The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-07-06
SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE.

igin to the University, was "the lib
eral and practical education of the in
dustrial classes in the several pur-
suits and professions of life Any
idea of public instruction which com
prehends no broad based scheme for
the cultivation of the sons of farm
ers, is defective and dangerous.
Farmers are the mass of West Vir-
ginia's citizenship. Their culture is
demanded on general principles, that
political status of the commonwealth
may be conserved. But beyond the
duty which the State owes to itself,
in this regard, is the higher and
director duty owed to the Agncultur-
al part of our population. We live
in an age wherein intelligence is the
measure Of permanent influence.
The Lawyers rule the United States
by the scepter of knowledge. They
are by their habit of mind, the intellec-
tual aristocracy of the county. 1t
has thus resulted that the learned pro-
fessions are exercising an undue and
disproportional influence ON Ameri-
can civilization. The danger is be-
coming imminent that the whole of
our civil machinery is to be operat-
ed in the interests Of men, who rep
resent but small populational fac
tor The safety and security of farm
ers demand that their own proper
voice shall be heard in representation
Of their interests. Lawyers Consti-
tutions are as pestiferous in our day
as the many-headed Agrarianisms of
the old civilizations. We say, then,
that the farmers of West Virginia
must, by the acquisition of knowl-
edge, assume their natual and neces-
sary relation to the civil system.
whereof they will ever be the "great-
est part" If this century has de
monstratcd the reasonableness and
benefeence Of popular sovereignty,
it has also taught the transcendent
Importance of preparing by judicious
culture those into whose hands the
awful trust of self government is
committed. But we do not propose
to argue the question. Let US thank
God, that we live in an age which
does not question this truth. What
we want to insist upon is this-that
the farmers come at once to the
front, and recover the ground which
they have lost by allowing the great
Institution of learning of which they
are the main supporters, to become
trainer of Divines, .iurists and phys
icians rather than the source of an
annual increase of we'll informed
and scientific Agriculturists. We
take it, as true that there is more
awkward, uneconomical and homici-
dial Agriculture in this State than in
almost any, other in the Union. 1t
must be remembered that the time is
gone forever, when sane men regard
farming as Synonymous with the
mere mechanical execution of the
routine duties of seed time and
harvest. To be successful agricul-
turist in this age requires science
deeper than the furrow 1t demands
an accurate, theoretico-practical,
study of the chemistry of soils and
food, of vegetal and animal physiol-
ogy, of gardening and the culture of
fruit, Of entomology, of political
economy, and a host of kindred sub
jects, all of passing interest in them
selves, and charged as we believe,
with the future Of the worlds farm
ers and thereby with the destiny of
the human race. May it not be
hoped that our noble University will
speedily redeem herself in this mat
ter? Let the farmers know that,
for them and their children more
than all others, the Institution was
founded. Let them reflect that their
taxes are applied yearly to its support.
Let them remember that the Depart
ment of Agriculture is supplied with
the most useful and valuable appli-
ances and more than all and greater
than all else, let them be convinced
that a liberal agricultural education
such as is furnished in the halls of
their own University is of vaster i'm
portance to them. than all the Gran
ges in the Mississippi valley. When
our farmers become men of culture
and reach their true and normal place
an the social system, they have moth
ing to fear. Then will they be might
ier than money, mightier than Rail
road, mightier than monoplists, might