The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1890-08-23
FARMER AND PLANTER.
BURIED TREASURE.
Education and Intelligence as Applied to
Farming.

1t is one of those problems which has
worked itself out. American agricult-
are has advanced from the rude state
Of the savage and the low ranks OF a
mere occupation, to the heights OF an
interesting and experimental science.
Regarding the subject from practical
point, is morally impossible for man,
ignorant of the first principles of nat
ural philosophy, to become thrifty
and progressive farmer. We see daily |
illustrations of the grossest viola
lions of all natural laws. Take |
for example the simple item
of breaking the land for plant |
ing; in most cases it needs to be broken |
from four to six inches, whereas the av-
erage farmer plows about two inches
below the surface, leaving unbroken
sub-strata of iron ore that it is impossl-
BILE for the roots of plants to penetrate.
The result is all chance of capillary at
traction is destroyed, and the plant can
not endure the drought or excessive
rains as well as if the soil received
proper cultivation. AS soon as the ex-
IRENE heat and drought of summer
comes on, it withers away for the want
of the moisture which it fails to draw
through this hard. metallic crust. Or
when the heavy rains set in, the thin
top strata is soon surfeited with
moisture, as 1t can not sink through
this same impenetrable crust and the
surplus water must remain on the
surface till carried off by evapora-
ton, and during this process the
roots OF the plant, lying so near the sur
face as to be sensible of the direct rays
of the sun, are virtually scalded to
death, while the stagnant water is ex-
haling all manner of noxious vapors.
and generating the malaria, which Is
such a curse to our Southern climate.
This also suggests the Importance OF
thorough drainage in connection with
deep cultivation, to better insure sani-
tary comfort, which we will speak OF
further on.
The subject of deep cultivation recalls
the story of the Farmer and the Buried
| Treasure" which used to read at school.
At the time it made small impression,
though in later years it brings itself to
my mind with force all its own.
IA farmer had two sons, and being
about to die he called them to his bed
side and addressed them in these words:
Sons said he, there is treasure
buried on the old farm. 1 trust you
will not make the mistake so many
young men have done, of going to the
city to seek your fortune amid whirl-
pool of uncertainties and disappoint-
ments, while honorable employment,
rich compensation for all your labor,
and mind free from harassine
cares and corroding temptations,
await you here in your old home.
So l make this my last and dying re-
quest, that you stay at the farm and
search for the buried treasure. / will
not disclose to you the exact spot where
it lies, but if you dig deep YOU
perseverance is sure to be re
warded. Do not be discouraged il
you fail to find it at once. Itmay be sew
oral wears, for it is not buried on the
surface, but when found the richness o
the treasure will repay you many times
over for the years of labor and waiting.
The brothers were not long in begin
ming the search for the hidden treasure
All their spare moments were employed
in digging for it, and while cultivation,
the land they plowed and dug deep
never losing sight of the hope of turn
ing up the treasure with tho clods
Harvest came on apace, and its bountie
astonished both themselves and tn
neighbors. The years sped on. A
length at the close of the fifth yea
their harvest truly was great an
their gamers and storehouses wer
full. They had begun to realize tina
with every sod they turned they wer
unearthing the treasure for which the
, had toiled so faithfully, and they coul
but ackno Wedge the wisdom of thei
, father in bequeathing to them the rio
. treasure of the soil instead of the golt
, which, though so heavy, often takes
itself wings and flies away And thu
|, by teaching them habits of industr
= and impressing upon them the impo
!. lance of proper cultivation, he had LEI
. them rich inheritance, that would
theirs for all time to come. And so fl
. us all treasure lies buried, if we wi
. only dig deep to obtain it."
: The intelligent farmer knows that
d is to his advantage to use labor-savir
O machinery for cultivating and harves
q ing his crops. That few hundred dc
4 lars judiciously expended for the be
n brands of machinery, would prove
v wise investment, if the land is first p
a in condition to use it. No sane ma
s will attempt to use machinery in fie
IT intersected by open bitches, or full
y unsightly stumps. He. knows well Il
p value of cultivating every foot of lal
n that is not pretending to take res
10 Open bitches must be made undt
IS ground, i. e., those tributury to the ma
10 one. This also obviates the trout
n and expense of cleaning ditch banl
Is The stumps, though making such fC
IS midable array, are soon an army
fallen foes, if proper tactics are 81