Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1881-06-16
AGRTCUL
Agricultural Science.

nat agricultural sclence ~ hlno
shsmistry, mainly consisting of analy
res and recipes. The original work.
upon the subject were called "Agricul
tural Chenistries.
We now begin to perceive that agrl
culture rightly understood is very
complex art, based upon a concrete sci
ence. mean by that, a science made
up Of parts and parcels, facts and prin.
ciples, Of many different sciences
wrought together with a homogeneous
body of knowledge, systematically ar
ranged with view to its utilization in
practical farming. Medicine affords
au excellent basis of comparison, for it
too is a complex practical art, based
upon concrete science, made up OF
parts and parcels Of many sciences,
wrought together with homogeneous
body Of knowledge, Systematically ar
ranged With a view to its utilization in
the practice of medicine. Let us have
patience, my friends, and try to get at
what we mean by agricultural science.
Do not try to go somewhere with only
the faintest notion of where we are
trying to go. Be assured that agr-
cultural science is something greatly
more than kind Of chemistry. lap.
prehend that if any Of US had the small.
pox we should not send for a chemist
to analyze our pustules and give us a
recipe, and apprehend if we did the
chemist would not come. We should
comprehend and he would compre.
bend that medicine is something more
than kind Of chemistry; yet physi-
clan wholly ignorant Of chemistry
could scarcely avoid poisoning not a
few of his patients. The truth is that
chemistry is neither agriculture nor
medicine, but it is the pure science
most important to both. 1t occupies
the same relation to the scientific con-
crete that the gas tar does to the pave
ment concrete. The farmer, like the
physician, deals with living organisms
plants and animals. You need not
be surprised then if we find the same
sciences contributing to the formation
Of comprehensive system Of agricul.
tural and of medical science.
What is it that the scientific farmer
wants to know? lie wants to know
how plants feed and how they grow,
and how animals feed and how they
grow, and how they reproduce their
kind. A mere chemist is very apt to
know nothing about those things. In
order to know how plants feed and
how they grow we must know first
what they feed on, and then what they
feed with, we must know what organs
they have for the absorption OF their
food, and how they absorb it, and what
they do with it to make vegetable It's
sue out of it, We must know the
structure and the functions and uses
Of all the different parts or organs of
pl ants; we must know their anatomy
and their physiology. So of plants.
John Doe wants to make butter for
the Baltimore market. Two things
are necessary--a COW and her rations.
The chemist can analyzs the ration
and give recipe, but he cannot anal
we the COW, nor tell John Doe how to
make her. In order to Judge we'll Of
a mich COW he must know all about
the history Of breeds and the breeding
Of families; the structure and functions
and mutual relations to each other,
and to the various parts of the differ
snt sorts Of food, Of all those parts Of
the COW concerned in the conversion Of
corn meal and bran and clover hay
into gilt-edge" butter. A scientific
farmer, then, must know besides chem
istry, animal and vegetable anatomy
and physiology. Chemistry, anatomy,
Why they teach them at
the medical colleges! Yes, truly, and
they will havs to teach them at the
agricultural colleges, too, before they
come to be of any account. Those
who have set up to teach agricultural
science have been trying to 60 some.
where without knowing where they
wanted to 80. There is scarcely any
science which does not contribute facts
and principles to the concrete Of which
a true science Of agriculture is and
must be composed They who have
written Of the subject have failed to