Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-01

I
/ you cannot in few years effectuslly efface
previous desires, nor wholly alter the
primitive nature of the subject. While
| education is no doubt the most potent of
civilizers, it cannot at one bound convert
South Sea Islander into a progressive
! American nor can its due influence be
! felt when the other faculties have ten.
dency directly opposed to the influence OF
education.
We present these few remarks in order
that we may not be misunderstood as pre-
] scribiDg education az a panacea for all
financial and mental troubles. And be-
cause we believe that the tendency OF
scientific education, especially IN agricult-
ural matters, is even at the present day
opposed by many otherwise intelligent
men, on the ground that it makes their
sons stuck up" and impractical, and too
prone to run off from life at the home farm
to a clerkship In the city. A little closer
! observation would show that in the ma
! iority of cases these deplorable effects are
due entirely to home and hereditary IN
| tiuenoes.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTION.
Agricultural instruction proper begins
| with the sophomore years, the whole of
which ia taken up with course of lectures
on botany, The first term is devoted to
instruction in structural aud physical bot
any, and the second term of the sophie
more and part OF the first term ofthe junior
year is given to systematic and economic
botany. The method of instruction is by
lectures, profusely illustrated, both by
means of the magic lantetn and by hand
specimens of the plants themselves. One
can perceive, almost at d glance, the funda-
mental importance of knowledge Of bot
any to any one who is to have to do with
agricultural matters. The course as it hiss
heretofore been given by Professor HIgar6
is most comprehensive and instructive
one, and could hardly be improved upon.
Many students of the literary and
other colleges avail themselves, during the
senior year, of the elective character of
this course of lectures. And they are de.
servedly gaining popularity among the
students as a source of general informa-
ton.
| AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY.
During the first term of the junior year
the course in agricultural chemistry is be-
gun. Because OF its practical value, and
the difficulty of otherwise presenting any
| adequate idea of its scope and fundamental
Importance to the agriculturist, it is deemed
advisable to present short synopsis OF the
course to the consideration of the reader
Division Ii. Volatile parts of plants,
their elements, chemical affinity and veget-
able organic compounds. 2 Ash Of plants /;
(s), Ingredients of the ash, non.metallic
and metallic elements and salts; quantity,
distribution and variation of ash, with pro-
portions in various vegetable matters (b).
special composition of ash of agricultural
plants-constan ingredients uniform COM
position of different parts of and of similar
plants variability of ash ingredients, and
their essential or accidental occurrence in
plants, and composition of plants in sue
cessives stages of their growth.
Division 1.-THE structure of the plant
and offices of its organs: l. Distinctive
definitions. 2. Primary elements of organic
structure. 3. Vegetative organs-roots,
stem and leaves. 4 Reproductive organs
flower and fruit As much of this division
is repetition of what properly comes in
the previous course of structural and physi-
illogical botany, but little time can be given
to it during the course of agricultural
chemistry.
Division .III.-Life of the plant. l,
rmination-phenomena and conditions of
termination, chemical physiology of ger
minatioD, and chemistry of malt. 2. Food
OF the young plant-the juices of the young
plant, their chemical composition, and
causes of their motion.
Division W.. (a) Relation of atmos-
phere to plant nutrition-i.s chemical COM
position separate relation of it's different
constituent gases to plant growth and the
supply of available plant growth in the
atmosphere. (b) The physical relation OF
the atmosphere to plants. 2. Relation of
soil to plant nutrition. (a) Origin and for
nation of soils-rocks, their chemical and
neurological elements /; their conversion
into soil, and the organic matter of the soil.
(b) Kinds of soil, their definition and class
ification depending upon their chemical
and mechanical composition and external
character. (c) Physical character of the
soil-weight mechanical composition /; abb
sorption and condensing power for gases ;
power of extracting solid material from
solution permeability to liquid water,
and relation of the soil to heat.
(d) Soil as source of food to
plants. Il Ingredients whose elements
are of atmospheric origin Water and air
of the soil in their relation to plant nutri-
ton, humus and the humus acids, ammo.
MIA, nitric acid, heterogeneous organic matter
of the soil with their available nitrogen,
decay of organic matter and relative value
of different salts. GIL Ingredients whose
elements are derived from rocks (s) Re-
capitulation of the chemical and mechani.
cal ingredit nts of soil in their relation to
plant nutrition /; (b) rotation OF crops I;
(c) modification of soil by artificial means
l-Q) by mechanical operations (tillage,
subsoiling, draining, mechanical man1ring,
etc.; (2) by application of chemical or
true msnures (green manurlng, mulching,
muck and peat applications, use of quick
lime, mari, plaster, phosphates, guano,
ammoniacal salts, nitrates, common salt,
potash and ashes, stable manure, human
exerements, etc. le) Methods of culture,
its faults, robbing the coil, imperfect cult
ure, failure to rotate, ETC., etc.
AS MECHANICS AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
Are based upon mathematical truths, Just
90 is there a fundamental relation between
the results of agricultural practices-the
art of aericulture-and agricultural chemis-
try. The skillful architect or civil engi-
eineer bears the same relation to the COM
mou carpenter or rodman, as does the edu-
Gated and scientifically practical agricult-
urist to the common farm laborer. For
occupying the lowest spheres of life the
one is as good as the other. But if we
want progressiveness and civilization, the
educated. man, other things being equal,
will, by utilizing to its fullest capacity the
instrument (education), soon leave his
more ignorant brother far in the rear IN the
race for independence and a competency.
Agricultural chemistry is the real basis of
all rational farm practice, and its funda-
mental principles should be understood by
every intelligent farmer. 1t deals, not
alone with the soil and it's manipulation,
but is more or less intimately connected
with every subject OF agricultural import
ancs. Special culture, forage plants, stock
feeding, dairying, time of harvesting, ETC.,
all present phases of Importance when