is feeding and grooming horses and keeping
roads open and vehicles in decent order
Think of the consequences Of an electric
motor in reducing the number Of horses
carts and hard work IN stables Now ouI
barns must be stuffed with hay aud grain
to keep the stock through, and j, is all 8
farmer can do to tide over the cousump-
ton Of long winter. Il eats up hi.
| profits.
/ The proportion Of farmers will again be
reduced to one third Of the present ratio
for their labor will not be needed in that
line There will be an increase of small
farms devoted to raising a large variety 81
1 products and Of market gardens These
win reduce the labor Of production to q
minimum; production to a maximum. and
convenience. comfort and Injuries will bs
steadily increased
We must, however. before settling down
TO the work Of fulfilling our own prophecies
note another line of remarkable progress
Ii was one year ago, or Pehaps two, when
/ / sounded note OF alarm about the in,
crease Of weeds, and the rapid manner ia
which they we're whipping our less indus
trious and tactful population. But | have
learned to modify my views. There Is nc
doubt about the weeds and the mischief
they are doing; but there has been a rapid
development Of late skin in Transforming
many Of the worst weeds into food products
or textile products. The nettle Is nov
I found to be Of great value as textile
The cotton plant is used not only for the
production Of cloth, but every part Of the
plant aud seed Is commercially valuable
/ The pine needles that cover millions Of
acres are used for sacking No plant exists
but we shall learn to uiilizeit. Our wealth
is under our feet But my article Is rum
| ing on quite at too much length foT q
model New Years production. Sometimes
turning over new leaf Is not just the
thing. But | say othe farmers, all that has
occurred SO far is only sort Of shaking up.
Nature does not dare 20 move too fast with
US IL would upset our brains The great
inventions, discoveries and wonders are yet
to come. Happy may your New Year be.