Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-12-14


And the farmer shall live, both in song and in story,
When warriors and kings are forgotten in dust.
From the Albany Cultivator.
. Importance of Heading and Study.
Though farmers may always find more or less time
to devote to reading and study, winter is more par
tcuIarly from the leisure it Affords the season for
this purpose The crops having now been secured,
and the various matters requiring constant attention
disposed Of the mind of the farmer is left free for
the consideration of plans for future operation and
that he may act Understandings in forming such
plans, it is essential that he should in the outset
possess thorough knowledge of the principles and
general state of agriculture. The mediums through
which this knowledge is to be acquired are reading,
conversation and observation, aided by reflection
and study.
We have frequently given own views in regard
to this subject, and though we might add line up
linen we think should not be able to show the
important points in q more striking light than they
are brought out in the following remarks of Hon.
SAMUEL CHEEvER, in his address before the Agrcul-
tural Society of Saratoga county:
unfortunately, the opinion has too long prevail
ed with us that learning that intellectual cultva-
ton, unnecessary for the farmer that to plow
to fence, and to feed, fathers did, is enough
Ii we see a farmer among us, and we do see many,
who is ambitious to educate his son, to place him
higher in community, he educates him to turn his
back upon the farm instead of turning his hands and
his cultivated mind to it. But we have lived to see
this deep-seated errorthat education that intellect
are unnecessary to the farmer-giving way to more
enlightened and correct public sentiment; and we'll
may we be assured, that as education and intelli-
gence go out upon FARMS will the farmer rise in
his station. Intelligence-thec cultivated mind with
pure morality, give rank, whenever and wherever
found.
But rank alone is not all the farmer is to gain by
intellectual cultivation.
1.-THE labors of state and county societies aided by
the exertions of many munifcent and enlightened
men among US, and the labOrs of scientific men, as
well in this country as throughout Europe have de-
monstrated the importance, and even the necessity,
of mind of educdon of science to the successful cul
tivaton and management of our farms
STILL with hundreds of favorable experiments and
results before us, in support of this position, there
are too many of our class who daily telling
us that agricultural books and agricultural
papers not worth reading and that agricultural
science is a 'humbug.' To such | can only say, if
you do not look about you, and do not read, you
in great danger of being left behind.
"True it is hooks alone, without practical obser
walton, would be slow to make good farmer.
''The professor of mathematics, directly from the
schools, with all his books, would doubtless make
sorry figure in navigating the ship in storm, and
might receive useful lessons from the less educated
shipmate. But when the science of the mathemati-
plished navigator is produced
| "The practical farmer-boastingly calling himself
so-nay if he has fallen upon fertile spot succeed
for years and get toerable crops by following in the
old track without the lights of science; and proba
bly, for the that he has accidentally hit upon
the very that science would indicate. But in
large portion of the long cultivated parts of
country, the fertility of the soil has been exhausted
by those hereditary systems, if systems they may be
called, and nothing but science and intelligence will
produce restoration.
20 If the man without reading and without books
finding his crops failing under long and exhaus
ted course be induced at all to seek improvement
through experiment. he is likely to make the
wrong application as the right. He has his
neighbor restore field by the application of lime
and concludes his fields have the same disease, and
must be cured by the same remedy. He lays out his
money to make the experiment. and fails. Another
neighbor has succeeded with plaster, and his money
is again spent upon that without success, and he
goes exhaustng the catalogue of manures and ex-
haustng his purse until he gives up in despair sells
out to a reading farmer and goes to Wisconsin or
Texas, where he can begin again his exhaustng pro-
| cess, upon and fertile spot His reading
cessOr examines his out SOIL has it done for
few shilngs, and finds it entirely exhausted and
destitute of the essential element Of potash He APP
plies few bushels of ashes instead of lime, in which
latter the soil already abounds, and his crops are
soon doubled.
! "Instances similar to this, are occurring daily
around us.
class of men in this country know little of the bu
siness they follow do our farmers.
"The lawyer spends onethird of life at his books,
to fit himself to enter his profession, and then studies
by day and night to understand his business and do
his duty.
! The divine is found spending all she days of an
entire life at his books to maintain his standing and
discharge his duties.
j 1.-THE physician also enters his profession only
through long course of severe study and then all
his life, while practical physician, spends every
spare moment at his books, to what the skill and
| experiments of others are doing. -.
j "The commercial man and the manufacturer spend
their time at their business and their talents in stu
dying the course of trade and the state of the
u kets.
1.-THE artizan of every craft, after years of appren-
ticeship spends his days at his work and his nights
at his books to learn and profit himself in the mys-
teres of his art and to understand the price current
, of his wares.
But the farmer is thought, by some, to be bor,,
with all the knowledge necessary for his calling and
that learning and science matters for other folks
to trouble themselves about when in fact how little
do we know even of good practical farming to say
e nothing of scientific
"WRat do most of us know of the component parts
of the soil we cultivate in what they deficient
and the cheapest and best means to supply such de-
licences and what do we know of the elements in
f the manures we are constantly using Still &C
on blind fold, applying and mixing the with the
other, sometimes with good effect sometimes with
bad, and sometimes with no effect at all.
: "What should we think of the man who should en-
ter the laboratory of the chemist and proceed tt
throw together his akalies his acids and his metals
without any knowledge of their properties of the
anites and then tell he expected certain results
We should expect to see him burn his fingers at least
if he did not get blown up; and yet the admixture
e Iofs he and the cultiVa