Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-01-02
ARITHMETIC AND AGRICULTURE.

ARITHMETIC AND AGRICULTURE.
l. Is rare that one meets farmer who
fully appreciates the value of arithmetic
and bookkeeping in all farming operations.
It is 4 mistake to suppose,or believe, that as
ricu,ture and mathematics have nothing in
common, a0d that they should be kept wide
apart forever. What IS land surveying, and
the exact measurement Of any cultivated
fell or farm, but advanced arithmetic, or
the useful application of mathematical
scieI ces?
Er unknown ages land was measured by
eating the hide of an OK or bull into
long narrow string and then driving pegs
or nall stakes into the ground, around
which this sring of raw hide was drawn,
and 20 much ground as it would enclose
was mans farm aud landed estate. If
the OK was large and th9 string small, IL
would be of great length, and the farm
3mp3rl.ively large. Some of our Sou'h-
orn small cattle would give a very small
estata, unless one had 4 Yankee contri-
vanea to split the de, as upper leather is
of5en split.
Tls same uncertainty that existed In re-
gard 20 farms and quantity of land in that
DAY, now exists in reference to the quantity
Of p at food consumed to make crop Of
wheat, corn, cotton and tobacco. Farmers
are wiling t, pay competent surveyor to
apply mathematics and measure land accu-
rately Tb&y are willing even to aid in
supporting schools Ia which arithmetic,
suTveyiUg, and agricultural engineering are
tauga.. But when il comes to the syste-
matte study Of agriculture as an exact
sciel &c, they seem more ready to throw
AVA al tie progress already made in
weighing and measuring grain, hay, cotton,
mea, and all other products Of the soil,
than be to tie trouble Of weighing the sub
stances consumed to form these or any
other staples. II is not necessary that
every farmer should perform experiments
of tLs tild, no mere than il is for him to
maxi his oTu almanac, or go -ithOut.
Bu, Whist farmers AID their governments
have lone for astronomers in building OBJ
servl, 1ries, telescopes, and other appl-
aGces. 10 bring the science of astronomy TO its
preset advanced state, farmers and govern
menls should 10 TO assist men whose whole
lives are devoted to the advancement Of ag-
ricultuTe as an exact science. Everything
that pertains to agriculture, whether in the
form # matter, or force, can be measured.
Is it easier to weigh the gravitation of the
distant moon, and the far Off planets Of Sa-
turn and Herschel, and measure the veloci-
ty Of light and heat from the sun, than to
weigh and measure the gases that make 8
hill Of ripe corn? Corn and wheat are our
daily bread; and By not knowing how to
make them properly, We have to-day more
than two hundred million acres Of impov-
erishal fields in ne United States. About
ole-hAlf Of this area is turned out, and The
other h&lf is still under fence.
Congress has done its best to exclude he
light Of arithmetic fcom this subject since
2S40; DOW thirty-two years. When the in
jury done to American soil could De re-
paired fer a thousand million dollars, an
earnest appeal was made to Congress for a
truthful and searching investigation into
the sources offsrsility in land, the causes Of
lis increasing poverty, and the best ways
aud reesns OF making perfect restitution.
But nothing was done; and now, instead
Of there being one hundred million acres
of depicted soil which may be restored a,
an average cos Of ten dollars per acre
there are two hundred million acres, de
manai2g an oUtlayef ten dollars per acre,
or al aggregate Of two thOus and million
dollas. Shall we stop TO consider this
great question Of land frUitfulness and po7'
egly, .r 20 on as We are doing til all Of oul
6 Ids are IS poor as the poorest?
Congress is likely to give to somebody {
million dollars, more or less, to celebrate,
ald make . great noise over our centennial
national anniversary. 1t would be inter
es,ing 10 inquire bow much more the sol
e ,h- Uu.tai States has lost in one hum
dred ears, thau ig has Iagained il any
form, to balance fairly our national ac,
caun3 II kind nature has made full res.
GIl.51 of tle things that form grain, grass
lay. .r.ton, tobscco, sugar-cana, aaI other
cops. then our loss Of potash, m2guesia
phos orc, sulphUric, nitric, aud other
acids md a'ka!ies, is q matter Of No couse-
queu-s. Bat il nature restores the ela-
menls Of crops as soon as removed, why
ahoul aD7 manure, or long rest be needed?
\ fa..u Of rich virgin soil is Ike a fortune
give 10 pgCaga heirs, who never learn its
value Ill they see and feel that they have
wasted and colsumedit it very foolishly.
10 view Of these facts, why will not Amer
icau farmers Instruct their representatives
IN {. ugress % aid in the specific object, not
Of guessing 81 what the s0Il0ses in making
a crun, blt in carefully weighing it before
ths d is planted, aud after the plant is
g-1wa? Arithmetic must be applied as full
II to s5ils and sub-soiIs, as to all crops
Eoa, his is 10! done; aud the consequence
is lha. wsre7ily know next to uothirg sbOu
the loss or gain of fertility in land, as a
cein .e quantity. We easily admit that i
takes a pound of something 10 make &
p1uu of wheat; but if We inquire how
much u . wheat plant comes from solids
in tn. ground, and how much from water
anl a., We can only guess as a man CUES.
sss a, .ha acres sown in wheat in TenueS-
ST. nd then kindly guesses at the yield
..s-
esSTgP MY PAPER
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