Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-09-19
DIR FARMERS.


To the Editor OF the Union and American.
The great want of our section Fat the
present time is educated farmers. A change
must come if our people desire permanent
prosperity. The young men Of the country
must devote their time TO useful industry.
Agriculture offers an independence and
certainty OF success, which neither specula-
ton nor legitimate mercantile pursuits eau
assure. All the sciences are more or less
intimately connected with the soil. There
Is no lack of food for the mind as we'll as
the body. Thus while we have not an en-
lightened cultivation OF soli and, mind, so
long will the young men fee from the music
Of nature to the city's din, TO drag out per-
haps miserable existence in the exacting
toll Of traders, who are but the agents of
the tillers of the sol. Let us then have
enlightened agriculture and a more equal
distribution Of wealth must necessarily fol-
low.
The agriculture Of this section at the
present time depends very much on the in
telligent and liberal use of msnures.
There are but few soils SO faYorably situa-
ted as 10 endure constant cropping without
ultimate exhaustion. The delta OF the
Nile, being renovated annually by sedi-
ment from inundation, may produce sue
cessive crops without dimiDution for CEN
turtles; but, under ordinary circums tances,
with the most careful farming, the
soil will demand supply
Of substance from benyod it's own surface
In order TO maintain its fertility. Farmers
do not always consider that in the growth
Of crop nothing is created. The ton Of
grain, and straw, and stalk which their
fields produce, are only transformations OF
materials which existed in other forms,
either in the air or earth. Il Is true that
the great bulk of both straw and grain is
derived from carbOuic acid and water-ytwo
substances Of which the supply msy be
considered inexhxustible; but other sub
stances, though entering into the crop In
much smaller quantities, are yet absolutely
Indispensable. On the farm nothing can
justify the neglect or waste of stable manure.
Ii the waste of manure on the farms and
about the villages were corrected by pro-
per economy-the necessity for expanding
money for guano and fertilizers might be
postponed for years. The exposure Of the
manure pile or compost heap TO the dren CHI
ing rains of spring, wastes the soluble salts
of potash and ammonia, as well as the
available phosphate, leaving the residue
with little OF value beyond the absorbent
power of the earbonacious matter. 1t
would be very easy to double the value
Of this manure, by covering the com.
post heap with heavy coat OF
swamp muck, and keeping it excluded
from the rains, beyond what is necessaryto
preserve it In moist condition. There is
also great waste on many farms by suf-
fering wood ashes to be exposed to heavy
rains, which wash away the soluble potash
and render the ashes nearly worthless.
The want of system Of agricultural ed
ucation of greater breadth aud depth is be-
ginning to be keeniy felt in this section; It
Is finding prominent expression in the en-
deavor to reduce more clearly the dimly
seen truths of natural science, and to apply
those already attained to the work of every
day Of life. 1t is the duty of every parent
to see to it that his sonis taught SONS use
ful trade or branch of agriculture. The ten-i
doncy now is to avoid them; but this should
be steadfastly resisted. 1t may not be ne
cessary that the young men Of the rising
generation should devote themselves exclu-
sively to productive industry yet they
should be able, In case Of business calsmi-
ty,or some unexpected emergency to engage
In some pursuit that viii afford them the