The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-11-05
CAROLINA SPARTAN.
ORIGINAL ESSAYS.
spartanbarg Agricultural Society
AGRICtLTURAL EDUCATION.

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.
The science Of agriculture is so intimate
~ connected with the comfort of private
life and the wealth and D-osperity of ma
tions, as to commend itself to the earnes.
consideration Of all enlightened aud be-
. nevolent minds.
In the earliest ages Of our race, pastoral
labor---the culture of focks and herds
served the main purposes Of subsistence;
while wealth and personal consideration de-
pended in a great degree upon the extent
ofpastoral possessions.
AT a later period, the occupations Of the
shepherd were substituted by those Of the
husbaudmau, or combined together, ac-
cording to the peculiarity OF local circum.
stances.
These two sources of production are the
basis--the sure aud only reliable basis--of
all wealth; while they enter, in countless
forms, into the question of human comfort
and human subsistence
The precious metals are valuable chiefly
As medium Of exchange as the
signs OF value; The other metals are valua.
Bile for many -n.schsnical aud commercial
purposes. Human ingenuity aud mullform
industry add wealth value--,o
all that whereon labor is judiciously be-
slowed; but all these depend absolutely for
thor value upon the productions of the
field animal aud vegetable proceeds of
the labor of the husbsudmau. There is q
sense in which these various departments
Of human labor are reciprocallS dependent
on each other, while they cooperate in
beautiful harmony; but there is as certain
iy another sense in which everything de-
Pends on field husbandry, as strictly aud
justly, as the temple, raised aloft. rests, for
its security, on the granite base firmly
planted in the solid earth.
Abstract the simple article OF cotton, and
million of man ufacturing aud other Ia
borers cease to work. and cease to earn
bread; while five hundred millions of our
race suffer deprivation to greater or less
extent, Of the comforts, and perhaps the
necessaries of life. Not only this, but
"ships, sailorless, would lie rotting on the
seai" commerce would suffer dead stagna.
ton; almost universal bankruptcy would
ensae; while the governments of kingdoms
would topple aud fall to pieces, jeopardi.
zing. and perhaps tearing asunder, the ten
ure even of property and OF life.
= Again, if you cut eff the supply,
for one single year, Of the cereals-par-
ticularly of corn aud wheat-and at the
same time multiply at will the supply Of
gold and silver-increase indefinitely the
mechanical powers--strew the oceans with
ships-let steam take wings and fly to the
uttermost parts of the earth; and vet hun
dreds Of thousands Of our race would die Of
starvation, and the cry of distress would as
cend to Heaven from every land Inhabited
by man on the surface Of our planet.
1t is worthy Of remark, that almost every
riot occurring in Great Britain, and almost
every revolution in Franco, within the last
two hundred years, has proceeded from, and
may be traced directly to, scarcity of
bread.
1.-THE practical results ofagriculture are so
important--if SO many great national and
domestic-physical and moral interests are
involved in tho success of husbandry. it
must be obvious TO all that an organized
and concerted effort to encourage and pro.
mote the agricultural labors of the country
must challenge the support and enlist the
sympathy Of every patriotic heart. And
we do congratulate you, Mr. President, and
the members Of this society, aud we con.
gratu'ate the planters Of tho district, upon
the success which has thus far character.
ized the infant labors OF this organization.
You combine both forms Of produc.
tive husbandy--!he pastoral and the strict
" agfenlturaI-the rearing Of useful ami.
mails, as we'll ~ the productions OF the field.
But the topic---the special subject OF in.
qaIp--yon have kindly assigned TO us,
and w'i.ch is sufficiently extensive ia its
range to es'lOde from these brief remarks
NJ ep'sods s--is;se important subject Of "Ao.
riesltyfsl Education. How shall wa inn.
press the public mind sltl, tho importance
Of gds branch Of bum,o Isbon How