The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-08-01
FARMING AND FHE SCIENCES
Editor anderson MtclKgencer :

Several indications have recently b.
come prominent to show that the stuq
of the Sciences is becoming necessit
for our people, especially those of thel
who have more intimate connectio |
with farming.
wish to have familiar talk with MI
brother farmers, and show them, if
can, how perfectly dependent every
farmer is upon the knowledge of the
Sciences by somebody who can make
that knowledge known; and how impos-
sible it is for farming to make progress
without the knowledge in somebody of
the laws which kind Creator has pro-
vided for the benefit Of his creatures.
To show in a familiar way how COM
pletely dependent mankind is for their
living on somebody knowing and ex-
planning the Sciences, I assert this, and
defy contradiction, that man who does
not use that knowledge derived from
those laws of God called Sciences, cannot
perform one single act, except talking,
that horse cannot do. He can without
science draw his breath and eat such
fruit as God has made grow wild. This
being fact, 1 am anxious to dull the
edge of that prejudice which many good
farmers have even of talking on the
subject of the Sciences. by making it 50
plain that any one who can read will
understand me.
First, then, what is the meaning of
the word Science? The word itself SIM
ply means "to know" But it has been
further applied to collection of the
leading truths relating to any of the
laws of God, properly arranged and sys-
tematized. Thus: The leading truths
relating to that law of God which treats
Of the internal structure of the earth,
its various contents, its various elements,
put there for food for plants and trees,
all arranged and systematized, is called
the Science of Geometry. The leading
truths of that law which treats of the
properties of mineral substances, all ar
ranged and systematized, is called the
Science of Mineralogy. The leading
truths relating to that law which treats
Of all matters calculated by figures, and
of whatever can be measured and num-
bered, all arranged and systematized, is
called the Science of Mathematics.
Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, &C., are
branches of this. The Science of Chem
istry has for its object to discover the
nature and properties of all bodies,
which is done by decomposition and
combination. BY it the elements of food
which any plant has taken, from the soil
Can be exactly ascertained, and by it the
soil can be analized, and whatever food
it has for plants can be also discovered.
1t would seem that every farmer must
see how important this knowledge of
this Science would be to farmers. Men
who have studied the laws relating to
Geometry and Chemistry tell us that God
has placed in the soil fourteen elements
or Ingredients for food for plants. Now,
if farmer can be told what the corn he
plants takes up by its roots, and also ex-
actly what the soil he plants the corn in
has of the food the corn wants, then
when he knows what the soil lacks, he
will know what to apply.
Hydrology is the Science which ar
ranges and systematizes all the proper
ties and laws which are contained in and
govern water. Mechanics is that science
which investigates the forces by which
all bodies are to be kept still or put in
motion, and put in particular form or
shape. The powers which it uses are
the lever, pulley, screw, axle, inclined
plane and wedge. Botany is the science
which treats of the structure of plants,
the function of their parts, the latitude
in which they grow, and their classifca-
tion and names. Metallurgy is more of
an art than science, and comprebends
the whole process of separating the ore
from other matters, and smelling and re-
fnipg the metal. Natural History ar
ranges and systematizes description of
the earth and all its productions, and in
cludcs Zoology, Botany, Geology, Miner
alogy and fish culture.
The foregoing contains description
of those Sciences which have more in
innate bearing on the advancement of
Scientific Agriculture, and by which all
farming operations are carried on, in
many cases the farmer not being aware
of it, as 1 will now proceed to illustrate:
Suppose beginner tc commence farm
ing. He must have land, and that clear
ed and fenced, q horse and plow ready
for work. Now, think how many of these
Sciences must be known by somebody
before the plow can be started. 10 make
the iron, God has made law there should
be placed in the earth the ore of iron;
mineralogist then first finds the ore;
then chemistry must find the compost
ton that will make a crucible to stand
heat enough to melt the ore; the metal
lurci.t must be at hand to smet and
separate the ore from earthly and other
matters; then mathematics must show
how the machinery must be made to beat
it INTO bars; then the science of me-
chanics must show how to shape it into
a plcw-share, and mathematics must
show how to make the stock to suit the