St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-10-09
AGRICULTURE.


ssFs AGRICULTURE.
8" The objects of Agriculture are null
tiform.rr First, the farmer seeks to
1 bring the elements Of nature and a
few compounds, into other and new
compounds. Those which constitute,
the cereals, the fruits, the roots, the1
leguminous3 plants and the grasses,
For this end, a part Of the materials
are placed ct his control. The fertil-
izers and the soil are his, to do with
as he pleases. Another part is in the
hands, and at the disposal of a power
above him. These are governed by
certain fixed laws, difficult to, under,
stand, not yet fully comprehended by
any mortal, but such that much can
be learned Of them, and such that the
!, more the farmer knows Of them, the
better can he work the materials that
ARE at his own disposal. No..calling
admits The beneficial application Of
mere science sand no oneabut an ig-
noramous, ever yet felt that he knew
enough to be as good farmer as he
might if he knew more. The mineral
ingredients of his future crops less
than one tenth, are to, come FROM the
fertilizers and soils Sipshis control the
d, organic more than nine tenths, from
the air, over which he has no control,
and can only conform his action to the
known laws by which its composition
b and its movements, it's temperature
and it's electric state are governed.
The more he learns / BY study and by
observation, of the laws of nature,
the greater will be his success, other
things boinglequaL If the crops are
to he sold as they come from the soil,
the next business is to dispose of them
advantageously. This requires a
y knowledge of man, of the markets, OF
the times. Generally it is thought
best to expend them ON the farm, that
they may be reproduced in future
crops. If this course is adopted, the
second object Of agriculture is to- turn
them into the greatest value as sec
undergraduates, meats, butter, lcheese,
=, wool, poultry, eggs, &c, for the mar
ket. Here again is a joint control,
The farmer is at every step co-work-
er with God. He may say that the
hay, the grain, the cattle, are his /;
but the laws by which these are chang
ed into the products he desires are not
his. All he can do is to act in obedi-
ence to them. Ifhe give his hay to ami
mails suffering with the cold, or other
wise uncomfortable, he violates their
laws, and reaps the penalty in not re-
covering a full compensation for what
is consumed. So it is on a score Of
other points, enoughto account for all
the difference between a thrifty and a
thriftless farmer. The more he studies,
observes and obeys the laws OF ami
NAL life, the better his success. 1.-The
grew his crops most advantageously
to the land, he expends them most Ia
vorably to the growth Of the animals
and to the future productiveness Of
the FARM reproducing the very in
gradients of thisgyears, crops, in chose
Of the next year, his, business will be
an upward, but not an uphill business.
A third object.of agriculture, the most
important of all, and that to- which
success in the others strongly tends,
and want of success hinders, is the
comfoHt, the responsibility, the high
social influence of the farmers family.
We cannot dwell on this point. lSuf-
fee it to say, that the Christian, the
philanthropist, the patriot, can never
rest satisfied with any system of agri-
culture which fails to place the far
mers family On high and commanding
ground, as intelligent, as well ed,ica-
ted, as satisfied with their position, as
any Others lYrI
,es The farmers son should not only be
well educated in general literature and
science !; but, if to be himself a farmer,
he should receive special instruction
in the branches. adapted to throw
light on his business. The sciences
having special relation to agriculture
as chemistry, geology, and the laws
!, of vegetable and animal life; should be
more widely difused Our agricultu-
raj literature, il must be confessed, is
not of as high order as could be wish
ed. .It.is common thing .tQ,tsee an
article, of no great merit, often teach
ing positive error, going the rounds Of
-, the press, till it seems as if it never
gets it's quietus. The fault is partly
n with the farmers. They seem to scout
the idea Of being scientific. The
practical is what they want. We
suppose they understand the practice
Of agriculture better than any others !;
but are deficient excusably it may be,
but really in the science which under
= lies. the. practice and would often mod
ify it advantageously. To illustrate
our meaning an editor, or a lecturer
undertakes to Bring out something a
little in advance of what everybody
"a krnyvf, n add Solnethinr to the apri-