The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-08-23

hXed property IN man to the soil This naturally led
us to notice. in brief manner the evils incident those
nations, who to the neglect Of agriculture continue to
exercise only temporary property in land We have
thus seen negatively, the Importance Of agriculture in
the rulnous consequences which flow from total neglect
OF IT, We have seen how little Improvement centuries
made upon these barbarous nations of Europe conse
quence of their total neglect of agriculturehow this
neglect drove them from home in quest of subsistence
abroad-how they piaged and laid waist the countries
through which they passed in their way to the seat Of
emplre-how at length they compelled to abandon
rowing for settled life by relnquishing temporary
Tor liked property in the soland last of ALL how they
were driven of defence against INVASION to
establish the feudal sysem which in its operation
brought them peace and gradually conducted them to
civilization. NJ
Thus far we have only viewed the dark side Of the
picture let turn to the bright side and notice.
as briefly we Of the positive blessings which
how from agriculture they appear in the social cond
ton of those nations who have paid proper attention
to the soil, by means of encouraging thrifty agricu-
In what different light do the Italian States appear
under this view of our subject
s,s Ss though though, to fortune lost here Hl reside;
The Romans in the earliest and best ages of their exs
tence, much given to agriculture Except that
they were frequently interrupted by war; they might be
considered as agricultural people They at once
soldiers aud farmers History informs us that many of
their most distinguished men and generals called
from the plow to the army This was the case with Gin
ehnatus, Marcus GURUS Cato the Censor and Spio Af
rcanus Cincinnatus left the handle of his plow for the
duties of the camp, but resumed he had lei
Cato too who stood first during his Consulate. and
who boastod that he had taken more cities than he had
spent days in Spain retired late in life upon his little
farm, to delight himself in the peaceful pursuit of apr
culture These distinguished instances of devotion t.
the SOIL sufficient In themselves to show in what LIGHT
the early Romans regarded the subject of agriculture
Bat cannot obtain better conception of the mi
mute attention which they paid to practical agriculture
during thus period OF their history than by knowing
few OF their common maxims on the subject we will
mention the following:
ist He is thrftess farmer that buys anything which
his farm produce. = ...
End He is no husbandman who does onv work in the
daytime that be done in the night except in stormy
weather. -.
3rd He is worst of all who in clear sky works with
in doors, rather than in the field.
Possessed Of soil naturally productive and a climate
the most delightful EARTH with these maxms reguat
ing their notions of economy nothing prevented the R
man people undera prudent husbanlry of their resources
from becoming what in fact they were at once the most
opulent and powerful nation earth AS long as the
people continued to practice economy and to cultivate
the SOIL the nation prospered Peace and plenty reign
ed throughout the empire the arts and sciences flourish
ed and commerce. with her enriching st res sweed the
growing of the States II was not until the ma
ton exchanged for aOa and prded herself more in
the of the sord than the use of the 0 that her
mighty resources began to fail her, Mecenas seeing
the ruin which threatened the empire from this ca use
induced Virgil to pen his Georges The great imjor.
tance with which Virgil have regarded the subject
OF agriculture is in the great length of time he was
occupied in writing this most valuable treatise He
spent seven years in this part of his work He address
ses himself to the subject practically and though much
that nc says applicable only the climate of Italy and
thcpecuar condition of his own oountrymen vet among
the many rules that he lays down for the improvement
of husbandy and the capital advice which he gives the
farmer other subjects connected with it. may be found
many valuable hints to the agrcuuralis of every coun
try
Dividing his subjects generally into four parts he
devotes whole book to each The first treats of the
various soils and the proper method of managing each
the second treats of fruit trees and particularly of the
vine, with the best method of planting the one and
training the other The third treats of the several kinds
of grasses and the proper method of raising horses cattle
sheep and goats The fourth treats of the proper man
agement of bees The beautiful and instructive style in
which Virgil has treated the various subjects which com
the substance of his admirable treatise has made it
long outye the times and people for whom it was writ
ten Could the poor horse, the and the ass speak
though they have not the gift of reason comprehend
the injustice of their injuries could these poor creatures
only speak forth their praises in favor of the third book of
the Georges which vndicates their claims upon us and