The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-07-30
For the anderson LtelSgencer.
TO THE PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.

While am speaking to you I feel am talk
ing to select number of farmers, and would
do something for your good. You are no
doubt aware that one of the prominent objects
of the organization of Oranges was intended
to promote and encourage the mental improve
ment of farmers. In looking all over the
United States, this lack Of education among
the farmers is no where made more clearly
seen than in Congress and our Legislature.
In none of the Congresses, for number Of
years back, have there been at any one time,
more than six to eight farmers, out of the two
hundred and twenty whe belong to that body
nor more in our Legislature than about the
same proportion. Lawyers, doctors and edu-
Gated ministers have been selected to make our
laws. Now, the list of studies (called the
curriculum taught in our colleges, consists OF
Greek and Latin, Mathematics, Algebra, Nat
ural and Moral Philosophy, Belle Letters, AS
tronomy and Chemistry. Now, this course is
calculated to, and has made, learned lawyers,
doctors, ministers and statesmen. But is there
anything in this course to give knowledge of
what is necessary to make successful tiller OF
the soil? To show you how different is the
study which is necessary to make a successful
farmer, will proceed:
Leibig, probably the highest authority on
the subject of Agricultural Chemistry of any
man of his day, says there are thirteen ingre-
dients in the soil, each one of which every
plant must have-in different proportions, how
ever-to bring healthy plants ; and if any one
of these ingredients are lacking in the soil, the
plant may nevertheless grow, but its seed will
not germinate To be an educated farmer, he
must know how to analyze his soil, and see if
any of these ingredients are lacking, which one
it may be, and how to supply it. He must
know how to analyze the plants he wishes to
grow, to see whether his soil is suited to its
full development. He must know how to
analyze manures, to select that kind which
contains the elements necessary for food for
his plants, and which may be exhausted by
previous crops in his soil. He should under
stand mechanics, to know how to make his
farm tools, and invent such as he may need to
lessen manual labor and perfect his working.
And to perfect his education, he should under
stand MineraIogy, Botany, Mathematics, Vege-
table Physiology, Hydraulics, and, in fact, all
the Sciences, for they all have an important
influence to enable the farmer to draw from the
earth the maximum of its powers of produc-
ton. None of these Sciences have been taught
until within the last six or eight years in any
college in the United States, except Mathe-
matics. You will from this exhibit see how
lily adapted the education which the lawyers,
doctors and ministers have received is to pre-
pare them to make laws to promote the farm
er's interest AS general rule, their profess
sion is their ruling interest. Nor do / mean
anything to their demerit when I say that, as
general rule, their education units them from
knowing either the. farmers wants, or how to
provide for them by laws. A doctor must find
out his patients disease before he can apply a
iudicious remedy So of law-maker. He
must find out the necessity for law before he
can frame it to answer the purpose. How can
man be prepared to make laws for the benefit
of the farmers interest whose education gives
him no knowledge of what the farmer needs /?
How is this to be remedied? In no way, I
answer, but by the establishment of schools
and colleges to teach the Sciences.
Davy, of England, was probably the first by
experiment to prove the inestimable value the
science of Chemistry might be made to yield
to Agriculture. Next to him Liebig and
Bousengault, of Europe, have, so far, by
analyzing the plants they grow, the soil they
plant in, and the manures they use, have revo-
lutionized the mode of agriculture in Europe,
and so completely satisfied their people as we'll
as Governments by their great experiments of
the value of scientific teaching, that England,
France, Germany and Prussia have, under the
fostering care Of Government, established all
over their dominions scientific schools and
colleges. Our Congress, under the influence
of this teaching, have by law granted to each
State 80, 900 acres of public land for each men,
ber each State may be entitled to, for the ex-
press purpose of establishing scientific schools
and colleges for the benefit of agriculture.
And pretty much the whole Northern and
Western States have by virtue of that wise
grant established colleges for teaching the
sciences in full operation. The grant to South
Carolina, as she had at that time six members,
was $4,000 acres. These were sold by Scott
and his clique, and so manipulated as to put the
whole amount in their pockets This land sold
even at 70 cents per acre, would have brought
the sum of S126,0 ,0OO-enough to have estab-
lished frst-rate college. If this had been
done at the time possibly as many as two hun
dred young men might have graduated, with a
full knowledge of all that is necessary to ena-
ble them to till the soil with success.