Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-06-19

us TO conduct the most ordinary business
Every farmer, then, is. and must be,
philosopher to some extent Science,
repeat, is common sense, and 1t would no
be difficult to have our people instructed
in all they need to know in the manage
ment of their farms. With Agricultural
Societies in every neighborhood, and pro
per efforts made TO simplify all these laws
and conditions, a knowledge of which ii
indispensable to any solid improvement IL
the modes and means of farming, We nigh
hope to see our people take fresh start IL
material prosperity, and our political deg
radiation would soon be forgotten. We
need a Leibig to take this matter in hand
and the combined efforts of our wise men
to push it forward. Until something Of
the sort is done, We can never expect any
spirit of Improvement to be infused into
our farming population. 1t Is useless to
propose new and better modes OF conduct
ing ones business unless the reasons be
given-and given, too, IN language which
can be comprehended. Many a valuable
SUGGESTION has b cen treated as idle specu-
Iation simply because it was not accompa-
MED by any explanation which the unset
entific could understand, and nearly all the
attempts that have been made in our coun,
try to adopt the improved methods of 9th
er countries have proved abortive, because
we did not know the scientific principles
on which they were founded. The use OF
lime as a fertilizer has been condemned
after one years trial on Il WORKOUT field
where there was nothing for it to act upon
except the seeds that were planted; and
deep blowing has gone into dlsfepute after
similar experiment.
1t is customary with the more sanguine
/ friends of progress to berate the farmers
for the tenacity with which they cling to
the customs of their fathers; but this is
unreasonable. No man will reject an i'm
proVement if be knows not only that it is
an improvement, but the reasons why it
is. The blame belongs, if to anybody, to
those who have it in their power to devise
means of enlightening the people. Know
ledge is what the farmer needs, and when
he gets that, there will be no further rea-
SOL to chide hin. We must inspire him
in the first place with hope. by assuring
him that improvement is possible; and this,
perhaps, is his most difficult lesson. He
must then be convinced that there has
been no general Improvement in the agri-
culture of any country without the previous
study of the laws and conditions of vegeta.
bile growth. He will then beco ne reader,
student, thinker; and he will soon learn
that in his business asin all others, ''KnoW-
ledge is power" To this position
/ earnestly desire to see our formers
elevated. Such q contamination is worthy
of the best efforts Of every lover of his
country. The patriot, no less than the
philanthropist, is interested in this matter.
The failure of our attempt to maintain free
government was due, in a great degree, to
our agricultural inferiority, and we shall
ever remain unable to cope with other ma.
tons, either III physical or intellectual con
tests, so long as We neglect this most i'm
portant branch of industry. Every inter
est Of the country depends on the produc,
tons of the soil. No man is a good citi-
zen whose barn is empty ; and no man who
makes one barrel of corn per acre is capa,
bic of being either Christian or a philoso.
pher. He can have neither time nor taste
for moral and spiritual growth or intellec-
tual culture. 1t is a fatal mistake to sup
pose that the farmer need not be educated
He of all men, needs all the light which
science can throw on the phenomena OF
nature. Subjected every day of his life to
the cOnvenlences or Inconvenience grow
ing out of the unerring operation of Ma
lures forces-being compelled, if he would
succeed, to accommodate his labors to her
requirements, it is surely of the greatest
moment to him to acquaint himself with
all those laws and conditions which control
the growth and preservation of his crops.
Indeed, the farmer has need of more varied
knowledge than any other man in society.
There is not a single one of the sciences
from which he cannot draw useful lessons.
He should understand the principles OF
organic composition and decomposition
the structure and functions Of all the
organs of plants and animals, and the ma
ture and influence of heat, light. electricity
of moisture and of the atmosphere. And
the study of these things will not only
benefit him materially, but he will derive
new and unexpected pleasure from the ex
pansion of his mental powers, and the ex
altation of his conceptions. He will fine
himself gradually entering new world O.
thought and feeling, surrounded on al
sides by the glories of God, as displayed
in the beauty and order of the materia
creation.
But the most deplorable consequence O.
our agricultural poverty is our inability tt
provide the means of educating the rising
generation-making men and women O.
them who shall be worthy and useful citi
zens of the country, able to exercise con
trolling influence in future legislation
Contests for political supremacy have al
ready begun, and our children will inevi
tably be overpowered finally, unless we arm
them against such fate. Wise men goo.
ern the aCOTlcl, and it depends on us to de
termine whether orr posterity shall govern
North Carolina, or give it up to impuden
vagabonds from New England.
repeat it, then : every motive which
can influence the heart of the patriot de
mands that something be done to improve
our system of farming. We need Agricul
tural Schools, Agricultural Clubs, Agricul
tural Lectures, and liberal attention to ex
tperiments and although we cannot dc
rything at once, we ought to set about
doing what we can. Agricultural book!
and periodicals are constantly telling us o
the success attending experiments in othe1
countries, and it is surely in our power te
try some of them here.
Let us not despair as some of our sol
diers did who saw the wheat fields of Penn
sylvania "Our lands," they declared
" can never be made as rich as those o
Pennsylvania" and when told that thu
lands of England are equally as fertile a
those of Pennsylvania, although forty year
ago they were as poor as ours, they still in
sisted that there must be a difference il
some respect.
No, let US not be discouraged, but 81
vigorously to work to ascertain by expert
ments the necessities Of orr soils, feeling
assured that our lands are as good as an.