Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-09-06
For the InI1rnal
For the Journal.
A Textbook ON Agriculture for the Schools
in North Carolina.


your Office, on farming, intended as text
book for the common schools in North
Carolina. It has wider range, however,
and is really valuable to almost every far
mer, however large or small his operations,
however experienced or inexperienced, in
telligent or ignorant he may be. The au-
thor is native North Carolinian, Mr.. B.
F. Grady, ir., Principal of Neuse River Acad,
envy, Wayne county, North Carolina, and
evidently a young gentleman of talents,
fine scientific attainments, and much
promise. It teaches the elementary prin-
ciples of agriculture, simple truths of every
day use to the farmer. The work IS IN
pamphlet form of forty pages, and will be
offered for sale so cheap, twenty-five cents
q COPY, as to be within the means of the
poorest farmer, the humblest reader to
purchase It contains more useful knowl-
edge in the same space OH matters of farm
ing than we have ever known pub
lished, and all can understand it.
In fact, it is so entirely in the COM
prehension of every reader that no one
need hesitate to purchase for fear Of those
big words and hard technicalities, which so
often drives away in pain farmers from
scientificsand learned works on agriculture.
this scientific publication, for, after all,
philosophy and science are but common
sense, and he who dresses them in the
plainest language is the greatest author.
Mr. Grady has been fortunate in thus free
ing it from the objections named, and in
making himself attractive to students and
farmers wishing to improve.-to know the
why and the WherefOres, the causes and eff
fects of the phenomena in agriculture, and
the various circumstances and conditions
bearing upon the seasons, the plants, the
crops, the soils, &c, to which he is SO in
timately related in his daily studies,
thoughts, feelings and labors. The work
is, more properly speaking, an agricultural
catechism, or the chemistry OF farming
made easy, as it processes to be. In the
form of catechism the promising author
makes himself plain and interesting as he
goes. He divides his work into lessons.
He who follows up each succeeding lesson
cannot fail to be pleased and instructed as
he proceeds. The style is so good, the
lessons taught so much needed, the whole
work SO well adapted to the agricultural
wants of North Carolina, in her schools as
we'll as out of schools, that recommend
it with confidence and pleasure to t6hchers
and trustees of schools and academies, to
farmers of all grades, and to agricultural
clubs and societies. It relates to subjects
which most concern farmers, deals with
those every day matters of theory and
practice, which come up continually for
their examination and decision. Among
other subjects treated are the atmosphere
and the earth the three kingdoms of ma
ture, mineral, vegetable and animal plants
and farm crops how plants are nourished
soils; manures complaining ; improved
M n nj
ing; ditching; harvesting cotton, corn,
&C., &C.: &c.
The author aims to give correct views on
these and kindred topics, SO that the stu
dent may be we'll furnished in the elements
of correct farming, and the farmer already
at work, may proceed with intelligence and
success. Now, more than ever, it is
indispensable that every step the farmer
takes, each stroke that he makes with his
axe, his spade, or his hoe, every furrow
that he makes with his pillow should be made |
wisely and we'll Labor is too precious now
to be misapplied time and money too val
liable to be squandered in wild theories, or
wasted in foolish plans. Everything now
done on the farm should be with the full |
knowledge of what we are doing should |
be directed with clear head and a steady
hand. In this way only can farming be
made pleasant and profitable. By using
the knowledge contained in such publica-
tons as this, can the farmer, by experience
and good sense, attain that competency
and success which all men desire. He may
have to rid himself of decisions which in
cultivating the soil he may have unwisely
Rugged to his bosom. He will have to give
up many of those prejudices and old plans |
of his ancestors, in farming, if he would |
follow those teachings of science and of
experience, plainly indicated |
by our changed sastem of labor and it's
attendant necessities. This book points |
out the true way.
This is North Carolina production. So |
far as [ are informed, it is the only ma |
tive agricultural work ever written or pub
lished in the State, except such official re-
ports on geology, swamp lands, &C., as have
been made from time to time. Here, then,
is an instructive little work that is North |
Carolinian out and out Let it have place |
at once in our male schools and higher SEM !
and let it be scattered broadcast |
over the whole State from the seaboard to |
the mountains. and let every farmer pur-
chase and read it. It is high time we had |
cease to undervalue our own books, our
own men, our own institutions. There is |
a most lamentable want of appreciation |
of our talented, scientific, noble, high |
minded men. LII is such men, after all, that |
constitute a State, and how much longer
before North Carolinians act upon it ? In |
the past the State has in no respect acted |
so strange, been SO untrue to herself, as in |
the disposition of her people and of her
to undervalue and neglect her |
own citizens of the brightest intellect5, the |
finest attachments, the highest worth and |
merit. Why are such men, the brightest
jewels in her casket, so often allowed to |
languish in poverty and obscurity, while
mere pigmies in intellect and manhood
bear off the chief public places of honor
and profit in the State ?
Why is it that men are so often imported |
from other States to occupy our public in
and to fill civil offices over citi |
zens of our State, who are as competent |
and worthy every way as those who come
from abroad to supplant them II
make no reference whatever, in these re-
marks, to those military and other officers
of the government of the United States, |
who are in the State since the wal in the |
discharge of official duties but we refer
to the voluntary choice of our people and
our authorities OF men from other States to
fill so MANY of the hest civil poc;t;onc =, |