The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-10-22

ADDREes

AWW8E 00
Dsiissrel nfpvs ~ ~ Metnss 0sseloASpi-
esles 10y. DtS6lv M lesA
q nor. IAaEx1 mAsea.
M. Passlnsnf. L4Drss 40 0sHrL 1n IN
b aev' twenty ,sass sines lhs orsanisasien #
t1D.4rss Alcslsursl Boqlnay IN this counsy.-
Our honest-hesrted old 0osssnor Lusas uas its
President. The lAss<ngea Coz. Clark was one
Of its members, aud ikxse we're many others
vNG1S 1Aces " DO not zee around 10 now. A.
Ar. John Gregg engaged to publish an agrical--
tusai paper In aid Of our efforts, and many Of
our tAsn fellow ctizens unaffected lively in
tsrsss IN he undertaking. Even st that early
day the importance Of Agricultural Improvement
% the future des.inies Of our young territory,
vas not overlooked. We were fully conscious
that this vas 10 be the cardinal interest Of our
future State for centuries to come, and We we're
dssposed to make an exer;ion to promote that
toterest in what seemed to " the only method
within our rsach-,hst Of associated effort
Bat the country WAS NOS then rips for such
an undertaking. Our agricultural editor failed
to meet With The encouragement necessary to
justify the consummAtion of his design. Our
farmers we're then too busy occupied in provi-
ding the simple necessaries Of life and In re-
paying the debts 80 generally incurred in secur-
ing their homes, TO feel very strong interest in
anything beyond those particular objects, and
/ the necessity Of pos,poning our undertaking
soon became apparent.
Similar attempts have since been made ct
different intervals, vita varying success, but
with constantly increasing promise, until the
present, which vastly more than any Of its pre-
decessors gives assurance Of a complete triumph.
The surroundings show f1edness Of purpose,
| which, il circumstances are ever entitled to
credibility, leave no doubt ~ TO the resut Of
our present effort.
Yes, Mr. President, twenty years Of good and
evil, Of storm and sunshine, Of JOY aud sorrow,
have passed over our heads since the FIRST pre-
mature effort was r,adc for easctiog what We
now see contaminated. They hare left their
traces, and hope have not been destitute Of
some good fruits. Across this chasm which
separated the past from the present, many who
were then Of cur namber-like Noses from the
top Of Pisgab-were able TO catch distant
glimpse of promises The fruition Of which they
were never to enjoy. We have been more ia
vored. We have REACHED the promised land /,
and find ourselves this day surrounded by oil
that our most saDguine imssinations could ever
have ventured TO anticipate. The well titled
farm-the bountful orchard-the comfortable
A.
around 10 ON the present occasion proof that
the primeysl curse is already almost removed
from the brow Of agriculture. The cultivation
Of our fields and gardens ha1 nearly ceased to
be drudgery, and is fast becoming delight.
The earth does not everywhere bring forth
thorns and thitles, but Is covered instead with
sustenance for it's Inhabitants, and cropped by
hocks and herds OF domestic animals, exceliing
oil Of which former generations could have had
any conceItiGl. BE it ours to aid in this be-
p6cent change SO hspply commenced and SO
successfully progressing to its consaossAtion.
This can be most successfully accomplished
by bringing science aud intelligence to the aid
Of the practical ..:a.er, so that his avocation
may be not only more successful hpt also more
interesting, SO that agriculture may be elevated
to the rank Of prosesson-pursueda as a source
Of intelligent gratigssi;on, instead of being ~
it once was, dul! round Of unwilling labor, but
little better understood by the animal behind
the plow than that Ehjch vas before it.
But some will sheer al the idea OF scientific
farming and think nothing is Of any value but
actual practical experience. Far be it from me
to depreciate the value of experimental knowl-
edge 0n this or any other subject. 1t is the
basis Of all genu..e science. But does it follow
that each one must iears sEerything in that
| manner for himsely Cannot the infOrLna Jap
acquired by one be communicated to otherss
A sery broad distinction between the human
and the brute creation is that the knowledge
obtained by the !orafs - recorded and comml-
nicated to others, while the latter learns every
thing each for itself. The bee, the most vsn-
derful of them all. builds its cell the same now
as in the time Of the pat,iaschs, aud its form Of
government remains unchanged. There is no
progress as is the case with human institutions.
Agricultural knowledge is far from being per-
feet. 1t must depend for its improvement in
part upon the pen aud the printingSpress to
| render practical experience more completely
available. Not .L., would have you believe
everything you nee written " printed. There
are quacks in agriculture as well as 10 every.
thing else. In every department OF human ef~
fort will be found those who profess to teach
what they do not understand themselves. When
this is done is il wonderful that men are led into
difficulty But nc disasters from that source
will prove that all knowledge is worthless. The
laws of nature, as applied to agriculture, Are az
uniform and nvariasis IS those which control
| the succession Of the seasons. Bow impor tant
then that these laws should be understood as
far as that can possibly be done. This is the
great purpose of all agricultural experiment. and
enquiry. Is
During the past season fact came under my
observation which strongly illustrates the sub
ject of which have been treating. 1 Geld
which had been partially plowed the pregious
autumn was all ploweo 10 the spring and soy
with oats, when, strange as it may seem, the
grain was much better on the portion which was
left untouched in the TALL than upon that which
had received bath tie fall and spring plow>
ing. The difference Sss so great as to be
clearly visible to the eye Ut the aiatsnce OF
quarter of a mile--so that the very fnrrsw
where the plox stopped In the fall could be
traced out Now, az fall blowing is almost uni.
versally recommended 10 aii agricultural works,
an argument was naturally raised in ths in,
stance against all shook farming. IL however
proved n0tnlng OF the KIM, OUT tue very re-
| verse. For il we admit that this one instance is
sufficient to prove that all fall blowing 10 detri-
mental, it viii only follow that those who write
for the agricultural papers have adopted an
opinion without saascieps Easis. They have
misunderstood one Of the lsws of patlrs, but il
does not follow that the Lac itself is unreliable
when correctly hsces.aiued. II the previous
notions on this subject have been incorrect, it is
high time we kno. the truth nov. Ii the ia6or
bestowed on fall p.owlny is worse than thrown
away we cannot know that fact too soon. And
when ouca we are OF this newly discovered
truth, let it Us published to the world, for it
will be fact OF antsessa! Importance 10 the az
ricultural community. But after oil il will oaly
then be specimen OF useful book tarisias ~
of science applied 10 agriculture.
do not suppose this one circumstance is suf-
| 6cent to establish the truth of the proposition
| that fall blowing is detrimental even - an cat
crop, still less that it is any other product
| There might have been something peculiar in
| the land or in ,iie season. Or thegs n ght have
been some other undiscovered cause Cor this
result Numerous aud thorough experiments
Il -