Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1852-11-04

q gent scgntlhe. gentlemen, pnrsuias = pohk. n,
= hined, independent professio6, and coEsnastin
y position 10 society, ranking with fny of n
teoraea erafession&s The youAf men n q
. county, when they leave the aeadehlic halls. a
srao O running onto the far.Yest IN hoses ]
Oeing eomiortiess Proprietors Of untitled manes,
or rushing hesdlong into The profession. 1890,
ing to SECURE fortune and fame, ku, ofttn neee
y 70 stafFe gentlemanly, turn their thoughts /,
farming "a their own native places, near tAei
ehlldhoodis home, among their boyhood as.o
ciaies--
"Tpid Of care and strife
To lead soft, secure, inglorioss lie
country cottage, near 4 crystal hooA.
!" winding valley, and lofty woOd..R
IL is then, in quietnde, under the umbfa9eon
trees, he loves 90 well; with the placid stream
or tne rolling river at his feet, be medtstes and
-Ponoets over the reading Of the day-lhsre a
HIts ms soul from nature up to nsture's Co. =
pleased with the music that Is above and aroupd
him. Contented with himself and n neaee -i,h
me world, he Is proud of his calling ma reiolee1
mat ne 10 = farmer uncontaminaie6 bv tha 80
uuetlons OF life at court-unharmed by the tar.
oulen, waves OF nndis,sfAed b. The
ever'neetng, shadowy form Of PANE. The lisAf
| OF snch man would not Be hid nra44 hr<hsi
but would shed abroad, exerti1T its vIvifs;.. ~
nuence over his neghborhood and m,nise.,in.
70 strong colors what should BE- the life Of I'm
FARMER. Gentlemen, let us so train M our vonnc
men, SO educate them that they NAV be learned
Ia NOSE sciences tending to foster Agriculture
and adorn and dignity that profession whirh ~
early infancy we inspired them 10 love and ehe,.
Ism, as the best for the welfare of their eonnt,v
| and The haPpiest course Of life for themselye.
Our young men who intend 10 10 aericultu,i,,s
snouid be educated as thoroughly for that pur.
SUIT, as those who intend 10 be lawyers or Doc.
tors OF Medicine. The loo prevalent custom nov
Is, on mas been, that he who 10 to Be the Farmer
seldom receives full course Of collegiate edo.
cation u ne does, be- at once, s considered 81 To-
take charge Of a farm, and conseouep,y ef,sr
hnds himself, ere bis life has fairly beSun. deso.
iy IN debt-a Stare to hnndreds-solely beeanss
OF bis ignorance in the-fequirements Of botE thaN
theory and practice of Agriculture. Not having
correct theory 1t requires years for him 10 Be-.
come practical. On the other hand he who h
destined for the Bar, receives his diploma, then
studies years to fit himself for his ife.yocation.
Where is the sensible reason for this None.
Therefore let our young farmers receive a lihe.
raj education, and then devote one or Two years
to the study Of Chemistry, MineraloRy, Natural
History, Architecture. Painting and Drawing,
PHYSIOLOGY. Natural Philosophy, and indeed every
branch Of Science which would make them &c.
comPlished Agricultural scholars From this
course OF study the young farmer would be able :
20 survey his farm, lay of his fields and lots;
draft plans Of houses and implements kpev The
character Of his domestic animale-tbey want.
habits, dispositions and diseases, and thereby. :
the easier supply them with the proper food, ID.
minister the proper remedies in sickness ard
enable them to be always mors comfortable, and
lar more profitable. lie could be able 10 aAalyza (
MS Own soil, perceive its defects and supply the
proper ingredients where wanted 70 nakn, Il nal.
QSptx ntifd 4n1fg 5tatB MET Of Mafyhnu, Ut.
Higgins, in his last Report to the Legislators,
avs: SHOW can any Agrieulturist iailto DO
benefited by that science which can determine
he nature and quality Of The elements Of the soik
with almost infallible exaetness determine IN
Ike manner the composition Of manHres, and
bus adapt the one to the other, wihout loss and
without disappointment lwould not Se under :
stood as recommending q scientific edncalion
wholly disconnected with practice, and fall ae'
ouaintance with the results Of enlightened expe-
Renee. would not urge our young farmers 70
auit the old beaten pathway Of practice, but mere
ly 10 improve it by the lights that education may
throw over Il; nor would have them, as many
Of another class Of our citizens do, leave The ex.
perience OF age the practice Ct years, and hunt
after some " general GuGilability' to b ionnd ~
other felds Of the Arts and Sciences than that Of
Agriculture. ,,<,.
The results Of scientific knowledge would DO
to save large OUTLAWS OF money 10 foreign iertilis
GERS, often useless, not injurious 70 the SOUS On
which they are applied; to discover Whist each
field wanted, and the proper remedy when APP
piled would thereby be ajudicious outlay, remu-
nerating the owner for his trouble and expense
to an almost incredible extent.
We all know that the character Of lands adj
Joining, often 10 the same field, Is totally differ.
emit In my section Of the country We have many
striking evidences Of a sudden change OF soil
from sandto clay, from yellow to red clay, from
barrenness 10 fertility, with an almost indistin.
guishable line of demareaton-a small stream
that young child can leap over divides two
soils, one so poor, sterile and naked Of Vegeta'
ton that a killdee would starye il confined upon
il, while the other is SO luxuriant thai II seems
81 laugh at its own fatness. An application Of
homes. guano,. or any compounded fertilizer APP
piled to the one would be useless expenditure
| while guano, for instance, applied to the other
| would perhaps produce results such as have
seen by its application upon soils TO which y
| was pecuIiarly adapted In my neigheoEhood,
| old felds such as have described have, 81 500
bs. OF puano, mixed with say 100 lbs. Of plaster,
| been made 10 produce thirty bushels oil wheat
per acre, and heavy crop Of clover followed
/ AGAIN, have seen guaDo spon land similar "
appearance fail to have any effect. So with al
fertilizers, except those 1re compound IN our oson
barri.ydrds. Il is clear, therefore, that unless
we ascertain the defects Of our soils, y analy'
sis. and the ingredients necessary Tor their I'M
uroyement, and the manure containing that In
eredient to greater degree, the purchase oiiei
Itilzers becomes lottery. Sin these "go-a-Deao
DAYS, we cannot keep even with our nelghDori
If we wait TO try experiments in the small way
to find out what is the fertilizer our lands want
This course would coet less in the beginning
but be the dearest in the end. Thousands o
dollars have been lostItD our farmers By the In
| discriminate purchase Of highly reeommendet
manures, thrown upon soil, often, containing
fail amount Of each valuable constituent Of IN
, purchased article. II your soil has potash, o
soda Or lime sufficient Tor all such crops - yo'
orow. why pour on it more soda, lime OF potash
. nenouch il enough, and more is too much :
Hence Inc value ofcbemistry to the farmer, an
ne necessity OF his aVaiIing himself Of its search
II While wonld urge this book farming,
. .oain. repeat, would not have our farmers e
s p5ode ali the old principles that long experience
: Ia seuIed beyond dispute, therefore permit
] - saw neglect not your manure heaps@incTeai
= .bere daiIy with all that are bow syesores, al
y eli Ibat are really iaconveniences on yeuv farm
such as briars, weeds, ditch banks, rsttsa 20
ana leaves, the earth which years haye seesn
g Iated about your fences, straw, eornstahs, .
3 erervahirg which is ct for nothing else t1sl
& nure. that your poor spots may become rich
I. your productive low.lands.
" On yoar manure piles, and over your %
= ,ardss and in your stables, and over youf CT