Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-10-19
Address Of
PROF. J. w. MALLET.

Address OF
A PROF. J. w. MALLET,
DELIVERED AT THE AUGUSTA COUNTY FAIR
r. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18TH, 1869.
Gentlemen of the Agricultural Society
Lrs1az Of augusta County
In accepting the invitation with which wa
honored few weeks ago to address you upor
this occasion, | was conscious of my inability
to bring before you much of interest or value
but felt that the invitation was one which, or
several grounds, it would have i'll become me te
Decline a
The conditions which surround us in Vir-
ginla at present are such as to render it in a
very high degree desirable that all the useful
arts of life, and especially agriculture, from
which all the others spring, shall be fostered
and advanced by every legitimate means.
The work set before the men of our day is
so plainly the rebuilding of the ruins in the
midst of which we find ourselves placed, that
no difference of opinion upon this head exists,
and no discussion Of SO simple a proposition is
necessary. We all see that the results of the
toll of generations that have preceded us are
swept away, and that we are called upon, by
more than the usual incentives that stimulate
the exertions of men, to labor for the speedy
restoration of material comfort and prosperity
amongst US. 1t may safely be said of South
ern men that they are acaling to go to work,
and that they manifest an increasingly strong
disposition to do so, not singly and selfshly,
but with such mutual aid and announcement
as come of united public efforts Those are
none the less willing to work together helpfully
and hopefully now who remember that they
have stood shoulder to shoulder in other and
yet more severe trials in the past. ?,
Amongst such united efforts at advancement
in material prosperity there seem to be few bet
ter calculated to do good than the annual meet
ings of societies like yours, bringing together
the people of large districts OF the State in
pleasant social gathering, affording opportunity
for full discussion of questions of industrial in
terests, and displaying the actual results of inn
proved agricultural practice and the novelties
OF mechanical ingenuity.
1t is the duty Of every member of the com
munity to aid on such an occasion in any way
he can-best by far in the exhibition of some
visible success achieved with the plough or the
hammer but if not so, then even in the Inferior
capacity of the speaker Of a few feeble words,
which, so far as they go, may at least be not in
appropriate. a
1t is not only as member of society, how
ever, that | feel most lively interest in the
operations of such societies as yours and hear
ty readiness to assist in them by any humble
means In my power. The duties of the Chair
which have the honor to hold in the noble
University of the State make me particularly
desirous of prohting, as student of agricultu-
raj science, by the valuable opportunities for
gaining information, both by eye apd ear, which
occasions like the present afford.
He whose duty it is to teach, if he would be
more than mere charlatan and pretender,
must be especially selicitous to learn himself
and one can seldom during the year find himself
SO well situated for collecting information bear
ing upon agriculture, for getting at new and
interesting facts, and for comparing the various
opinions and experience of many intelligent
men, as In the midst of an assemblage like the
present.
But, yet further, have felt that peculiar
obligation rests upon me to appear before you
day, as affording fitting occasion for the ac
acknowledgements OF debt Of thanks which the
State University and the State itself owes to the
hberality and public spirit OF former citizen Of
your county.
The professorship of Chemistry,!in its special
applications to agriculture and the other useful
arts, is one the probable utility of which had
long been recognized, but which could only be
es abIish in really efficient form by the ex-
penditure Of large sums for buildings, apparatus,
and material, so as not merely to provide for
the performance of chemical operations by the
teacher, but also for the practical instruction of
of students working with their own hands, 1t
is upon the bequest Of the late Mr.. Thomas
johnson of Augusta county that the University
of Virginia has been able some two years ago
to introduce the study of the scientific relations
of agriculture amongst the subjects Of lnstruc
ton within her walls, and since then to erect a
new laboratory building Of such amplesize and
thorough equipment as to challenge comparison
with any Institution of learning In America in
which the student may verify upon his own
workable the facts of nature ofwhich he reads,
and may learn to determine such facts for
himself, to ascertain the constituents Of
soil, analyze a specimen of manure, find out
the real value of mari, or prove the nature
of supposed metallic ore. A still larger gift
to the University, intended for the promotion
of agricultural science, has of late added to its
means Of usefulness In the same general dlrec
ton but, as have said the present is pc
culiarly suitable occasion for acknowledging the
original obligation of the State at large to your
county for service, the value of which you
can correctly appreciate. III
When called to the professorship in Ques-
ton, and in attempting to enter upon its du-
ties, have felt most strongly that, In order to
any really rapid and steady progress In scien-
tifc agriculture, it is Of the highest Importance
IDdC IDCT0 SuUulu UC d ulOIC iuuCldl
understanding and more concert of effort be-
tween scientific workers in the Laboratory and
practical farmers In the field than have gener-
ally existed heretofore-that the chemist shall
by all means help the farmer if he can, but
that the farmer shall also be willing to help the
chemist, and shall see the Importance even to
himself of his SO dolng-that both shall work
together in spirit of mutual goodwill toward
the attainment of such knowledge OF the laws
of nature as may help us in the great task Of
bringing forth from he earth food tor tthe use
of man.
1t is to few remarks upon this head that |
venture to ask your attention to-day.
To almost any one who has noticed the gen.
eral progress of scientific agriculture for the
last thirty years it will be evident that there
has been want OF such concert of thought
and effort as | refer to.
Scientific .writers-at least those really de-
serving of the name-have addressed them
selves almost exclusively to scientific men-their
works have been based mainly upon expert
meuts made on small scale, IN the iabora-
tory or under more or less artificial conditions
their reasopings and conclusions have been ex-
pressed In language so far techlna1 as to repel
the greater number OF general readers On
the other hand, the efforts made by practical
farmers have been made, in far too many in
stances, without an adequate knowledge of such
welascertained laws of nature as bear upon
the questions at issue, without acquaintance
with the facts already ascertained by workers
in the same direction, and without such de-
gree of accuracy and precision In the determI-
nation and statement of the -means employed,
and the results obtained, as can alone render
useful to others the experience OF those devo-
ting themselves, to such research.
Ok ono c;dod investigations whether nv
the men of science or the tilers of the soil, are
oroatlv to ha danorad