A. R.
Cape Girardeau, Mo.
[Farmers’ Communicative Society.]
I am now fifty-five years old and have always lived in a good agricultural country. Having had no rich friends to draw on for supplies I have had to look to Mother Earth for my living. Hence I feel that I should pay homage to the Great Creator of all things for that fair capacity which has enabled me to select good lands and grow crops well adapted to the soils.
While my work has been arduous in the main, I have not felt it drudgery. In fact, my farm has not only furnished me a good living, but in its productions and developments I have been highly entertained.
I am not different from most of my fellowmen. I like to manage and dictate, and have my own way. I manage so as to bring my lands into subjection. I do it by making them better. I cultivate and dress them until they look better and feel better, and I know they are better.
When I plant my crops I give them such attention that it seems they have every confidence that I will remove all obstructions to hinder their growth, and the young and tender plants seem to avail themselves of the situation and spring up as by magic. In their prosperity I rejoice.
I take a half dozen farm journals and a few newspapers so as to learn what others are doing without going from my home, especially in the winter season. For I find that when I go from home I can’t always get delicious fruits and vegetables that I have learned to be so fond of in my riper years.
Now I come to a point where I will venture a proposition to my brother farmers: That we organize a—well I don’t know just what to name it, but say Farmers Communicative Society. I mean by this that we select some farm journal that seems most fitting and send in our names and addresses, agreeing to write once a month a short and candid statement of our plans and successes and failures in our agricultural and horticultural pursuits. I am of course intending to get the best of the bargain as I always try to do in business. But it must be apparent to all that we, as farmers, can be more benefited by commingling our interests together in the developments of the farm, and learn from one another in a few years what it will take each one of us a whole life time to learn in case we continue to “go it alone” as in olden times.
Now Mr. Editor, I think you can afford to second the motion to help organize these practical old farmers and get them to write for your journal. I feel that we can give your readers many practical ideas of benefit to all, and you agree to clothe our crude thoughts and make them appear intelligent before the public, so that no one need be embarrassed to “speak out in meetin’.”