Arizona republican., 1922-06-04


What mean to deal with is the evident conception
of the writer. who is young and therefore mex
perenced with such things years. that there is an
abnormality in the fact that of well past sixty
should take up farming and succeed.
We would refer this young writer to DE Senec-
tute" where Cicero makes Scipio Africanus (the
younger) then a very old man. in his imaginary
dialogue with Laelius. speak of agriculture
fitting occupation of really old men, and of his
extensive work agriculture. written after he had
retired from the activities of and statecraft.
81 now to the pleasure of the farmers" he
says, Sin which take amazing delight These
are not hndered by any extent of old age and
to me to approach nearest to the ideal wise mans
life For he has to deal with the earth, which
refuses its obedience, nor returns what it has
received without usury; sometimes, indeed with less,
but generally with greater interest. For my part,
however, it is not merely the thing produced, but
the earth's own force and natural productiveness
that delight me. For having received In its bosom
the seed scattered broadcast upon it, softened and
she first keeps concealed (hence
the narrowing which accomplshes this gets its
from a word meaning to hide); next when it has
been warmed by her heat and close pressure, she
splits it and draws from the greenery of the
blade. This, supported by the fibres of the root,
little by little grows up upright by its Joined
stock is enclosed in sheaths, being still immature.
When it has emerged from them it produces an ear
of corn, arranged In order, is defended against
the pecking of the smaller birds by regular pasade
of spikes"
Then follows long list of eminent Romans who
found pleasure in observation-disclosures who
summoned from the plough to be made Dictator;
GURUS as well others, who used to receive their
summonses attend the Senate in their farm house
sWas these mems old age an object of pity?" Scpio
is made to inquire. In my opinion" he continues,
scarcely any life can be blessed alone
its utility for agriculture is beneficial to the whole
human race) but also much from the pleas
ure of the thing and from the rich abundance and
supply of all things necessary for the food of man
and for the worship of the gods above. =
"This kind of good fortune then, it is In the
power of old to enjoy; nor is age any bar to
our maintaining pursuits of every other kind and
especially Of agriculture, to the very extreme verge
of old age For instance, have it on record that
NJ Valerius Coryus kept it up to his hundreth year.
living his land and cultivang it after his active
career was over though between his first and sixth
consulships there was interval of six and forty
years So that he had an official career lasting the
number of years which ancestors defined as
coming between birth and the beginning of old age.
Moreover that period of his old age more blessed
than that of his middle life, inasmuch he had
greater influence and less labor For the crowning
grace of old age is influence"
A training for agriculture is advantageous
as a training any other pursuit, that it might
appear that one who had begun earlier would be
better equipped But man of good judgment at
sixty has before him the counsel of county
agent and an accumulation of agricultural wisdom
which has been marvelously added to In the last
generation that he is much more likely to make
success of farming than man not brought up on
farm would have been half century ago.
The Glendale man needs no encouragement for
he has succeeded, but there may be other sixty
year-old who want to lay aside their
strenuous work of youth middle age.