Burlington tri-weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1852-1855, 1854-12-16
. ~ ~ y I'M n IN 80 MI
skea sous why every Farmer shSald PaYsas hls
Business - = Science. N
/. Because agriculture Is q science

IL 0CC0WSc agriculture - ~ 0tscUCc~
/ Every man who has pursued even moder-s
ately the science Of vegetable physiology un-
] a .rstand4 perfectly that almost all the mod
era improvements in fruit culture have been
made, because men have devoted themselves
to the study Of the great facts in regard to
tho growth Of plants and trees; the circun<
Stances in which they flourish most; the
tae chemical analysis Of the elements which
compose them, and the notifications Of
which they are susceptible, by proper care
] and cultivation. jest so IN respect Of the
various soils which the farmer has to man
| age. .sra..,alr
| IL he knows the chemical elemeEts which
compose them and those which compose the
various products he wishes to grow, he viii
be able to adapt bis crops to his soil, and his
measures to both, in way which will prove
| to all that agriculture has its laws, and that
acting in confirmation with them Isl the ba-
sis Of the only true art in farming. For ex-
amnle: Wheat contains gluten and starch
in such proportions that they compose togeth-.
er, seuenfy.fre per centMm of its entire sub
stance. Now, if the farmer undertakes to
raise wheat "a soil which does not contain
the elements Of starch and gluten he will fail.
His soil will not Give that which it does not
possess. His lostlabor, and wasted capital
penalty Of his ignorance Of the SCIENTIFIC
conditions Of permanent success.
On the other hand the knowledge Of these
conditions, and the application Of them in
the exercise of caution common sense, and
reasonable skill, will bring an abundant re-
ward. ,s.s.s. s..t 5....s,tst If.
Every department of the great business of
farming is full If illustrations Of tie point
that we are now on; namely that agriculture
is science, and that its laws when known
and applied, will secure results as certain as
any that attend the application Of the laws
of hydraulics in machinery, or those Of light
AMI chemistry, in the beautiful productions
OF the Daguerrean art s7ll 1890 grHs
l. Because agriculture pursued as a
terance, is a scource Of the highest, and
most constant pleasure. s.e
No thinking active mind is content with
mere processes Of muscular effort. 10 such
mind the treadmill of farmers work, pur-
sued FROM generation to generation, in the
same unvarying monotony is tiresome enough
the toll becomes doubly toisome, becauseit
is enllvened by no living and euquiring
thought. And the farmer himself becomes
almost as stupid as the cattle he feeds ex-
c.pt as politics, or literature, or religion,
sends at intervals, and from afar, beam Of
cheerful light on his mind. But let every
process have its well digested theory; let ey-
cry peice of work while done In it's time, and
most efficiently performed, be an experiment
which compares different modes of MATURING
or cultivation; let every charge be made on
sober thought, and with a full kno wledge of
the objects to be gained, and of the best and
cheapest means OF gaining all Of them; in
short, let the life Of a true science send its
healthy pulsations through the whole system
of farmers work, and he feels joy unfclt
before, in every work to which he sets his
hand. His farm becomes his lnbora-
tory. The pleasures felt by the chemist or
artist, as he consumates those discoveries
which bring the ends Of the earth together,
and revolutionise the social condition of ma
tions, is shared By the careful and laborious |
student in scientific agriculture. For he is
applying similar principles, and his labor |
tends to a similar result. Every crop is a |
study to him, for it has its own laws to be |
studied. Every season has its charm for
him for its changes and changes, must
be carefully watched. He must make
suns, showers, and SHOWS, and frosts and |
fire, all to minister to his interests and work |
out his ends. And in doing all this-and |
all this he will do, if he worAs with open eye |
and careful hand-will he not find pleasure |
90 constant as to enliven his heaviest toll,
and so varied as to strip of their charms the
false attraction of city life, and so purely in
tellectual and refined, rs to place him in dig
nity,nnd aim side by side with the great broth
erhood of thinking men, whose hands have
been busy, but whose brains have been more
busy still; and who have done most for the
yvn nj nf he ~
have done most for its Improvement in all |
solid and enduring Science.
5. Because 1t aoo,lld be greatly to- the p e
cunidry advantage of the farmer to pursue
has vocation as q science. i.. rYl ~
If he pursues his work simply because he
has done so before, or because his father or
his neighbors have done so, he shuts out ali
improvement of course. Ii he makes chan
ges blindy, he is much more likely to lose
than to gain. Besides if he makes experiments
at random, some Of his neighbors, and per-
haps he himself-will set down his. failures
to the account Of scientific farming, and be
the more confirmed IN their old ways, because
OF his blindness and blu, dering in a single
case. But he studies during his leisure the
result of former experiments in the depart
ment he is enquiring about; if he converses
with intelligent men, who have been success
full in the same branch, aud who understand
and will explain to him the principles and
processes which they have adopted, he will
be safe in following their example. And
thus proceeding with thought ever active and
making due account Of all differences be-
tween bis experiment and theirs, he will very
probably be far more successful thar III Inv
other way. A little example of the disad- r
vantages Of Ignorance, on single point will
illustrate this matter. Within sight Of win
dow the light of which, the present article 10