Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-11-09
DOES FARMING PAY?
Has II no Attractions for the Young?
Daniel Needham's Answers.

/ hon DAnleI Neednam, president OF the
New England Agricultural Society, In his
admirable, thoughtful address at the re-
cent fair at Worcester, after reviewing
briefly the history of the society for the
thirty years of It's existence as shown by
| its marked success in bringing together
farmers, inventors, manufacturers, me
chsn.cs and public men and exhibiting The
best products OF their skill and study IN
| improved lsbor-ssving machinery. TO he
/ utilized in the building up of domestic
/ comforts in the home he compared agri-
| cultural with other leading industries, no
/ ting its universal recognition by govern
ments Of the world as of great importance
/ in fact all other industries combined are
! Of less Importance than agriculture
/ or special interest to-day are the en-
/ Payments Of agriculture. While laborers
/ by ten thousands in other industries are
1 see king in vain for employment no con-
/ siderable number OF men engaged in the
/ legitimate business Of agriculture are
| idle or have their names enrolled In the
I long list OF hsu kruptcies, numbering some
I nine THOUSAND Since the first Of last Janu.
/ AIRY President Needham then continued
answering questions which are 30 often
heard, a. follows:
And yet we are told that farming does
| not pay. that it has no attractions for the
4 yodng. Are We not ourselves largely re-
! spon>ble for this depreciation Of the
B ,.
We ourselves not the most guilty by *
am le aud precept OF creating prejudice
/ against industries natural and necessary
out Of which always have and sti!l cnu.
Time 10 come all Individual and national
! prosperity? Why do the father aud mother
in The development of early oyhoof point
/ to the prizes Of life - though they could
/ be secured only 10 the college diploma or
the mill ~ manufacturer Or the counter
Of $ merChsn,;
! How many mothers 4, they stand
dresrily In the midst Of = wrari-nInr d.
nestle labor. say 10 the growing daughter
/ standing 81 her side ''Oh ! hope yuu " III
never have TO work a. do 4, The
same time the farm has been earned and
paid for and there are means In the sur
plus earnings 10 educate both boy aud
girl in harmony with the highest demands
Of modern social culture. Why not seCnr,
IN the farm operations every mechanical
device which has been established by gen
eral recognition 70 relieve human lsbur ~
side a. we'll a. outside Of the house:
why not use some Of the surplus In Sc
curing other human hands 10 tighten the
burden Of the wife and the mother? Why
not see something better in manhood than
the ingathering and boarding Of money OF
- - as..k
ton? Why be lured by the ignis fItuus OF
college or social life. as though the one
could make man and the other secure
happiness? The power Of manhood. like
the growth OF the flower and the tree /.
from within and not from without, anc
the highest purpose Of life is attained il
the building up Of virtuous home anC
the rearing TO usefulness the children
who shall help make IT,
Who Of US here or elsew here does not
know that In the qriet and comfort OF ,
simple home Is found the only rest which
contributes TO the happiness OF humanity
Who does not see that the artificial III,
AZ fashionable watering places, with fours
INLAND and polo games is q hndranc,
rattle. than q help to the development Of &
real man:
How many New England farmers have
! j
of the health of s loving wife and oppor.
tunities for their own culture, which after
the settlement Of their estates has been
temptation to ruin rather than a help to
good on the part of dAintily cared foi
children for whom an ambition for 81
| easier life has been the parents only carei
Continually leaning upon parental support
will no more make strong mau or woman
in their moral OF mental growth than The
neglect to use the muscles Of the limbs
will give strength and power to the body
The highest type OF man Is self poised
and takes on the art of balancing in it-
daily growth. Parents remembering
their own struggles, and the little vic
tories which were born OF anxiety and
hard work. must not distrust the capacity
Of their children to light their own battle,
or deceive themselves by thinking that the
wind and the storm are not necessary q
the deep and broad roofing Of the elm
and the oak
The fear Of physical labor never con.
tributed anything toward the making OF a
strong man, and yet II might be inferred
from the dainty and care-taking manner
Of educating and bringing up our children
and the deep solictude which We manifest
in providing for them an inheritance
which will enable them 10 start their new
lives in comparative luxury. that we re
gard physical labor as a stumbling bloch
in the pathway of the young, and are read,
10 make any sacrifices of comfort to re
move 1t.
Pride is born Of dleness, and individual
decay has made deep inroads in the vita
powers of developing youth when preju
dice against labor has found Judgement il
the mind. II any one condition more thar
another has contributed TO the making OF
what the civilized world recognizes as tn,
most valuable characteristic OF the New
| England men. ii has been the necessity OF
hard physical labor accompanied by ju
dicious but constantly studied economy.
To be ashamed to work 10 any manly
calling is un-American. To estimate The
value of man by the accommodations OF
money is un-American. To establish any
standard made by wealth, office or inheri
lance as of itself worthy to command re
spect or honor. Is un-Amercan.
Manhood, out of which shsll be devel
| oped character, free from the faint anC
corrupting influences of ancestry or acct
dental birth or fortunate conditions il
life, is the ideal which every American
parent should hold up to stimulate the am
bition Of his child
With our improved implements there i:
no agricultural labor half as exscting a:
the games of foot or baseball, and has
fraction of the attendant hazards of per
sonal injury. All necessary labor is hon
orsble and there Is no labor more neces
sary than that OF the farmer.
II is humiliating to feel that there is &
possible necessity to bring before a New
England audience aphorisms of such uni
versally recognized value. And yet is il
not true that the generation of young meI
and women of our New England stock fee
from our hillsides and valleys in their ear
ly maturity and seek employment in crowd
ed cities? May we not ask ourselves
would they thus hasten their departure
from the scenes of their youth and the
homes of their fathers IL the true ordeals
of life. rather than its superficial out
growths, were held up to them?
Can any human philosophy erect stand
ard of happiness simply from the accumu-
lation of wealth?
In the history of two thousand years
can pathway of human happiness be es-
tabished by the lives of kings. parliamen
tarians, senators or generals, however
successful. which the scholar or the states
man can lay down as a guide worthy Of
even q moments consideration? Crest
rulers and eminent warriors have had hap.
piness only as in their great offices they
have studied the interests and protected