The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-06-19
FARmERsp DEPARTMENT.
~The farmers crop their living from their crops.
And each manshares the blessing Of their shares
For the Exnress.

~The farmers crop their living from their crops.
And each manshares the blessing Of their shares"
For the Express.
DR. HoLr;--In the Express of May 22d, you
made some editorial remarks, alluding in general
terms to ssScientifc Farming" Ofall terms in
vogue at the present day, none conveys more
vague and indefinite idea than the word Scicnti-
.fc. Even the undefnabls term aGeutlcman'
does not more completely personify vagueness,
than this word ascientifc. fl recollect right
", Science means knoaclcdge Of fired facts, be-
ing derived from the Latin "Scio," Ito know
But at the present day the word is applied to ev-
erything, known and unknown. We have SCI
entifc wood -sawyers, scientific, mesmersers,s sci
entifc politicians, scientific everything.
In Agriculture, the term is used to express a
negative idea or quality. e. if a Farmer sue
ceeds, and is prosperous, he is only farmer any
how. But if he loses crop, or fails Of success,
why, say our scientific friends, he isn't scienti
fc; and all failures other losses, are set down
as arising from want Of science.
The self-styled scientific agriculturists of the
present day, from Liebig down to Mapes of New
Jersey, tell us that nobody knew anything until
they arose to enlighten the world All systems
but theirs wrong; in fact, unless their direc-
tons are followed, not private only, but great
public calamities must enusue. Well, Licbeg
has had his day, as leader. His formula for crop
ping proved failure, and sensible men found to
their modification and loss, that "theory won't
grow potatoes ...
johnson next arises, and the scientific agricul-
tural world worship at his shrine. He tells us
that little or no progrest has been made in right
agricultural knowledge until his day.
In our own country we told nobody will
know anything till Agricultural Colleges are es-
tablished. and the rising generation are scientif-
cally taught the "art of arts
Now, sir, am far from being opposed to
ssright knowledge" on any subject, especially
agriculture; but that we shall derive the antici-
pated benefit from agricultural schools, doubt
very much To make successful farmer, a
man needs just such an education as any other
man wants.. e. such an education as will learn
him to think and reason correctly. This done,
and you have done all that is necessary in the
education of any man. Ifhe has taste for or
necessity drives him to any profession, he is sure
to know the rest. One more element is neces-
sary to the agriculturst. He must have no re-
pugnance to manuel labor. Children must be
taught to work-that it is right to work-that it
is noble to work-taught to have right ideas of
Labor. The want Of this early "right kno,oledge'
is the true secret why SO many leave manuel la.
Dor, especially agricultural labor, and seek EN-
ployment that don't require tension of the sim
ews. They are taught to look at labor as some
thing to be dreaded, something to be escaped
from, if possible Ifthey are sent to school, it is
to fit them for something besides labor, and its
right employment, If they don't succeed, and
are forced to the soil for support, they are always
repining at their hard lot, and signing for some
situation where they can get living easier
Children should also be taught (and it would not
hurt adults of all occupations to take lessons)
economy. e. the art of living within their in
come, or upon means of their own creating, and
for which they have rendered, or have the means
to render, an equivalent.
May God in mercy put far off the day when
the agricultural systems of Europe are introduced
among US, which our "scieutifc .fricnds' are in
the habit of holding up to us as nearest perfec-
ton.
When agriculturists, educated purposely for
the business, shall be necessary to give intelli-
gent direction to our agricultural labor-when
the American farmer shall need an over-seer,
"with kid gloves to show him when, where,
and how to plant and reap, may my race be ez-
tinct on the face of the earth
Many suppose (vide the last Patent Office Re.
port) that unless Agricultural Colleges are esta-
blished by Government, and Agriculture taught
as science, assuming that men know nothing
now,) the earth will run out C. the inorganic
elements of plants will be cxhausted--such as
potash, magnesia, soda, slick, phosphorus, &c;
and that as nation of farmers, we are rendering
our arabic lands less valuable, equal annually, to
the whole value of our crops! and the inference
is drawn, that in the end famine will be the pc
nalty paid by somebody for our present mode of
farming. @
Now, this is what may be called scientific ham,
bug Common sense tells us, with one moment s
reflection, that there is not one particle of mat
ter less or more than at the creation. Geology
tells us, that soils naturally made by disinte
grafton ofrocks, together with animal and vege-
table decomposition. -..-, =
Travellers assure us that the soil is rich in in
organic matter in Palestine, one ofthe Oldest in
habited countries on record, and all that is want
ing, is a free government, and people to make it
productive, and who prove that 'sscientifc
farming" as it is called, was ever practiced
there?
Mankind have yet to hear of famine in any
country caused by want Of inorganic materials
whereof to grow crop.
Such stuff does to make the natives stare, and
to make out report whereby to gain reputa-
ton Of being very scientific. Perhaps, what l
have said will not meet with your or your read
ers' appreciation, but you and they will perceive
that do not receive as law all that is published
on"Scient:fc Agrieu1ure,' by authority of Con-
gross. Yours, Slick.