Year: 1877

NWINOMlEh 'N iilb w his


PA1H.


A wise saying has been left on re-
cord, to the effect that wc are 10 be-
ware Of the enemies who SANDER Us.
and of the friends who will not tell
US of our faults; and, upon reflection,
it is difficult to determine which du
as most harm.


A kind friend, writing from L.
Conner, informs us that there is
dissatisfaction in that vicinity on ac
count of the fact that we mentioned
in an editorial correspondence from
that part of the country, the marked
difference between the results OF
farm labor performed b> experienced,
skillful farmers, and that uf men
who, at an advanced stage in life.
leave some other calling for that ol
husbandry. The writer states that
such persons as the latter class,
around that place, compare favor
ably with the others, and that he
thinks the comment IN just.


A prominent and no,lceab|e char
acteristic of Puget Sound farmers is
that as a class they are made NJ So
largely of men who knew nothing
about farming prior Ia settling here
men who left the mines, the lumber
woods. the sailors life, or any one of
the different occupations which en-
gross mems time, for iheir present
pursuit. AS a consequence they are
many years in learning to conduct 4
farm proftably; or, where they do
succeed, the cause lies NOR" in the
natural richress of their soil. o favor
able climate, or Other .irsirnblc sur
roundings, than in any skill in ply.
ing their vocation. Besides, where
such examples are addured, No more
universal a truism could be stated
than that if their places Were fl ed
by thorough. going, practica farmers
who had been "raissd To the bust
ness" much greater degree of
prosperity would be attained. The
converse can easily be proven to oe
untenable ground, by comparing the
case with others who might be
mentioned. Who would expect a
bricklayer to become skillGul ply
sician, without proper course of
training, or merchant to become an
efficient engineer on the same basis?
And vet there is as much reason in
the ono case as in the other. AS
well expect the carpenter Of to-day
TO become the theologian of tomor
row, as to expect men, reared and
trained in other kinds OF business, to
become experts in agricultural pur-
suits. 1t is quite true that in many
instances a natural adaptability is
noticed, yet in no case does this
compensate for a lack Of practical
knowledge. Many persons get the
idea that almost any kind Of a mum
skull can become = successful farmer;
that no training worth mentioning is
necessary, and that if man fails to
succeed in any or all of the other in
dustrial professions he can at least
do as we'll as others in tilling the
soil. This idea, however, has no
lodging place in any discerning
mind if placed where observations
from real life can be taken.


We were not aware Of affirming,
neither do NO intimate that the resi-
dent farmers around La Conner
comprise less experienced persons in
proportion to the mass than those Of
any other community on the Sound;
but this we do say, that our com
ments, as made, were from personal
observation, based on some degree Of
agricultural experience, and that the
differences noted are none the less
conspicuous still. We have none
but the kindiest feelings for the
Swinomish farmers, and would by no
means have them misrepre sented
through our columns, yet we do not
propose to follow in the wake OF the
average newspaper editor who, in
writing up the country, considers it
his duty to publish the most unquali-