The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-03-15
FARM, eAlRllllENMp II HousEEIfollI6i 30 5: D
Science on the Farm.

Science on the Farm.
The mere mention of the word science
or scientist appears to be obnoxious to
many iefeow farmers; who denounce
scientific sagicsltpreras a. a-yeritable cheat,
and snare. OF course, it is not to be
denied that there has been, and is at the
present day, IN immense, amount of
charlatanry among the self-styled scien-
tifc agriculturists, but, the same is true
of all other professions or branches or
science and art. The medical profession,
important as it is to the welfare of man.
kind, is oyerbusdened with quackery, but
that does not invalidate the claims of the
skillful physician and surgeon to honor
able recognition blythe community. The
greatests obstacle to the advance of true
science in all the learned professions, is
the crowding oslegitimate channels with
charlatans, who stand in little fear of
punishment if discovered, so that the un-
learned, or even imbecile frequently as
sumo stitlesto which they have no right.
But the farmer, in majority of in
stances, has misunderstood the meaning
of the term science and scientific agri-
culture, belierfng~it, to befsomething far
beyond the comprehension of persons
who have not been specially trained in
school or college. Now, genuine science,
at best, is merely common sence and OBJ
servation combined, and all preparatory
studies are little more than good tools,
with which man works out problems in
after years. OF course mechanic can
notido as good work with a few or poor
tools,as he car, with plenty of the very
best, but he nay still be scientific; the
same is true with the farmer, and the
better his preparatory education the
more rapid-wlI- be his progress; but be-
cause he cannot go as deep in his inves-
LEGATIONS as Some others, it does not fol-
low that no investigations should be
made.
The idea appears to have got abroad
that science in farming means chiefly the
analysis of soils and the food of animals; /;
this error, for it certainly is one, origi-
mated fromsthe Investigations and wri-
tings of such men las. Boussengault,
Liebig, johnson, aud contemporaneous
authors, whose life labors we're mainly
in that direction, and we're, in many in
stances, carried far beyond what was
necessary for practical utility. 1t is not,
however, necessary for man to be a
thorough chemist, geologist, botanist,
or a specialist in any one branch of
science, to be a scientific farmer. Good
ploughing is scientific operation, pro-
ducing both mechanical and chemical
results, there being an abundant oppor-
tunity for the display of high order Of
scientific intslfgence inttheisimple actof
turning over the soil. To ascertain just
how deep to plough in order to produce
the best results on every different kind
ofland, requires great amount of study,
and many carefully conducted expert,
ments.. Then, the pleughiug previous to
putting in a crop is -followed.by the
stirring of the soil among the plants, and
the frequency, depth, and best time for
performing operation, call for Jsome
very close calculations and inyestiga-
tions, which are undoubtedly of scien-
ti6c order.
| LII tuo lcculuS duuSCuf0 vi duiiiidlo
scientific Investigations are constantly
Eequifed, and although a farmer may not
be able to conduct various analyses in a
chemical laboratory and determine the
composition of his timothy or clover hay,
and learn (which isl the richest food for
his stock" he cam readily obtain the
knowledge sought by experiments in
feeding the two kinds separately, and
noting the effect upon the animals. But
it is scarcely necessary in these days of
cheap books and periodicals for a farmer
to spend much lime in practical expert
ments Of this kind, for the. value for food
of nearly every known forage plant was
loag-sinee-aseertained, -and-a-man-would
be very foolish 10 spend his time in re-
peating experiments where no new dis
coveries are likely to be made. The
great want of the day is not new discov-
cries in science pertaining to agriculture,
but the general diffusion and application
of what is already known to a compare
lively small number. There is not the
least need of any new forage plants or
grain, but those We already possess should
become better known among the tillers
of the soil, and this can only be brought
about by a.more careful perusal of books
and periodicals devoted to natural
sciences.: nces.'-'--''--'''-''-'-'--"-' ' 1890
Every farmer should know enough of