Year: 1873

corn, their hay, and to pasture a cow,
deeming that cheaper than to buy or
hire. A sheep worth four dollars, doing
moderately, pays % per cent. in wool
and when he is old, if you sell him for
lamb, will double his first cost. There is
always a sure value in neat stock, and in
horses aside from fancy prices. A well
kept farm is continually increasing in
value thus diminishing the interest on
first investments. Risks are less here than
elsewhere, and probably farming, fol-
lowed with equal enterprise and intelli-
gence, yields a larger sure profit than
any other business on the same capital


Does farming furnish no intellectual
opportunity or stimulus?


Why not as large as mercantile manu-
featuring and mechanical pursuit


Is there no subject connected with
fruit raising, the culture of the apple,
the pear, the grape, the garden straw
berry and raspberry, breeding of the do
mestic animals, the annaliZation of the
soil, and composing, which invites study
and thought, as well as experiment!
Nothing to be read respecting the nutri-
tious qualities of roots, vegetables and
plants Nothing to be learned by study,
of bees. poultry, grasses, and all kinds
of food for man and beast? What is the
meaning Of agricultural colleges, agri-
cultural libraries, and all the books writ
ten on the subjects Of special and pecu-
liar interest to the farmer of which there
might be, doubt not, larger collection
made than can be found on any other
one subject except theology


Is there no stimulus to composition
and defamation ....


Why, there ought to be well-read and
practical farmers enough to address fifty
agricultural societies in each State in
in the Onion, once every year, and as


many to read essays before farmers
clubs, instead of drawing upon the other
profession for your speakers. Surely
Il ere is an impropriety in all this agri-
cultural talk. They may not be learned,
ia the broad sense of the term, but able
to give their experience in terse and in
telligent language, which would be far
more valuable than anything theorists
can say. This experiment only needs
the trial to succeed. These l think are
the intellectual stimulants and 0ppOrtu-
mites of the farmer. But whether
farming pays or not, whether or not
it furnishes Ithe intellectual opportunity
which young men crave, l think other
reasons weigh against them. Sure il IS
that many have not the taste for it
they are born to other pursuits. No
one will succeed well in holding the
plough or cleaning the stable if his mind
. Is In the labratory or above the clouds
and his head is full of wheels.


The qualities of q fine artist are better
/ adapted to landscape painting and the
! chiseliDg Of monumental figures than TO
| ditching and laying stone wall


A woman viii not do well in the
kitchen and succeed with cookery when
I a beautiful picture IS conceived in her
( soul and is struggling for expression.
1 She must love home and domestic affairs
4 the best Vast numbers of persons, as
! we often say, have .sb0rn genius for
I other occupations. Others have no Ca
] pacity for farming and never could sue
ceed IN the business. | am aware there
1 is a theory of education which advocates
! instruction in principles and maintains
! that success IN one calling is a guarantee


that success might be achieved in any
| other. There IS much in favor of this


theory, so far as the investigation Of
/ facts 30. but do not believe, because a


man is a good lawyer, mechanic or schOl-
/ ar. he might therefore have been sue
! cessful agriculturist. Daniel Webster
acquired more fame, based upon his IA


nous defence of the woodchuck, even


had his advocacy ceased then, than
would have fallen to his lot in the sphere
| of husbandry. Dr. Franklin, when he


requested his father to ask blessing


over a barrel of pork which he was pack
ing, to save the time of saying grace at


the table, showed a capacity for ecOnO-
MIXING time which would not have done
for wedding beets. The lives of many
men are inspirations, and we would not


change them if We could. Ambition.
| true and false, draws many young man


away from the ancestral acres where


alone he may be successful.


The learned professions are attractive.


even to those who have no natural quail


ification TO fill them. The arena of pol
itics has thousand charmed scepters.


and the hard bred farmer seldom has "a


chance in the intricate business beyond
| his state legislature. Successful law


yers, for the most Part, are entered in


the lists for congressional honors. Post


and revenue offices are seldom filed with
| farmers. Many of these offices are
merely ornamental, and for some reason


the farmer does not consider himself a.


ornamental creature, although his use


fulness is unquestioned He makes the
earth green and fruitful, is the guardian
of its noblest fiocks and herds, the con
servator of the human race-God' 5


commissary for the world. Politics and
professional calling may inspire an hon
0rable ambition, but there is also false


ambition which is almost disease, de-
coying young men from agricultural
pursuits


Man is a gregarious animal. lie seeks
a crowd. The nnisaDces, ii not the
curses and crimes of the town, minstrels,
| fifth-rate theatrical troupes and show
men, the venders of humbugs and trick
! sters of all shades-principally black
and nystersous-te him from the
rural parts of country to poPulous cell
tres. IF the desire is not born of vanity


other causes move him. The well-dress
: ed merchant's @. bankers clerk is often
a pattern of supreme excellence 10 the
robust farmer boy, III his coarse boots
and homely working gear He dreams
out such possibility for himself and be
comes disgusted with nursing lambs and
teaching calves to drink. The soil
! clings heavier TO his feet after such a
vision, the sun shines hotter upon his
head. the oxen become stupid, the farm
} an old fogy place and he leaves it Tor
: the town where ninety-nine in every
! hundred fail, either for want of capac-


ity or through the merciless conscrip-


tions of dissipation. There are many


who have too much muscle for any 9th


er business. The most incongruous


sight / ever behold is a large brawny


man who needs nine cubic feet of air in


his lungs once in ten seconds couped up


in seven by nine store retailing fancy


goods.


My advice 10 the majority of young


men reared to farming industries is, stick


to the farm when it is possible TO secure


reasonable pecuniary profits and enjoy


ments. Raise the standard of practical


agriculture to the best theories. Except


ing the moral and religious Improvements


of the generation you are permitted to in


fluence by your virtue and integrity, the


land affords room for better work than


any other field likely to be occupied