426 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
pleasure about it, it must be found in the farmer’s home; if 
any profit, it must come through skillful labor, if any honor 
the farmer must win it by the successful manner in which he 
• conducts his farming, and the constant interest he manifests in 
all that pertains to the advancement of agriculture. He must re¬ 
member that “ men are not honored by business or calling, but 
business and calling are honored by men.” He may make it de¬ 
lightful if he will—he may make it bring pleasure, profit and 
wealth too ; but there must be work about it, intelligent, earnest 
work. It is as true to-day as the moment it was first uttered, 
il there is no excellence without labor.” The bane of success in 
farming is the shirking of work, the busy idleness in which one 
may pass the time brings no benefits, but intelligent, skillful work 
of hand and brain brings a two fold reward. It may wear upon him 
or her who performs it, but it polishes and brightens, and makes one 
better and happier; it is the wear and tear of unsuccessful work, 
that frets and discourages and brings wrinkles to the brow and 
sadness to the spirit. He who thinks most, and works most, will 
always see most to be done. The man who simply plants his corn 
and potatoes, and cares for his one cow, may find in these enough 
to keep him in good working condition. So the woman who can 
only cook the simplest mess, and make the plainest clothing, will 
see much less work to be done, and will require much less than 
her more intelligent neighbor. The same is true of children ; the 
more intelligence they have, the more wants they will have, and 
the more of these, the more work it will be to make them happy 
and their home attractive. Here again comes this wonderful thing 
called work, and he who meets it, bravest and best, and doe3 most 
of it shall stand first, for ’tis ever and always “ the worker alone 
that has claim to respect.” 
There is much said of the hard work to be done upon a farm, 
and the poor pay it brings. It is in no way consistent, that an 
occupation so useful, so necessary as that of farming, and upon 
which all other occupations must subsist, should not be remuner¬ 
ative; the productions of the farm are ever in demand. Mechan¬ 
ical skill has done wonders in the way of machinery to lighten 
labor and accomplish much work; the press too comes with its 
aid, suggesting and giving new light on every branch of agricul- 
