The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-05-30
The Farm.
THE FARMERS INFLUENCE.

realizes how UNNECESSARILY superior is
his lot to that Of the farmer of the
Middle Ages or even century ago,
says the EpitOmiSt. Indeed, 1T is not
necessary to go back so far as that, for
lust before the war will do as well.
Then the reaper was unknown to the
majority of the agriculturalists; the
riding pillow was unheard of and the
self-binder was afar Off. These are
familiar examples, but they are held to
include the principal changes in the
farmers life. Indeed it is not unusual
to find those who think that there is
nothing being done now to make the
farmers life easier. They hold that all
the good has been done and that the
future holds nothing that will be of
value. Yet it is doubtful if in any field
there is more progress going on in the
direction of improvement in the lot of
the people than in agriculture and its
arts. The farmer is, because perhaps of
his prominence in the elections, an OBJ
ject of much solicitude to the inventor
and the politician. Anything that tends
to make the farmer less dissatisfied
will make the plans of the politician
safer anything that will be of general
benefit to the farmer will make the in
ventor a fortune, for there is no class
that reaches out more eagerly after
these things than the agriculturist. So
vastly has the farmers influence and
knowledge of the doings of congresses
and legislatures advanced that there
is a constant effort to placate and
please him. The legislative records
show that the larger portion of the
laws introduced are for the benefit of
farmers in some way. With the adj
vance in political education and ad-
vantage the farmer has reaped mate
rial benefits that have been uplifting
and helpful. The surroundings of his
home and the appliances that he uses
in the work in the fields all have their
effect in making him a broader man
and a fairer student of humanity than
he was before. He has progressed be-
cause he has been close to the heart
of nature and has listened to her teach
ings. We do not know, probably, how
far he has progressed. but some day
hO VIII dWdhSH anu Will uuQ JDdC ne
is giant, whereas he thought himself
a dwarf. And the farmers wife!
Does not she share the advancement?
She is no more the downcast woman
that she appears in the pages of the
old novelist. She has her own maya
zine and her own department in the
country papers. Read the correspon-
dence that comes to the aforesaid
county papers and see why she is re-
spected. She is the ruler of the dis
trfct. She INDUCES in societies that
are for the benefit of the race. as does
her sister in town. She sits on the
school board and has the say in the
meetings. She no more has to struggle
with the butter and milk The inven-
ton of the creamery separator allows
the farm hands to care for all that.
They pour the milk into the huge cans
and one of the children drives off with
it in the early morning to the milk
station, where are issued on the first
of the month checks for the receipts
of milk that represent a good deal
more than the housewife of old could
have done with all her work and
worry. There is no more churning and
the butter chat won't come" is re-
Notwithstanding more. IF it were
not for the enforced absence from so