THE GENESEE FARMER 



149 



FARMERS, STUDY TOUR PROFESSION. 



Mr. Editor : — It is somewhat strange that the 

 little time farmers devote to literary pursuits, they 

 spend in acquiring political in preference to agricvl- 

 txtral knowledge. We now address the farming com- 

 munity. 



The lawyer spends his time poring over his law 

 books, acquiring a knowledge of jurisprudence. The 

 physician dissects the human body, ascertains the pre- 

 cise location of every artery, vein, muscle, nerve, bone, 

 &c., &c., acquires a knowledge of the conditions of 

 health, and the causes of disease. The minister pon- 

 ders over the Sacred Scriptures, and reads works that 

 will afford him a knowledge of di\nnity. In short, 

 they all '^ study their profession." Now, how is it 

 with the great mass of those who devote their time 

 to tilling the soil ? You profess to be farmers — agri- 

 culturists — and yet almost the sum total of your 

 reading and study is of a political character. We 

 are denominated a nation of farmers; yet we patronize 

 and support about three thousand pelitical, and but 

 sLxty or seventy agricultural, papers — about in the 

 ratio of forty-five to one. The greatest source of our 

 nation's wealth and prosperity is in her agriculture. 

 Our schools and colleges for disseminating a knowl- 

 edge of the professions of law, medicine, and divinity, 

 are numerous (all well enough) ; yet the whole nation 

 can scarcely boast of one such institution for the 

 spread of a scientific knowledge of agi'icultural opera- 

 tions. We read with delight and admiration of our 

 vast exports of agricultural products; yet do little or 

 nothing, in the aggregate, to keep up the produc- 

 tiveness of our virgin soil. We boast of our privilege 

 of having a voice in the elevation of our officers; 

 yet vote for men unskilled in our profession, who will 

 legislate on any and every subject sa^'e that of spread- 

 ing abroad a scientific knowledge of agricultural pur- 

 suits. Each state, county and town throughout the 

 Union, almost, has its regular meetings for the discus- 

 sion of political topics ; yet how few such societies 

 meet regularly and exclusively for the discussion of 

 agricultural topics, compared with the political. 



Now, farmers, our appeal is to you — to you, who 

 have the power of swaying every legislative body in 

 the Union — to you, who may say to them. Legislate 

 for us, encourage our profession, attend to our wants, 

 do what you can at least to aid us in discharging suc- 

 cessfully the most important duty devolving upon 

 man, or it shall be our most imperative duty to act 

 the part of a Cromwell — to throw you out of our 

 employ, and place those in your stead who tvill do 

 our bidding. We say, to you the question is asked. 

 Shall this system of things continue, so long as " water 

 runs" and mankind are born with the demand of food 

 stamped upon their constitutions? AVo have riiore 

 confidence and faith in the growing intelligence of 

 American farmers than to believe that such a system 

 of things will long be permitted to exist. Farmers, 

 awake ! behold your dignity and your strength ! Ex- 

 ercise the power you have for your own best interests 

 and the good of the race, and your wants will not be 

 neglected. Every farmer, or tiller of the soil, may 

 aid in this great work. 



If your library consists of but half a dozen volumes, 

 let one at least be devoted to agriculture. If you 



obtain and read two periodicals, let one be devoted 

 to agricultural topics. And since farming is your 

 profession, if you should read four or more papers, 

 let two or more be devoted to the same subject. K 

 in the future you should contribute your mite for the 

 erection and support of two institutions of learning, 

 let one be an agricultural school or college. If you 

 have two sons to be educated, let one have an agri- 

 cultural education, if such can be had in America — 

 if not, patronize the schools of the " Old World." 

 If you attend conventions, fail not to attend the ag- 

 ricultural convention. If one of two associations is 

 to be attended, political or agricultural, patronize the 

 latter. When you cast your vote into the ballot box, 

 let it be for one who will advocate boldly and faith- 

 fully the interests of your }3rofession. 



If every farmer would attend as closely to his own 

 profession as here set forth, or as the minister to his 

 text, how long, think you, it would be till the farmer's 

 calling would be as honorable as though he were 

 classed with the titled nobility ? How long, think 

 you, it would be till the farmer's profession would be 

 sought by the educated, the talented and the wealthy? 

 How long before his occupation would be loved, de- 

 sired, admired and sought ? A Young Fakmee. 



Strattonville, Pa. 



EUROPEAN CATTLE. 



Mr. Editor: — Upon opening your March number 

 for the current year, I find, among much valuable 

 matter, the following extraordinary and startling an- 

 nouncement, copied from the St. Louis Evening 

 JVews : 



" Thus it is. England imports fine cattle from the 

 continent of Europe, and the United States import 

 fine cattle from England. Yet there is no great 

 inconsistency in this. English stock-growers get 

 cattle from abroad to cross with their fine l^reeds, 

 knowing that in this way alone the superiority of 

 stock may be preserved," &c. 



Now, sir, I call upon the writer of the article for 

 proofs of his statement, or a retraction of it ; for it 

 is a statement implying that English farmers have not 

 their own stock sufficiently good, or have not sufficient 

 skill to raise it, Mathout importations from foreign 

 countries. True it is, that importations of Dutch 

 cattle in daj^s of yore formed part of the foundation 

 on which the present Short-horn breed are raised ; 

 but go now and ask a Short-horn breeder which of 

 his cattle came from the continent, and what was the 

 effect of the cross, and he will think you are laughing 

 at him. Does the writer think the bull that was sold 

 for 650 guineas at Lord Dugie's sale, or the cow that 

 fetched £700, were crossed with continental stock ? 

 Or what does he think the use of the Herd Book is ? 

 Is it to record, not where purity of blood Hes, but 

 where the stain and the cross is ? Ask any Shoi-t- 

 horn breeder what he will give for an animal that ig 

 known to be of impure blood. Go, too, to a breeder 

 of Here fords, or of Devons, that can trace an un- 

 broken line of descent, certified by unvarying form 

 and color, for hundreds of years, and ask for one of 

 his stock that has been crossed with the Dutch or 

 Holstein cattle, and he will laugh in your face. In 



