The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-04
Agricultural Progress.


it is TO be presumed obtain more or less
over the whole country, have set us to
cogitating upon the causes thereof. and
we have unwiliingly come to Tie conclu-
sion that agriculture, ttthe nuning u.otb.
er Of all the arts,h as she Is rightly
claimed to be, lags, far behind her chill
dren on the road 70 progress. The dear
old lady has gotten into a rtss and We fain
would lend hand TO pry her, and to do
80, we must endeayor TO t,ersnade her OF
a fact which she certainly does not prac.
tice, even If she is aware of its existence,
and that is, that brain work ID quite US
necessary TO successful farming as what
is called in rural parlance "elbow
grease"
Hercules, the Samson of the polished
pagens OF antiquity, shouldered q heavy
job when he contracted TO clean out the
stables of that untidy old farmer Auges,
III which 5000 oxen had been stalled for
many years, but the enterprising Here.
worked with his brain rs well as his
hands; he saw at once that with his dung
fork, his shovel and his barrow, Ii would
be impossible to get through with the
job, so he set his brain to work and
turned couple Of rivers through the
stable and so filled his contract. To be
sure the waste of all that valuable ma.
nure was crime against good husbandry,
but there waB no stipulation for its sal.
vage specified in the contrct. Moreover,
the place could not have been cleaned in
any other way. So We fancy that If our
good old nursing mother would make q
little moro use of her brain she would
get along much better and march in the
front rank along with the other arts, all
of which are the fruits of her womb and
the nurslings of her breast. Nor does it
seem IN ns that agriculture get5 her fair
share out of our costly public echools.
Far from it. Indeed It atrikes us that
the tendency Of these schools is to incline
the rising generations to shun the hon
orable toll of the husbandmen, and the
equally honorable mechanical employ.
ments, and to seek among the unhealthy
excitements Of the cities to live by the
uncertain chances of trade and specula-
ton, or the more than .equivocal pursuit
of petty politics, AS the ignorant re.
cruits OF the French armies were taught
to believe that each carries in his hayer.
snck the baton of Marshal, SO are our
farmer boys taught by the schools that
they are all destined to fill some fat pub
lie office, and the girls are made to be-
lieve, that humping on rickety, I'M
tuned piano, makes far sweeter music
than the revolving churn. ar the r.a.:s.
hum of the spinning-wheel.
DO any Of our public schools, even
those in the very hearts of agricultural
communities and remote from cities, i'm.
part TO the farmers children! these ele-
ments of neural science, such MS geology,
entomology, botany and Others absolute.
ly essential to the proper understanding
of the rural industries to which they are
destined? If they do we are not aware
of it, end among their textbooks We
certainly have never seen one directly
and exclusively devoted to agriculture,
SHEEP HUsBANDRY.. ss2
One of our neighbors, probably the
most extensive landed proprietor In this
section of Ohio, has gone into sheep rails.
ing on rather an extensive gcale for this
part of the country. Previous to his do.
ing so, we had many discussions 40 70 the
variety Of sheep which he should Intro
duce as best adapted to the Topography.
soil and climate of his farm, and its loca.
tion in reference to market--all vital
questions to permanent success, and hot
lightly to be decided; the problem In be
solved was whether he should breed ex.
clusiyely for meat or wool, or for the two
combined. Finally and Fortunately. as
it turned out, he consulted the great
work on "Sheep HusbandrS;" by H. S.
Randall, who advises as foll6ws: "Eo
one breed of sheep combines in the nigh
est perfection all those points which give
value to these animals. One is remark
able for the weight, or early maturity. or
excellent quality Of its carcass, while il
is deficient In quality or quantity of wool.
and anothc- which Is valuable for wool.
is compa.' atiyely deficient in carcass.
Some varieties will flourish only under
certain conditions of feed and climate.
while others are much less affected py
those conditions, and will s9bsist under
the greatest variations Of temperatnre
and on the moot opposite qualities OF
verdue." 80 ri. sis
In selecting e breed for any given 10.
cality, we are to take into consideration,
first, the feed and climate, or the CUR.
rounding natural circumstances and,
second, the market facilities and demand,
We should then make choice Of that
breed which, with the advantages pos.
sessed, and under all the circumstances,
y
ketable product.
Rich lowland herbage, in q climate
which allows it 10 remain; green during
a largo portion of the year, Is fayorabie
to the production Of large carcassea. ii
convenient to market where mutton finds
prompt sale and good prices, then all
mutton, as contradiBt 3gpished from q
y g.at,
cumstances the choice should, undoubted.
ly, in my Judgment, rest between the i'm.
proved English varietiesr-the South.
proved Cotswold or new OSfordahirs
sheep. In deciding between these, oflleI
and moro specific circumstances arctic b,
large numbers, the Down will herd much
OUR iced, though generally plentiful, il
of summer, and we have not o osrsain
the Down viii better endure occasional
short keep. If the market calls for q
choice, and high-favored mutton, the
Down possesses decided superiority
Ii, on the other hand, we wish to keep
but few in the same enclosure. the iarTt
breeds win be as healthy as the Downs
If the pastures be wettish or marshy, ths
former N'u better snbaist on the fani
herbage which usuniiy gIpTs Ii Il sstsiiSSt sstsiSt
aituations. If they do not furnish so fin,
q quality of mutton, they (particularlj
the Leicestef) possess ain earlier maturi
ty, and both give more meat for thl
amount consumed and yield more talloW
PRRAuUM CROPS. -,
Now that the season for agricultuFa
fniYs Ia nhf,nk "a nYnnr, q f,,, -nrfd IN IL,