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A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF THE FARM, HOME, AND GARDEN.
VOL. VIII.
INDIANAPOLIS, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1873.
No. 15.
[For the Indian* Farmer.
.     AGRICULTURAL READING.
The season of long nights and stormy days
is here, when fanners mast, from necessity)
ipend considerable of their time in the house.
This is the time for reading and study. No
class of men have more to learn or more
leisure from business to learn it than farmers,
and consequently they should be the best
posted in the things that pertain to their calling, of all men in the country. But what are
the facts in the case ? Do not the facts bear
me out in the assertion that farmers as a
class show less regard.for the knowledge of
their own business than any other class ? If
I go into the office or house of a professional
man or merchant I find books and periodicals treating on the various subjects relating
to his business; and a little conversation will
show him to be conversant with their contents.
BUT HOW IS IT WITH THE FARMER ?
In visiting the houses of farmers not more
than one in one hundred will be found to contain any kind of a book on agricultural subjects, except it may be a copy or two of the
Reports of the Agricultural Department at
Washington, which has been sent as a cheap
favor by some Congressman; but though containing much valuable information, it has cost
too little to be worthy of special notice, so it
has been laid aside as an ornament to the
book-shelf. Perhaps ten per cent, take an
agricultural periodical. But these are almost
invariably the most intelligent and prosperous men in their community. There are about
TWO   HUNDRED    THOUSAND   FARMERS   IN
THE STATE OF INDIANA.
Probably not more than ten per cent, of
these take and read any Und of an agricultural paper. The popular idea seems to be
that fanning is all muscle and no bran,—all
drudgery and no intelligence. Hence, there,
are no means employed in, and no time devoted to, the cultivation of the intellect in its
relation to the business of farming. There, is
even a strong prejudice in the minds of some
farmers against scientific farmers. Of course
there is a great deal of agricultural quackery
palmed off in the name of science. But this
does not destroy the fact that there ts a
real agricultural science. And again at this
no well founded objection can exist Scientific farming is fanning according to systematic knowledge, which would bo an improvement on much of the farming of the country.
However well it may have done to ignore intelligence and neglect reading in connection
with fanning in times past, it will do no longer.   Farmers have taken
A NEW DEPARTURE.
And henceforth the brain is to be a co-worker
with the muscle in the production of the
necessaries of life. One of the grand results
of the
PRESENT UPRISING
among the rural population will be a higher
grade of intelligence applied, to agricultural
pursuits. No farmer can longer afford to remain ignorant of the great principles underlying his business in its relations to the earth,
the elements, and to society in all its phases.
Every farmer's house should contain at least
a fevr good books treating on agricultural and
horticultural subjects. And above all, no
farmer should attempt to live without one or
more good agricultural papers in the family.
I think the following among other
. BENEFITS WILL FOLLOW
the course suggested: 1. You will learn
many new and improved methods of performing many of the operations of the farm by
which you can produce better and heavier
crops with the same outlay in their production. 2d. Your business will be elevated
from mere drudgery to an intellectual pursuit, and it will become correspondingly inte-S
eating and pleasant as well as profitable. 3d.
It will keep your mind constantly awake to
the best methods of farming and the saving
and applying of manures so* as to keep up
and increase the fertility of the farm instead
of running it down as is too frequently the
case. 4th. It will give pleasant entertainment to all during hours of leisure, and at
the same time it will elevate and refine the
mind. 5th. It will add to the pleasures of
home, and to the attractions of farm life, thus
serving as a strong cord to bind the children
to tho old home-stead, and aid in driving away
that restless, discontented spirit that drives
so many of the boys to the town or city. 6th.
Aa a mere matter of education in a family of
children this plan will be worth many times
its cost.
In conclusion permit me to call  especial
attention to the importance of giving
A nEARTY SUPPORT TO THE INDIANA
FARMER,
as tho paper for Indiana farmers to read
The proprietors of this paper, in response to
what they understood to be tho wish of the
farmers of the State, have changed-it from a
monthly to a weekly, thus adding greatly to
its# cost, and are still proposing further enlargement and improvement at the beginning
of the new year. But so far they have failed to realize that hearty response on Ihe part
of the farmers that they had a right to expect. These worthy men hare labored zealously and faithfully to give us
A PAPER WORTHY OF OUR   SUPPORT;
and in this they have succeeded. With two '
hundred thousand farmers in onr State it is a
shame that this paper has not at least fitly
thousand paying subscribers. It could and
ought to be brought up to this figure by January 1st. Brother farmer, what will you do
to help this work on ? While you read this,
will you not determine at once to renew
your own subscription, if not already done,
and show this paper to your neighbors, and ■
not only ask but urge them to take it also?
Present the subject to your grange if you are
a member, and get all to take hold of this
work. You all have the same interest in this
matter tbat I have—that of building up an
agricultural paper in our midst that will
be an honor and blessing to our State.
L. J. Templin.
One hundred years ago England produced
only 16,000,000 bushels of wheat, two-thirds
ofthe crop of Minnesota. Now, having established good farming, she produces 100,-
000,000, four times as much as Minnesota.
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