Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-04-14

not upon the products of their land.
In truth, outsId Cfs the value OF our
slaves, We were not at the beginning
of tue war much better off than We
were many years previous. Evun
then, with all our advantages, we
We're hastily wearing out our lands,
contrary to the representations of that
wise teacher, nature. We had but
little scientific farming. We followed
corn ana cotton in Que endless round.
We made bus few attempts to fertiiize !
outside of few more advanced coun-
ties That great principle of making |
the groatesi yield with the least labor |
aud upon til smallest space was not |
regarded. Thai great practical idea I
Of the sonfh since the war of using art |
aud science as substitutes for our loss |
s!avs .bor-d+stined yet to make this
mpOve rIshed southern iaHd the gar
| del spot OF the W yrid-had not pos
se>aed tn" mi"ds Of orr people. We
p;u"ea with the old pillow IN the old
way, cultivating our crops blindly.
and leaving nature, ways full of in
strnc;ion, to supply our urm-rcifu'
drain lDon tin Liberal soil. Why WAS
all tins thea ana why Is it now that,
h!le less favored and distant regions
| of tie civilized world have made such
| great strides and astonishing progress
| ~ agriculture, we have been so long
| behind IN Agricultural progress? Some
Of the northern oppone It's of slavery
ana others uurcquaInted wlthlts opera
| lions in the s0Sff attribute this to the
| demoraIizing Influence of slavery. But
the statements [ have made combine
with other impreguable facts and
arguments in showing their view to be
errone1u True, large number OF
our former slaves have voluntarily
abandoned, probably forever. our fields
| and forests, while Of the remainder,
many who claim to be farm -labOrers,
| cannon be induced to labor anywhere except
| il those spaSmndic efforts which render
them unreliable, aud On this account our la
h0r system is much impaired and greatly
demUraEzed True, We have not adequate
~ legardc;, the great historic truth hat
great revolutions III government and organ
| j. operations, like tie one through which
We have 50 recently passed, demand i
! change i'll agricultural operations in proper
ti0uto the cha &c in available labor and 9TH
e.. relations Of our condition. True, our
farmers are Glsc auTa&el by other Influences
AMI causes growing out Of the late war.
The significant fact Ina these lower couE-
ties where the negro population predoni-
| macs in nGnh erS real estate has been II adj
y lille in the upper and western counties Of
t4c State, where the white are more uIiner-
-Cus ana have the cO4trol, land has b en-
steadily advancing iii price f I the Same
/ time, suggests al. enquiry by the phlosophc
mind. The lndenIable tact stares every cor
rect observer iii the face that in these por-
tIpi.s OF Eastern North Carolua,ri,h in land,
! and COOL climate, accesSibl Z to good mar
Iict5 and with Nature ready to pour her
blessings abundal tly into chr laps, oui gen
eral conditions is much more depressed and
| Impoverished since the y al han Il at Of tie
cItIZers OF those upper and WESTERN parts OF
the State where he negroes are subordinate
ia 3luubrIs and int renee To The whites
lio.Y much Of t,.;s striking di.d grow ing con-
lr,ot is Wing to the Influence Of emaucipJ-
ton UPuA the negro race, and how much
this Influence operates upon low white men,
So e..S;Iy affected IN tie law Of conta.ion
ana Infection. it - i'll Ae tJTlh1 faiJhf;i chlOr.-
iC,rr If the 1eEtiiSh events of this stirring
az 10 note. Inc - tiuUitCc OF en- rl,cipat ION
upon Jhc I.cpTyes + !ne South Is one II he
III 5! vital and Interesting questions, i'm
IN dia.c and Prospective, of our country.
Grain il is that this practical feature
OF our subject is invested with much i'll
terrSJ IT, the firincr, as well as to The phi
lan'hropist ard statesman.
Iiut asi!,: Ipul all tins there loom up two
pp eriIi reasons for our detec;i,e .tf.I I'M
p, lttble ta!u:if@- one is th' frsd rrtiE
s!sc-.> cf OuI' yrppi, "gt',S' propositions for
r',r:tqjay III nuo.icS 81 csizafe. lt,Uiher
l. itr sr,UG ~ ,Is,gy Gni ,cura. o,t3oag b. til
5e.itc ,utd c"jo,,d, ACT rhicd greatly 5,-
tuy. is UyriCajsurt u.,d ,,,yfttY-cS tie inuu,-
t.ipt PIT S.GtS u iris m. tel LatI
! Ia regard TO In first reason the pro,eib-
ID: attachment 81 car people t. the stcrso-
typed methods and customs OF -4e:Ir fathers
, / al
, irs yeiucst ia flaming. Even tie sugges-
tive expert 't-,e ii our pressing necessities
Since the war las failed to adequately tiu-
root this Evolutionary devotion. The taut-
a'znr reprcacheS Of distant sectirnS that
y, are droiieS IN the hive Of progress. lag
gals in the march Of agricultural advance
III nj, continue TO assam rs. Ii is unjust
and Unreasonable to baratc our farmers f,r
ignorance. i .ey are Hot SO mUch IL blame
- i.,.s, authorities whose business il WAS
TO -;iFv them Instruction. Before the war!
"neI the In,d' and resources fer iInpai.-
iH4 elelnei.tar. know leGgo OF agriculture
Were ample, the State faded 10 discharge
her duty III this respect. There cauI!ut
ven be substantial progress III amy AIT or
science Ithout an ui!deG 81 lndin- of th.-
principles upon which i is based. Aericu!-
tHlc IS 4 science which has its AIT as every
>c"hc'' has. Science Is nothing hut com
mon sense. easily understood BIZ all when
| c"'heG IN proper language. \ majority of
Cur farmers have bat lir,ie education ont
Sc OF the valuable school Of experience
I'D the iefplr Ming nomenclature and re-
tu!eIve ttchiIcaliies ofayricultural science
.sit calculated Ia turn them away from
King know lodge Of is principles
Science, let it be repeated, is Only common
sense. or an explanation Of nature rs GNhi-
| bite within and around III all seasons As
| her wise and beautiful laws are unfnlded
underthe omnipotent DEGREES of our 1nerci-
fJl Creator. In his view it would lee easy
! t" lave our pCople Instructed in all the
need 10 know i'll the infringement ufthcir
farms. knowledge is what the farmer
| warts and when he obtains that he will no
i longer he repro4chcd for ignorance. The
laws o: husbandry, when silnplt2d by
proper language, are easily understood and
| are but few. Agricultural societies in every
Community, standard works written in
| language that will simplify and make easy
| these laws, with liberal patronage by the
| citizens OF the State of the agricultural de-
| PaltEent OF OUr University where Young
men are now taught practical us well as the
oreti al Agriculture, would date a new and
| brighter era III the general prosperity of the
| State. a failure here to adopt the improv-
Cd methods Of other countries has been
| mainly OWlngto want Of knowledge of the
| principles upon which they sre founded.
\ distinguished President Of lie State Ag-
riculiutal Society Of one Of our Southern
states not long since condemned the use al
| together OF lime upon land in 4 speech
! before an agricultural society. He had used
| it IN two different soils, first sandy soil at
| a certain amount per acre and without any
| beneficial effects. He then tried it upon
ciayey soil, and his experiment here was a
| failure also; hence his condemnation Of |
| lma. Both OF his conclusions were eIr0-
| n:ous, because of his ignorance of sur
rounding facts and circumstances. Ills |
f4iue upon the sandy soil was because of |
the absence Of organic matter for the lime |
t. act upon; whiI. his failure upon the |
c;ayey soil was because the clay had al |
ready enough l&e in it. He failed to ap- |
preciate the TACT tnat lime is fertilizer |
only upon certain conditions, and these
must be known and compiled With Hele
= =, ! !.