Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-07-26
Agricultural Schools

!: Are springiug upn Ireland, and men.
sures are taking 10 establish them u Epg.
land: while in France, says the Westfefd
Independent, new schools are founded
daily, establishments for rearing cattle OF
improved breeds, and making experiments
in husbaudry, are formed and conducted az
the cos, ofgove-nment, and considerable
number of our bes. animals and:sheep, are
constantly purchased 10 improve the native
stock. Professors are appointetinparieus
parts Of the country, TO give lectufes'on'agr'.
culture, and in short, all possible means taken
TO render the nation independent offore'gn
countries for tho supply ofsuch uecessarIes
of life as are capable of being produced by
their own soil. We consider these schools
the grand basis Of agricultural improvement
the light that will shed its benign nhu.
ence on.the mist ll,a, now envelopa the prin,
ciples upon which the most important: prac.
teal operations in agriculture are based"
The most prominent plan proposed in
Ensland, is 10 establish national agricui-
,ural college, upon broad and LIBERAL basis,
TO be supplied witt, the best teachers, and TO
connect with it pattern or experimental
farms, upon different soils, and IN different
sections of the kingdom, 10 be under the d.
rection Of the best practical meta" In the
college the scientific theory of!he nrs is 10
be taught, and the explanations Of the differ.
en-. systems Of practice in the klngdom and
abroad 10. be given.-The pr csca! inssfuc.
tons to be given on the farms, to which
the students are to be sent for stated periods
"These farms to be used solely forex-
perimen,s. 10 tes, and prove every ssugges.
ton that science, theory and practice may
offer: and if upon repeated trials, ,hey be
found irreducible to practice, they will fall
to the ground if they succeed, they would
be sent forth as attes'ed and valuable facts.
The members of the central college Hntahe
conductors ofihe farms would be- in Don.
slant communication, comparing end 'ex.'
anining every suggestion and observations
both by science and practice, and detailing
to each other. for the general benefit, tho.
results Of reflection and experienee." ""!f
ever such an institution be established"
says a writer in the Farmers Magazine,
4" the first step must be, to kicksheef over.
board. the prrjudIces of men and 10 level
with the dust that curse Of the human race,
the great barrier to impro"on.e..ss -.
of tho world. On every subject, me grea-
ter part of mankind are BIASED In favor OF
some particular way Of thinking5 and way
of performing any operation which they
have adopted, and TO which theysTave been
accustomed, and Of which very few are
ever able 10 divest themselves! Prejudice
completely obscures our percrp,ise ahd n;;
tu;tve powers, clogs our understanding, and
perverts our judgment, and renders wholly
useless the reasoning faculty conferred upon
us as tho Distinguishing characteristic efour
nature. No sound judgment can 'beHes'
ercised on any subject, or satisfactory
conclusion arrived at, where this pern:c'ous
propensity prevails no dependence can be
placed on the opinion Of any man, who al
lows his jud gment 10 take precedence OF his
reason, and whose mind is wilfllfy shut
against conviciion.-For the fur'herance of
any art, the great essential desideratuhn IS
10 combine theory and practice; and on
this point the agricultural world with some
splendid cxcep,ons,) has aoundered over
head and ears in the mud. 1t is only
oflate years, that our mechanics and MAN.
ufac:urers have been able to combine them !;
but until tha, be effected, and as much as
possible in the same persons, or by differ.
ent persons being in constant and friendly
intercourse, it is very evident the progress
will be slow. If properly established and
conducted, incalculable benefits might &C.
crue. The members Of the college must
consist Of men eminent for knowledge in
every branch OF education connected with
agriculture, and one thoroughly versed in
agriculture itself, and their employment
would be 10 draw suggestions from the in
ves,igatious of science, to be transmitted to
the farms for tine test of experienced. The
conductors of these farms must be the most
intelligent practitioners that can ''be found
for the soils they are intended to manage !;
thoroughly acquainted with arabfe farming
and the suitable implements =. our differ
en-. breeds of stock ; intelligent and open
to, ard able 10 comprehend, and -abie,to ex-
ecu.e, the suggestions transmitted to them
from the csaira' college. Until we have a
field Of tests, we DO no: know what inyalua.
bic discoveries may be hid 10 suggestions
laughed at and neglected, orin those that
may be made. That great absafdhy has
attended many of them, must be readily
granted :; but the wheat cannot be obtained
withou. separating it from the chaGH"'u
Thus far our extract. Theresis notruth
more 2alpable, than that science, to bcncfi,
agriculture as it has benefited the arts, must
be associated and combined with its prac,i-
cal labors, as it has been proftably combin.