The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1843-06-02

\ de application of science to agricultural
Pursuits, II may be doubted whether the
J 'owledge of agriculture, except the
p,ctical and experimental par, of it. has
aS'pced any for great many centuries,
M ms not absolutely relrogaded.
! we have reason to believe that the
| pfugh Was one OF the earliest inventions
oinan' shce we find mention of it in our
= olesl histories. We find it used in ma.
kag the artificial canals and lakes of
Egypt as far bck as that country first be-
t gu to distinguish itself by its improve
, mn!s; and we know, TOO, that the Egvp-
g las, from the oye-nowngs Of the Nile.
I nfersiood how to piolit by irrigation, and
l alo The most of the doctrines of agrcu!
: TUE advanced until recently. These doe
tries, with the overflow of popnlation
wee spread not only to Carthage but to
: Gsece. In those days, TOO, there seemed
ole more interest felt in and more d.eni-
ty attached to the study Of agriculture.
Auhe destruction Of Carthage, the works
ofNago upon agriculture were the ONLY
bok saved, and they were taken to Rome
and translated. In Greece, husbandry
absorbed much Of the attention of Keno
! phn, and he wrote several trea;ises upon
the subject. 1t is in Rome, however.
iha.t was taken up in the greatest ear
mas. Cato, Verro, ColumelIa, Virgil,
Pity and Cicero wrote upon it; and they
wee all distinguished men. They an-
prcdated the importance of right under
starlng of it, and felt 1t not undignied
to urn their talents in that direction.
The Romans cultivated whea, and various
oihr grains, and they also had wines,
olivs and oils. We also find frequent
menion Of various breeds OF cattle, kinds
OF vegetables aud also of the cultivation of
natural meadows and the formation of ar
nticnl ones. Centuries have interviewed.
and the farmer has pIodded on under
every form and name of government and
under every yicisSiiude of fortune without
material advancement in the science of
husbandry. From practice and experience
much has been learned but from theory
e"in i.esa'."ely n"ihi"g. me son has
learned to cultivate from his father; and
HE father, after many years experience.
can tell how such fam can be cultivated
to the hes, advantage, and what crops can
be best produced from any particular soil.
But the reasons therefor are cngrossed by
thick darkness. Of the laws of affinity
and vitality, and Of the powers OF ANALYSIS
he knows nothing, and thinks it not worth
his while to make inquiries. Indeed,
there is great prejudice existing against
what is called "b0oh farming." By
this is generally understood a far different
thlng from what is here recommended. !
Some farmers, fond of experimenting,
read that, by such and such means, such
and such a result was produced and. !
without inquirIng into the circumstances,
they rush headIong into The experiment
much TO their own injury and TO the rid-
Guile OF their more wary oeighbors. For
some paper states that farmer 4, |
by the application of certain kind of
manure in certain quantities, raised a
crop Of certain article from
an acre of land. From this fact some
would infer that such manure in such
quantity would be best for all crops.
Others, not so hazardous, would apply itI
to The same crop but yet to all kinds of
soils. These are what are generally
termed "6ook JormerS," because they
can give no other reason for their unspc-
cssslul experiments, except a statement
they saw somewhere in print once.
These arc hap-hazard men, who are
elernaly seeking new road to wealth
and yet are oternally getting lost because
they have not science as a polar star 10
guide them. Now, sl,Uuld scientific
farmer read such an account, his first in
quiry would be into the nature Of the soil
producing that crop. He would want i,I
aualyzed and lis constituents parts fully
understood. And, before he tried the
experiment, he would compare the lugre-
dents with those Of his own soil Should
they be similar, he co,ld safely proceed
with his trial. Bat il not, his object
would be to make them so. Should salts
of iron be present in too large a quantity,
he would decompose hem with lime.
Should there be an exces orsiicious sand,
then mus; be applied chy and caIcarous
matters. Should there be an excess of
vegetable matter, he wouA have to remove
II by pairing aud burning Should there
be a deficiency, lie woudknow what ma
nure would fll it up. Thus we see that
a scientific farmer woulI with difficulty