Salt River herald., 1879-01-01
AGRICEETCRE.
Interesting and Instructive In- formation and Suggestions
 A5out Farming.

c. II. Dwinel.e, esq, lcctured a
 the State University of the Stat
 of California a short time since. ol
 Agriculture as profession" II,
 said the qualifications of the agri
 eul.uralist who understands h;s bus
 iness are many. He should bc
 thoroughly acquainted with botany;
 the structure of plants and the func.
 tiOBs performed by their different
 parts, should be as familiar to him
 as A B c, and he must know the con
 ditions which are most likely to pro-
 duce unusual development of a par
 ticular part, as the root, leaf, flower
 or fruit. He should know the his
 tory of each plant he cultivated, and the various means by which it may
 be reproduced or multiplied. And
 so it is with Zoology. To be able to raise to the best advantage the vari- ous domestic animals found on a farm requires q wide knowledge and a clear judgment. Insect life calls 
 for his attention, for Ee should know his friends and enemies among the myriad forms that swarm about him. In ,tle
 HARVESTING AND CURING
 Of crops for market, there are ques- lions which will tux the best chem ist and mechanic to the extent ofhis ability. Irrigation and drainage call for no mean amount of enein- eering skill. This is but an imper- feet sketch of what a model farmer should understand. To be brief, he should be botanist, zoologist, phy- sic1st, chemist, geologist, mincraio- gist, mechanic, civil engineer and book-keeper. It will hardly be de- nied that to come up to this stand ard, requires man to have learn ed education, which would entitle him to the name Of professional ag- riculturist. But some object, there are farmers on every hand who know little of these things, and who are, nevertheless, successful in business. Surely it does not require a scientif- ic man to raise a crop of potatoes or beans. There are many who make their living and even amass fortunes at farming, and who are al- most or entirely without education. l They do not, in a true sense, under stand the business which they follow. !
 THEIR METHODS,
 Learned from their fathers, or from their own narrow experience. are such as will, under certain circum- stances, produce the results aimed at. On the other Land they often fail. If questioned as to the req sons for want of success in these par ticular eases, they will frequently confess that they aye at loss for any explanation. They often sub init unresistinsly 10 mislortuncs, when the means by which they may be overcome are within easy reach, but unknown to them. Such a per son may find his fields reduced in and he grumJles at the ;hahged climate, lives more econom- cally. or sells out. Now the truth is, the land las been ex- lausted by the merciless system of that had been pursued. And even when the owner knows his, he may not in the rich resour- 'es which Nature has provided for he renewel of his worn land, know low to apply it. There may be
 LIME STONE, AND WOOD To burn it with; gypsum, and Wa CT power to grind it; mari, peat, or lepOsits of phosphiates, but to him hey are all hidden. Or if he no- iced them, it Was probably as drawback to his operations. Like a .ock that found a jewel, he considers l grain of corn of more value. | lave spoken of the value of botani- al knowledge as to the relations of 'lants and the mischief which may esult from ignorance on this sub ect from hybridising. It is
 \ WELL KNOWN FACT That several of the best known va ieties of wheat have been lost since he advent of the travelling thrash ng machine. In Egypt they have etained their best varieties of wheat or thousand years af least, by :eeping the seed pure. Why ould it not be done here? The c Testern farmer has his characteristic