The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-11-03


Than Ever before.
AZ no time in the history OF the conn.
Wy mas the future of agriculture been
more promising. There was a time. not
long ago, when the soil and the farmer
were not ON friendly terms. when there
was a conflict between them. But thai
time - past. or is passing with the no-
gressive farmer.
lie has learned, Is learning every day.
that the fault was with him and moi
the land. The soil, lacking certain in.
gradients. could moi produce good re.
suits The horse cannot be expected
to works at the pillow all day. many DAYS.
II fed only on dry hay.
To-day the farmer is coaxing his land
very much as he does his stock. or he Is
providing food for his plants with al.
most AS much care as he feeds his ami.
mails, il he expects TO be succession
= ne farmer tests his land for himself:
ne does not wait for the chemist. 81
prefers to be his own chemist in his
way. Ifpotash. nitrogen or phosphorus
acid are wanted, he adds them. and he
mas come to the stage OF independence
when he mixes his own fertilizers. and
knows exactly with what he has to
work. That's progress Commercial
iertii'zers are the farmers aids. but the
government analysis and inspection
has opened his eyes. and he sees now
ina he may prepare his fertilizers
a save money.
The farmer no longer plants haphaz-
ara, ne has begun to see that a0ricul.
ture Is an art. a science more intricate
than any other; that to be successful in
Its prosecution he must know several
sciences. No longer does he merely
drop a potato in the earth, cover it up.
Keep down the weeds and dig the in.
crease in the fall. He studies the soil
and the fertilizer and then the potato.
Shall he plant large or small potatoes.
cut or uncut, one eye or more, the stem
end or the seed end?
Thus throughout the range Of agri.
every step is thought out and
practically made in advance. There are
many croakers about agriculture, some
croakers in newspaper Offices
who. possibly, might be able to tell q
from a grindstone, who rise
up periodically TO say with a loud voice
more or less. according 70 their circu-
Iation) that agriculture has q black
Eye; that it is limping along on one leg,
md not very strong leg at that. and
the whole fabric Of agricult ure,
ike the sheep. is going to the dogs.
II these croakers had attended some
II the winter meetings that have
been held in the different states last
and e the interest and enthu-
'iasm, seen the men-aye, the
assembled aud spent two or three
lays In asking each other questions and
comparing notes, the agricultural pessi-
mist would admit, If honest. that there
. a force behind agriculture that will
let ii stand still. Let every farmer
ieep his shoulder to the wheel. Il
urns easier than it did. and does not
ave to be helped out of SO many ruts
nd ~quagmires as it did. Let every
armer be proud of his calling, stick to
dignity it and wear by il mot pro-
Why. 1t is not long ago when the
armer at gatherings of any kind took
back seat; it was rare to see a farmer
a the platform. All the speeches were
aade by the lawyer. the clergyman
the good talker" Of no calling or
That has changed. The
armer got nearer and nearer to the
latform. and now, forsooth. he is on
and doing the talking, and taking no
dds of any man. This is not idle talk;
is fact. Agriculture is alive. -Georae
.ppleton, in Farm and Preside.