The Florida agriculturist., 1906-04-04
Farming.

that farming has advanced and is no
longer something to be looked down
sion and one that must be studied us
certainly as any other.
1t is wonderful how varied is the
meaning conveyed to different minds
by the use of the same word, and it
is equally remarkable how a word can
take on new meaning to the same in
dividual as his horizon expands. n
thousand various phases are attribut-
able to Il single word, and as our civil
liZation advances the same word grows
to have a new and broader meaning
We were led to reflect upon this on
account of the new impetus given to
OuH calling farming. Farming has
begun to have Il broader meaning to
the world at large, and especially to
those engaged in this time-honored oc-
cupation. The human mind has
branched out into all the professional
and industrial lines, and spent its
mighty force in mastering medicine,
law, literature and science; i'll learning
the Use of steam, developing our
minds. in building our cities anu factO-
ries, in inventing machinery, in COM
pretending electricity and Harvesting
1t to thousand uses, in developing
our water power, and i'll all the many
useful arts that minister to the wants
of man. SO interesting has been these
various fields and so inviting from a
financial point of view, that we can
not wonder if the quick, alert minds
ana the ambitious among our youths
have all been drafted from our farms,
and as Il rule only the quiet, unasSer-
tive ones and those who We're denied
the best advantages of means and
education were left to till our soil
Hence farming gradually came to be
considered as an occupation to be fol
lowed by any one who could not make
their way i'll the other more strenuous
lines of work. Farming came to mean
to the majority of our SOuthernerS, All
occupation for those to follow who
could not succeed at other callingS.
They thought it meant to plOw and to
hoe, to SOW and to reap, and consider
ed the muscle of one man as cOmpe-
tent as that of another, to carry farm
ing on successfully. But now the
human mind and thought has completed
its circle and has returned to eXpend
its accumulated force upon mans first
great calling, since it is recognized as
the foundation upon which the perma-
nent success OF all the others must
rest. Then, too, it is conceded to pos
SeSS natural advantages ill healthful-
ness, freedom and rounded develop
ment, vOuchSafed to none other. So
now, the human mind has conceived
the purpose and possibility OF raising
farming UP to be both a science and all
art, and the professor in his char,
the lawyer i'll his office, the banker,
the merchant and the doctor, are ali
thinking out agricultural problems, un-
til the farmer himself has begun to
feel the quickening impulse of new life
ana higher conceptions.
The very word farming has taken on
Il new meanInS-a broader, deeper ana
higher meaning. Now requirements
are being demanded, better work is
being done, Il higher standard is being
set, and unaccomplished possibilities
rise to our view We rejoice i'll every
quickened impulse and wish to encour-
age every improved method and to
stimulate all who are engaged i'll farm
ing to improve their soil, home and