NOTES ON FARMERS AND FARMING. No. I.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2086, 19 November 1885, Page 3

NOTES ON FARMERS AND FARMING. No. I.

Farminu or agriculture: It is not from an historical point of view that I (hsire to treat this extensive subject, but rather upon a practical, scientific and cninmrrcifil basi-*, as affecting the welfare and pronperity of the people of this colony. n the firht place we must strive to re ius\u the apparently ninth despised oimpatum of farming from the obloquy whiLh has lain upon it fromtimeiinmumoii.il. Any- | body and everybody is "supposed' to be ht for the occupation of farming, when he is mentally incapable of those vi called higher professions .md businesses which oc cupy the time and attention of men, as the nmiHtry, the law, professors of the sciences and physic, commerce and nitinufactuic*. The hi. in may bo supposed to be fit for the farming, but the question ].-<, is the Hcience and .irt of farming a tit and mutable occupation for all the "dolts'' b<>rn into the woild. I wot not, and why? Is farming nothing more than a nine process of preparing the land for certain crop*, and the subsequent harvesting of the •'ami- ; or composed of supplying the requirements of the animals of the farm with food '.' Is this alt that is required ? Fanning in its general sense, or " mi\rd farming," I look upon as standing second to none of the higher occu p ition* of men. It is on an equality — in tellectually— with the mimstry, 01 those ■wliolookaftertheHpiritu.il welfare of the community and the educational or mt( Uec tual development of man. Theso tliree occup itions of men stand pro-eniinently dbo\e all others. Tho first requirements of the human being are food and clothing ; these that farming supplies. Contemplate Pbti in all the Mgour of intellectual and physical health ; his mind and body supported by food, and the latter piotected and warmed by mateiiaL), the productions of the soil. In imagination adjeu n with him to the house, survey it, \ie\v hi-. comforts and luxuries, most of which aiedc rued fioin the profession of fanning. Thus viewed and contemplated, wo hud the pio ductions of agriculture supply the hist necessities of man's, nature, most of his comforts and many of his luxuries. Does tho puriuit of fanning — though k Riipplymg the first wants of in.ui— icijiurc less intellect, le*s knowledge, common seine, than tho other occupation-, of man "' To answer this we niUHt enquire into the nature of farming, which may be defined as the cultivation of the land for the pui pose of producing food for man and beast, as also the mateuals weiewith to clothe him— the word food m this nistinc dignifying, tho domesticated annuals, cereals, vegetable* and fruit for man, vegetables and grasses for animals ; tinword material, embracing the pioduction of wool and cotton. The cheapest and most efficacious mode of producing these lequiienieutsof man, should (but lately does) constitute a large .icqu.iint.ui to with many rtciences. Fust, the suitability of soil and climato for the production ot mateiials foi food and clothing. This mtioduccn the sciences of geology, cheinistiy and meteorology. The forms, functions and habits of plants aie learned ttuough the ■guence of botany, the stiuctuie and habits aiiiiiinlH by anatomy and physiology. Thu (I i -leases of animals constitute tho \etennary science; entomology, treats of insects, then food, function*, habits aud metamorphoses. And the business p.ut of his profession should [constitute a knowledge of bookkeeping and |>olitical economy. I cm fancy that many men, upon leading the above, will smile ceienely to themselves or inwardly mutter, "Thc.inan who penned mich nonsense must boa dolt.' Is it noiuense ? 1 can only ask these would be ridiculem to u«-e then intelligence and .ck themselves these questions: why in England, America, in Kin ope and in tin* colony agriciiltual colleges and schools aic established. Aye, indeed why, but to teach those very scientific principle*, which are derided by present (I. iv seventeenth ccutuiy farmer. Why .tie farmeis 1 penodicals, replete with scientific •md practical information, disseminated thioughout the ci\ili«ed worU.' Are they not a proof that farmers look eagerly for information (though acted upon by them in a vciy \eiy slow way), for if these pcnodicals did not pay, they would not be published. Why are fo.rmer.-i so ready to use manufactured chemical imninex, and obtain improved breeds of anun.iN, and in old countries use prepared foods for stock, and obtain information about plants ? All these, uc the results ofrexearches by chemist, b<itanists and physi olognt^. Yet the pnnciples upon which all those improvement woik arc as blank to the gieat majority off,uint:r« as the appearanco of the oi:t*i<li; world is to one w^iii blind, though tho one i- an involunWf>*ry, the other purely a voluntaiy bl.inkness. :' Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be who." Hence in the facr of the fact of the requnements in the way of knowledge, Hcientttic and practical, absolutely nicer, naiy to the proper conduct of tho piofes<if>i» of famiing, aie the "dolts" of the human race fit subjects to cairy on and conduct its varied and complicated opera tion to a successful issue ? No, decidedly not ; hence the reason why .so many have failed of success in farming, even m good times. This brief inqnirj into the nature of fanning compels us to as-eit that a-s a profession it demands from man .is much intelligence, knowledge ,md common sen^e, ;w any profession or calling of man. Farmers, like the rest of the community, must keop up with thr times. "Pis no use expecting eighteenth lentuiy notions to keep p.icc with the advanced nun teenth. Rule of thumb is mi>ji i-< ded by -en nee, in almost all branches of manufacture. So it must be in agricultuie, or fanneis cannot live. Aptirt from the int< llectu.d part of farming, as an occitpthon it is tho noblest, jdircst, most pleasant, and the healthiest, regarded morally and physically. Commercially, though I know thrie are many, f.ir too mrtiiy tricks oftiade con nected with it, it is tho most honest pur Mint of man. It brings the f.umei into daily contact with nature in its vat led and beautiful foinn, which ii.ttui.tlly l.tiseu and niamtaiiis his heait and mind in gieat< i purity of thought and action, than those whoxe lives aic spent amid the tmmoils, •elhshnesH and grasping piochvity of the townH. Ui Pnoriin.