The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-02-08

o"SiA eusuoiS haS iohS oiuce uceu tiauSiateu
into the living languages and why take
ten years to learn to;read them in the orig
ipal, as a task, when you might read them
in day or SO in a good translation Life
is too short tostudy dead languages, or to
dream over dead Issues. We have to grap-
PIE, With the present, aud prepare for the
There il still another division of educa-
tion thatshas formerly been greatly neglec-
tcd--the education of the body. Proper
physical development is as necessary as that
of the mind. 1t should take precedence
over the education of the mind. DeQuin-
cy, the gifted writer of England has terse-
,ly put it, that he who draws a sound mind
and sound body has received the highest
prize from the elottery of Life. The physi-
que is to the mind what tho gold setting of
tho ring is to the brilliant and sparkling
diamond. They are dual units. Both arc
equally essential to form the complete orna-
ment, and to make up the perfect man. To
facilitate this proper physical development
knowledge of physiology and anatomy
are necessary, and should be taught at as
early period as possible in our schools and
lecIleges. L would elso have the discipline
of military academies applied to our schools
un0 c61leg IS, as we'll as well organized
gymnasium. This is not provided for in
this bill, aud, in my opinion, they are essen
tial for exercise aud we'll regulated physical
development.
The universities and colleges of an agri-
cultural people should be adapted to the
wants of such q community In order to
meet their wants am in favor of abolish
ing the study of Latin and Greek, and in
their stead to put geology and mincralogy,
which will unfold to the farmer and planter
the great mysteries of the earth. For the
last hundred years our farmers and planters
have been ploughing and cultivating the
soil without knowing its constituent parts.
would also have the study Of agricul-
tural chemistry given prominent place in
the curriculum of our public schools and
colleges, in order that the scholars may learn
how to analyze the constituent clements of
the earth, and also the component parts Of
their domestic and foreign fertilizers. A
thorough knowledge of these would save
the farmers and planters thousands of dol
lars annually out of their crops. This kind
of knowledge would enable them to know
whether their lands were adapted to the
grswth of wheat, oats, corn, cotton, &C.,
and if not SO adapted fer their growth, what
fertilizers would supply the efaency. 1
remember several years ago reading David
Dickson's great work on Agriculture. In
describing the component parts of the fer
tilizer he used upon his cotton crop he
stated that 1t consisted of Peruvian Guano,
land plaster, gypsum and salt. 1t puzzled
me to understand how it was that salt was
regarded us an essential clement in the food
of the cotton plant. After considerable
research, found in work on Cotton, pub
lished by gentleman in Mississippi, that
salt was the main element that entered into
the formation of the lint of the cotton and
that it improved the texture of the lint of
the cotton. The popular idea was that it
was intended to prevent rust in cotton, and
to create moisture around the plant. If l
had been taught geology and agricultural
chemistry the ten years that was delving
among the dead formulas of Latin and
Greek, would in all probability have
known this fact l would also have been
aware of the fact that the gypsum and land
plaster or lime were intended to fix the am
monia that was contained in the guano, and
thereby keep it from escaping by too
rapid process Of evaporation. would also
have known that the cotton plant absorbed
ammonia from the air, and that ammonia
was the basis of all of our best fertilizers
Cotton is the great staple of the South, yet
ninc.tenths of our people are ignorant OF
how this plant is fed by the properties OF
the earth and the elements of the air.
Suppose our schools and colleges had
taught geology, mineralogy and agricultural
chemistry, would the untold wealth of our
phosphates have laid for century under
our feet before their value was appreciated?
The great mass of our people are ignorant
of the immense quantity and the great value
of these deposits OF phospates to the State
1t is not an over-statsment to say that, un-
der proper system of development, the
royalty could be made to pay the entire OK.
penses of the government. In the year
1870 the royalty paid to the State was 81,
087, and it has increased to the sum of
S126,569 in seven years, under the imper.
feet systep that We now have. This great
industry deserves the immediate and careful
consideration of the General Assembly
would also have mathematics go par,
passu with the studies I have alluded to-
1t is the basis of almost all scientific edu-
cation. 1t is by mathematical science that
the parallax of the sun has been calculated
and the great laws of the polar and plane.