The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1876-01-12
AGRICULTURE.

i e.
The Raleigh News says, at the present
moment. there is not an Agricultural Jrar-
nal in the State. he paper Of that nsme
published in this city is under syncuIe
with faint prospects Of revival. and the only
agricultura! ieading the farmers get is from
the scanty supplies doled out BY political
papers or from periodicals published IN
other States. This ought not 50 to be.
The agricultural interest is the founda-
ton stone of j nations prosperity. Il sets
10 motion every industry and il the main
spring Of every movement Of civilized So
clety. OItofits abundant provisions. it
releases the larger portion Of lnankin from
the necessities. us IN the savage state. OF
producing their own provisions ard gives
leisure for the cultivation Of the arts and
sciences. for the development Of manufae
lures and for the pursuit Of commerce. But
as those pursuits beget in the progress OF
society aud the increase Of population.
preponderance ofthe non- producing classes
these last react upon the agricultural
classes. and press upon them the exaetiods
Of eyer increasing demands.
Aud here comes the necessity for increas-
ed intelligence aud enlarged information
among til. farming or producing class. All
settled countries have long since parted
With the virgin freshness Of the soil. The
elements which nsturs stored up in the sur
face lnatiLg ofthe earth have been exhaust
ed. The limits Of transfer TO fresh fields
and pastures new is cireumscribed. There
is IN old countries no more forest 10 lay
low, no new grounds to be brought up
Us reserve. Hence nothing is left To the
farmer. but his long titled land., to be
abandoned altogether. to he cultivated on
the old plan with the certainties OF bare
subsistence. Or else prompt recognitioi
81 the situation that agriculture Is no long
er rude art. thing u muscle and endur-
ance. but is rs legitimate a subject for the
exercise uf the brain rs the more recondite
studies which ID other occupations engage
tho intellectual poses. But then. the
farmer Who Is cOunselled that farming is n
work II thought, must disabuse himself Of
the idea that his education heed be scienti.
&c !; that be must be able to make an analy.
SIS Of soils; that be must be able for him.
self to find the chemical constituents Of
plant fo,d: or thai he shlll be able for
himself to determine BY experimental tests
the comparative value Of commercial fer.
tilizers. All this trouble has been saved
to him. Scientific nen. pioneers in this
a. we'll Ms II all other arts in common use
among man. have Owed into the recesses Of
nature. laid bare all her mysteries. aud
presented the results 81 their researches as
free gift to mankind. The application
Of these researches is ihe only strain up,i
the brain imposed upon him who woald
avail himself Of these enlightened ideas.
And this is the foundation Of book farm
ing, 50 much opposed. because 50 much
misunderstood.
. lie would be fool indeed who would
expect to lay down abstract theories in
! books for perfect system &c farming, and
he greater fool who would follow him.
| but agricultural works, books, periodicals
~ newspapers, are nothing more Than the
recorded experience and observations 81
praiieal mon, farmers themselves who nv
tic practice with knowledge Of the nd.
rancement in agricultural science, whicl
necessities 81 MI ever increasing population
: IN long inhabited aud exhausted countries
have made imperative. They note exper.
imenis. they record results. they detail ex'
! perience they warn or they encourage.
Farming. 10 more than any Other pur
I suit in modern times, can sand still. AMI
!. be profitable. Il must conform itself Il
! the universal law Of progress II must en-
: ter into competition in its practices Will
1 the other changes that have eyolu,ieRize'
d the industrial world. Mud 10 do ibis !:
\ must throw OF its reserve aud come out o
its seclnsion. Il must learn how one mat
$ has made Two blades Of grass grow wher
: only one grew before; how one man ha
!. made hog or a beef BY Improvement o
!. breeds. to double iis weight with the sam,
!. allowance Of food fed out 10 another Of in
!. ferior breed how. by the use Of improve
:. machinery one man saves half the expcns
5 Of culti,atiDg and securing his crops. an
saves time enough TO devote to farther I'm
provements.
!, Aud all this Is among tho results q
y agricultural reading. which We hope TO Sc
!, more general. and lead 70 the revival Of q
:. able agricultural Journal in North Carroll
y ma.
" ssssS+.s-
Columbus. Jan. 7.--Among The bill!
introduced 10 The Legislature to-day u on