Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-03-19
AGRICULTURE IN our SCHOOLS.

At the late commencement OF our Citadel
Academy, F. F. Marley, Esq, of Darlington,
S. c., and whom we are glad to welcome to
the Editorial corps, made the following re-
marks:
In this connection, | would notice, as Of
vital. importance to our State. the establish.
ment of Department Of Agricultural
Chemistry" in our Colleges and Scientific
Schools. Holding in subsection a race,
which when properly managed, supplies the
best feld.hands in the world, and blessed
with climate suited to the production Of
all the necessaries and many Of the luxuries
Of life, there is nothing needed to bring ag.
riculture to perfection save the application of
;scieuce thereto. The great secrets Of az.
riculture are, first, to manage land in such
a manner as not to exhaust it. The second,
and most important, consists in wise appli.
cation of fertilizers, and this is the point up.
on which we need the light Of science. All
plants do not feed on the same substances,
and consequently. while particular soil may
contain very valuable ferlilizing properties,
it may still need those particular ingredients
necessary for the production of the crop
planted, or it may contain them, but in com.
bination with something else as a base.
These difficulties would at once be remedied
by the scientific planter; but the man gno.
rant of what science has revealed ed-not know
ing what is needed in the first instance, or
how to disengage the ingredients held in
combination in the second, and put them in
such form as will enable the plant to take
hold of and apply them, his hopes Of plenty,
in either case, are doomed to disappointment.
He tries again and again, and finally despair
ing of success, he tears himself away from
the home of his childhood and goes to seek
some better SOIL Thus is South Carolina,
and all the old Southern States, annually de.
prived of valuable citizens and large amounts
of capital, simply because we have not learn
ed to apply science to agriculture.
In the last " Census Report" the number
born in South Carolina and now residing
within her limits, is stated to be 262, 100;
while the number born in the State and now
residing out of it, is l76,479. Allowing
each one to have carried with him the small
sum of 500, and the capital lost to the
State reaches the enormous sum of Sl7, CAT,
800. need not dwell upon the consequen.
ces attendant upon such a loss of capital,
to say nothing Of the loss of inhabitants,
which, according to the last apportionment,
would have entitled US to two additional rep.
resentatives in Congress. But we are told
that our land is exhausted. 1t would be
somewhat astonishing, in view of the system
of agriculture heretofore pursued, if it was
not. II through ignorance we have exhaust
ed the soil, let US hasten under the light of
science TO renovate it. How shall this light
be made to shine upon our people! Give it
in charge to our energetic young men,
Send them forth we'll instructed in Agricul.
tural Chemistry, and we may then expect,
as confidently as we anticipate the rising of
to.morrow's sun, to see wise application of
fertilizers, and thorough system Of renova.
ton, which will make our cold fields" resem.
Bile, in fertility, the far-famed lands Of the
West Our people will then remain at home,
our population will increase, the barren places
will blossom as the rose, and happiness and
prosperity will be multiplied within our bor.
ders. | appeal to you, gentlemen of the
Board of Visitors, to establish such De.
partment in the Citadel Academy.