1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



307 



For the New England Farmer. 

 MENTAL ACTIVITY AMONG FARMEHS. 



The human mind was made lor action, and is 

 active, to a greater or less degree. From the 

 utmost imbecility of infancy, there awaits it un- 

 limited power, expansion and ennoblement, at- 

 tainable by gradual steps of progress. Not by 

 flights or leaps, but by toiling self-culture, does 

 it rise from the mists and darkness of ignorance 

 to the elevation and clearer light of knowledge. 

 On its own self will depend its progress and de- 

 velopment. The obscurest son of poverty has 

 ■within him the germs of greatness and happi- 

 ness, and that will for application which oft takes 

 the precedence of genius, is of more value than 

 Croesian wealth, with all its advantages and lux- 

 uries. Mind, then, in its normal and healthy 

 condition, is capable of continual progress, which 

 ehould be sought by earnest effort. 



Whether the mind or the heart, thinking or 

 feeling, is entitled to greater regard, as more im- 

 portant, is a question long agitated and variously 

 decided by different individuals. But the can- 

 did and enlightened will admit that the mind is 

 of equal worth, and should therefore receive equal 

 attention. As an illustration of the baneful ef- 

 fects of an opposite course, we have only to look 

 at certain Christians who make the cultivation 

 of the religious sensibilities the main object. 

 Their mental capacity remains about the same as 

 twenty years ago, and so connected by sympa- 

 thetic bonds are the mind and heart, that the re- 

 ligious feelings of the latter, are often paralyzed 

 and bound in superstition by the neglect and 

 consequent narrowness of the former. Bigotry 

 follows, as a natural consequence, which to all is 

 obnoxious, and injurious to the free exercise of 

 holy influences. 



Considering, then, the nature of mind as pro- 

 gressive, and the study of all to allow it devel- 

 opment by proper action, what degree of mental 

 activity as favoring this do we find among the 

 farming population ? Many writers and orators, 

 particularly on certain festive occasions, would 

 make the occupation of the farmer very intellec- 

 tual. They parade the names of nearly all the 

 sciences, and very logically prove them connected 

 with it. That they are, may be true. It is also 

 true that some of the most practical and success- 

 ful farmers have no knowledge of these sciences, 

 except of a few facts and some general principles. 

 Now, however much agricultural writers and or- 

 ators may flatter the vanity of the farming com- 

 munity in regard to their "glorious occupation," 

 and what it may be, still the facts regarding their 

 present condition remain as proofs that the oc- 

 cupation is not wholly scientific, and that farm- 

 ers do not yet rank with professional men in 

 point of intellectual culture. A farmer in our 

 country towns can get along, and be successful 

 to a certain degree, with a practical knowledge 

 of his business, as well as can mechanics with 

 theirs ; admitting, however, that science may be, 

 and often is, called into the aid of both, and that 

 with the most happy results. But this fact is 

 sufficient to our present purpose, that farmers 

 can succeed without extraordinary, and even with 

 meagre mental acquirements and advantages. 

 This fact that they can, is indisputably estab- 

 lished by the fact that they do. Still it may be 



said that farmers rank as high or higher in in- 

 telligence, sound judgment and general informa- 

 tion than any other laboring class. There are 

 many things in their occupation favoring this. 

 Their judgment, in particular, is called into al- 

 most daily exercise, and thus strengthens and 

 matures. But as for a real desire for mental cul- 

 ture and development, resulting in earnest men- 

 tal effort, farmers as a class, to say the least, are 

 much below professional men ; though they may 

 rank as high or higher than other so-ci^lled la- 

 boring classes. But aside from these compari- 

 sons, their mental culture and development is 

 much less than from the importance and M'orth of 

 mind, duty plainly indicates. And as one reason 

 why their minds remain so dormant, their occupa- 

 tion not absolutely requiring extensive mental ac- 

 quirements, their minds reach not that state of 

 mental culture in preparation for business, which 

 awakens earnest and lasting desire for knowledge. 

 Consequently, if they have sufficient business 

 tact and practical information for success, they 

 remain satisfied. Some minds among farmers, 

 as among all classes, seem ever to have that de- 

 sire, or to have had it awakened, by the requisite 

 degree of mental training ; and they reach more 

 elevated positions, and rank as leaders. Still, it 

 may be questioned by certain persons, whether 

 the farmer's occupation is consistent with the 

 possession and indulgence of a literary taste ; 

 whether the continual cultivation of the intellect 

 is expedient, or even justifiable, in connexion 

 with manual labor on the farm. But with what 

 assurance can one argue that a farmer's knowl- 

 edge and labor should be limited to his farm, and 

 that his study should embrace only such subjects 

 as are intimately connected with it, and directly 

 subserve practical skill. Lord Bacon says, "Stud 

 ies serve for delight, for ornament and for abili- 

 ty. Their chief use for delight is in privateness 

 and retiring ; for ornament is in discourse ; and 

 for ability is in the judgment and disposition of 

 business." Now it cannot be denied but that 

 farmers, generally, have great facilities in leisure 

 and retirement for mental improvement. And 

 we doubt whether there is any class of men, tak- 

 ing these facts into consideration, with the fact 

 that their physical exercise keeps the mind fresh, 

 and their relish for mental food ever keen, that 

 may experience more delight and real happiness 

 in studies, than farmers. For ornament in dis- 

 course, many, and perhaps the general class, are 

 deficient. Even in our most prominent agricul- 

 tural papers, where on one page will be glorifica- 

 tion. essays on farming and on farmers, on anoth- 

 er, will be anecdotes or stories in which one of 

 the characters will be a farmer, and where rough- 

 ness and verdancy will be fully displayed in the 

 ideas and language imputed to him. And had 

 it not somewhat of a foundation in truth, it would 

 not be sanctioned by public opinion. Again, if 

 studies are useful in the judgment and disposi- 

 tion of business, it is certainly a consideration 

 also worthy of their commendation. The farm 

 would furnish for it ample scope, and return sat- 

 isfactory reward. 



One reason why studies are contemned by prac- 

 tical men is, that those who use them are too apt 

 to spend time over them to the neglect of their 

 business. This the same writer calls sloth. A 

 man must use judgment here, as elsewhere, iu 



