The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-15
Science as Applied to Agriculture.
IKorthu 1fdster and Patrons:

Worthy Udster ana t'dtr0nS:
When you assigned the task of essay
ing upon science as applied to agricul-
ture, it came very near being missioner.
So far as we are concerned, it is the want
of science in agriculture that ruins US.
In 1870 the Huguenots settled in South
Carolina. Since that time agriculture
has been the chief occupation of the
citizens, and for the want of science or
system for the words are nearly synony-
mous-they have gone very far towards
the ruin of one of the most desirable
countries upon which the sun ever shone.
wrecklessly have they proceeded and
persisted in telling the forest skimming
off the soil, bringing the face of the
country into state of nudity and allow
ing it to wash into unsightly egpllies
until its fertility istwell nigh exhausted.
In this they exhibited "a great want Of
science, for the forest, one of the great
regulators of the seasons, having been
cleared off has given full vent to sweep
ing winds, storms. cyclones, etc, which
blast and destroy much of mans labor;
also by ditching and thus drying up or
lowering the beds Of the water courses
they have dispelled the morning fogs,
thus destroying the feeders Of the at
mosphere and causing it to become filled
with aridity, discipating or drinking up
all dampness, allowing the arid sunshine
to fall upon the naked land with such
force as to wither and exhaust vegeta-
ton.
The above combined causes are fast
bringing our country to those extremes
of wet and dry, heat or cold, wind storms,
etc., that are constantly increasing and
causing the agricultural interests to be-
come more and more precarious, until
we are scarcely able to meet the demands
of a growing population. Not only this,
but by our unscientiic course we: are
fast bringing disrepute upon agriculture,
while, as it is the first, it should be most
honored, for upon its success depends
that of all other occupations.
Farmers, stop short in this suicidal
course; get out of the old ruts of ignor-
ance; drive not your own sons from o
calling wr;ch is the safest and most
pleasant. To seek livelihood in those
already oyer-crowded professions, which
are more precarious and vexat;ous, while
they are not more honorable than our
own.s sItis sad mistake that is driving
our young men of promise from agricul.
ture to seek professional life, seeming to
conclude that any imbecile who can hop
5clod and say, "woa, gee, hoh, yah," ~
can be farmer, while intellect must
seek professions, or, as they are some
times called, the higher eallings. Nay,
nay, there is no earthly calling higher
than scientific tillsge of the earth, from
whence comes our all, whether it be of
commercial trade or of food and raiment.
And where the vocation, if you please,
that requires so diversified knowledge of
science as does systematic and skilled
farming. While the science of profess.
sorships may be special, that of the
farmer should be general. He should
understand astrology in order to take 'ad-
vantage of the changes of seasons, con-
sequent upon the rotary movements of
the planetary worlds; he should be
mineraiogist and 'geologist that he may
know the constituent parts of the soil in
which he operates; he should also un.
derstaud botany that. he may deal with
each species of vegetable as. its nature.
requires, and he should certainly have a
knowledge of entomology in order to
successfully contend with the innumera.
hle hosts Of insects, grubs, larvee, beetle,
horer, etc., which prey upon vegetation
and lessen the products of his labor In
short, the farmeSs knowledge of science
must be general in order to be successful
ia his vocation, for the day has come.
and it has been fastened by mans un-
skilled and improvident efforts to farm
without science or system-when we can
not With impunity 60 on sowing at ran
dom, reaping with uncertainty and de-
PENDING upon Providence to help us in
SO much that depends upon our own
efforts or skill, forsProyidence is only
brought to our assistance in things
wherein we are unable to help ourselves.
But we say by our action that if we SOW
We shalkreap -
Without srehecting for one moment
that we are wreckless, in that we plant
without preparation, we perhaps apply
mineral to land already superabundantly
supplied and withhold vegetable manure,
which is needed, or We apply yard ma
ntre where it is lime that is needed, or
we put that land 10 corn where it suits
only for cotton or potatoes; and so of all
our farming operations, conducted with
out any system, and then when failure
overtakes us we cry out, ;'if it had or
ha5o't rained, blowed, freezed, thawed,
&C., I would have succeeded," when the
truth is your mode of operation is ab-
normal and produces failure. Would
you have me Prove your want of provi.
dence, your utter neglect of system
Then challenge you to find farmer in
your township who can tell upon an
average of five years what it costs to
produce bushel of corn or potatoes, a
pound of beef or pork, sack of flour or
a holo nf cotton Or nh; ;oh of ull bic nro.,a