The Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1852-1853, 1853-11-30

method, abstract knowledge, Farming is {
matter of instinct, or mechanical imitation
; He seems to think knowledge of its Prin
; cples and laws comes by Nature, as Dog
, berry supposed reading and writing did
, He sends to College the son who IS TO be mt
/ ted for profession, and to the Academy
{ he who is to be qualified for pedagogue
but he does not consider that one who Is Il
| have the farm on condition OF taking care o
the old folks, needs any other training fO
his life long pursuit than that which Is be
gun in the District School and finished be
hind the plow.
And yet there is not good reason IL
the world for Inducing a youth, who is Il
become a master-workman in iron, copper
or lead, into through knowledge of tbs
material he is to fashion for livelihood
which is not at least as good reason foi
instructing the young farmer thoroughly
and scientifically in the nature and diverse
properties of soils These are more various,
more complex, less obvious, than those oi
any single metal. A good soil is always a
compound, and the more various It's mate
rias the greater probably its value A
pure yellow sand or Blue clay is easily COM
pretended and estimated; while one deep,
black loam may, because of certain latent
elements, be worth twice as much as anoth,
er equally promising to the casual observer.
| No man who has not scrutinized its husban-
dry am productions for year after year is
qualified to fix the value Of farm, any
more than to cultivate it, without the ability
to chemically anaIyze and accurately deter
minis the composition Of its soil. i.....
But this, which | am com nending, is
sneered at as Book,Iarming, and sturdy old
codgera who have sped the blow all their
days, laugh sill they almost fancythemselves
witty at the idea OF man coming out of a
! college chamber or chemical laboratory
to leach them how to grow corn or rear cat
tie. And unly, if TIE teacher were to com.
mend his science as a substitute for their
practical knowledge-as rendering expe-
rience unmeaning AID personal observation
superhuous-thcre would be ample provo
cation for sharper shafts of wit than these
will ever be able to speed. But this no man
has ever suggested or commended The
farmer best schooled in the nature and prop
critics of soils, the laws which govern vege-
tation and the elements essential to form
thrifty plants Or animals, will learn from
experience not less but more than his unin-
structed neighbor His observations will
have wider significance; and the fact
newly observed to-day will be readily as.
signed to its proper place, where will cast
light on other facts observed yesterday or
to be observed tomorrow. Not to super
sode experience, but to elevate it to stand
point, whence its range of vision will be
| broader, and its deductions more reliable,
do we plead for Science in Farming,
What is in effect contendeo for by the ad
vocates of Book -farmingis simply this-tha
a farmer, like any artisan, while he needs
lpractcal experience, mary also profit 6y tn
I practical erperiemee of others. For example
4 A new plant Or vegetable is introduced
J which our anti-b book farmer concludes to try
though totally ignorant OF its nature anc
season Let us suppose the nearest neigh
Dor who has ever grown this plant lives five
miles away. Now, will not this new expe'
rimenter, if he have a deeent share o.
common sense, ride OveY and ask the expe-
rienced cutivator what soil is best adapted
to this plant, what manLres are best for it,
what time it should be planted Or sowed
how cultivated, &C., &c? Plainly, it would
be sheer madness for him to omit such in.
quiries and 90 on as if there had been nc
preceding experience, to answer all these
I questions and determine all these points fol
himself, by hap-hazard planting on every
! variety Of soil, at every possible season, with
any or every sort OF fertilizer? BY SO do.
inS he must spend several hundred dollars
to determine what he mig hit readily have as
certaneu at the cost of dollar Well: il
4 he could turn to the proper page of an Ag'
IiicuItural Dictionary or Encyclope pedIa, anc
there learn exactly when this plaat should
be sown in this latitude, how manured, how
Fcultyated &c, would not that be still easiel
and cheaper than to ride over to his distan
neighbor's? Would it not be highly proba
bic that the directions contained in the book
being founded on a wide range Oh expert
ments, would be more reliable AMI complete
than his neighbours counsel, based on hi
narrow personal experience? A pruden
man would probably consult both book ant
eishbor, and then follow either only so faI
AS his own Judgment should dictate; but hou
f can any one approve his taking counsel o
one man S experience, yet condemn course
which is, in fact but paying Difference to tht
experience Of many thousands? -rr
But some say, e''Consult and profit by al
!, the experience within your reach, but don
r talk to us about Agricultural Science. Grow
ling good crops sthe Farmers vocation, ant
in this pursuit experience is always a saE
guide not SO with what is called Science
!, which often misleads and impoverlshes.'
Let us consider:
:. OF course, there is much science soIcalled
: which is false Science-the brain spun spec
ulations and subtletes Of the idle and fanci
: full people, anxious to account for phenom
, eua which they 30 not really understand
Il No one considers, such Science worth any
thing; and it is one of the chief recommen
| dalions of trua Science that it enables me-
b to detect the pretender and unmask him.
u But Science implies a knowledge of Natur
$ and her immutable Laws; and who can Sc
rouslr doubt the. Importance Of this to th
r Farmersg' orinstance.t ylao atj yfh
Il Weall know that field of one hundred
c acres entirely devoted during FIVE suqcessiv
5 Years to rotation of Corn, Oats, Clover
: -LPotatoes, aod Wheat respectively, woul
-Fyield far greater product than would tina
i same field ifdiyided into five equal parts an
i, each devoted to- some one of these product
t>nic IA ory' IL q seion +Evnnriunca ha