Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-11-01

three counties, and published his report OF
their Geological and Agricultural condition..
The amount of practical information which
these reports embody is inappreciable ; and
while everv farmer Of Massachusetts must
feel himself benefited, The agriculture of the
whole Union mus, be improved by them.
In a recent journey through the Stale the
demand for such an officer as have de.
scribed, met me at every stage. Every
where uncutivated SOILS with perhaps rich
minerals under them, lay valucess for the
want of some competent person to anafyze
aud expose their riches. Farmers w're
all about leaving their exhausted lands. ana
taking from the country their la or and
wealth; when just beside them, may have
heen opeIed he secret cause OF all Their lsiti:
ays asldassap ppointinent. To statftohe out OF
an hundred similar instances, Distinguish.
ed agriculturist assured me Of the fact, that
several years ago, at his own individual ex-
pense he had portion Of soil in his neigh.
borhood examined, with the view Of testing
wha, component part it wanted. which rem
dered it so unpropltious to the cul ivatlon OF
the fine cotton. The absent par was dis
covered, an further examination presented
it IN an adjacent and more spot. Since
which period, from this discovery alone,
lands in that vicinity have been enhanced
in value a, leas fifty per cent. Let me re.
peat that this is only one out of an hundred
instances of the kind could adduce and
any one who has paid attention to the histo-
nv of agriculture, could mention many
more. The example Of Count Chap'al, OF
France, shoul convince the most skepticai.
That distinguished chemls, purchased poor
lanJs-examined and tended them upon
scientific principles, aud while others about
him were rcaping nothing but tares and this
Ties, his lands yielded him fifty and an hum
dr-d fold.
Secondy--The Convention should re.
commend the appointment Of an Agr'eul-
taral Professorshp in our South Carolina
College. No Seminary oflearningIs COM
plete without such professorship; and no
we'll educated man, particularly in country
like ours, should consider himself accom-
pished without knowing at least something
of the elements Of agriculture. Such has
not been the sentiment of gentlemen hereto.
fore. They attend college, pass through
course Of the classics, belle letirrs, malhe.
ma,ics and few other Of The sciences, and
return homo ;,ae~tug Us tirrfr ofThe pri1.
ciples Of tha, science, by means OF which
they are clothed. fed, snd educated. as ifit
were knowledge Of booash requirement,
and only fit for their slaves. Even in the
Europcans Universities, years ago, agricuI~
ture was deemed unworty Of being taught
as science. Bu: :l,is sentiment ola feud.
al nge has gradually worn away, and for an
educated European not 10 know something
of Boany, Natural Philosophy and ChemIs.
try-,hc essential sciences which compose
that of agriculture, is ut present as remark
able as formerly, such acqu rements we're
wonderful and liable 10 Persecu ION.
1t is often urged that tbs planter may
pursue his vocation without such an ele.
men,ary education. So indeed he may and
so may the physician pursue successful his
profession without the study Of anatomy, the
ma,rria medica, or any of,he other branch.
es Of his sc ence--bu, in both cases must
they be considered quacks, for wnom for
tune and good circums' 'ances have done
more than the results Of an enlightened eS-
prrcnce.
Thirdly--The Convention should recon-
mend the establishment of an Agricultural
School in same healthy and central portion
Of the State. To this school should be at
tachsd a sufficient extent Of arabic LAND,
on which might be conducted different agr.
cultural experiments. And whio IN the
school, the clements of agriculture should
be taught, its practical effects should be tes-
ted in the fields, under the eyes and BY the
labor Of the students themselves. As to
the decided utility Of such schools. we are
not without example, that Of Won Thapr al
Mocgal,n, in Prussia, is well known TO most
readers, and in our own county the Van
RsnsaIer Agricultural School in New
York, and the farm school nj Thompson
Island, near Boston, afford full promise that
such a system Of education is neither time
nor money thrown away. The latter school
was instituted for the suppor, and education
of orphan and vagrant boys. They there
receive an excellent English education ; and
while they are taught the scientific princi-
pies of agriculture, they follow out its de'a'ls
as means of supporting themselves and
the institution. The plan has succeeded
beyond the most sanguine anticipation Of its
founders, and speak with knowledge OF
facts, when say mat in listening TO the ex.
animation of this school, most Of our plan.
ters would find themselves put to the blush
at their own deficiency Of professional
knowledge, in contrast with that of many of
the students who as yet have not numbered
L. ..<. l., ~ q ato Lilo ours where