Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-20
ON AGRICULTURE.
S"o RELATIONS of Science and Practice In
the Calling.

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N'l"t'ons of Science and Practice In
the Calling.
Science has been considered by many
farmers as something that is apt to be
Intrusive upon their business, to inter.
lere oy trying to overthrow by theory
pure and simple, that which the accu-
muiated facts of years have proved to
DC correct; and they have looked with
sohletn'ng somewhat akin to suspicion
upon any one who for a moment as
sumes the position of an expositor of
the laws of nature in relation to agri.
culture as a means for the better equip
ment OF the farmer for his business.
Advlsers, teachers and critics there
have been ad hbitum during the last
few years of agricultural loss. Every
one who knew a live horse from a
butter-firkin imagined himself capable
OF imparting advice to the farmer.
Each had a remedy to be offered gratis;
but, had they been acquainted with the
real facts of the case, they would have
! given more mature consideration to
their various recipes, and would not
have so rashly exposed their ignorance
of the matter. Science does not pre-
tend to offer any of those nostrums,
or, indeed, to deal with any questions
that are without her pale; but she
leals with the practical everyday facts
of the farmers business experience, by
u%nravelling them. finding out the why
and the wherefore, and then placing
the results of those Investigations at
the disposal of the learner. Science is
the why and wheretore, practice is the
when and hoW of agriculture. If we
bear this wildly in mind, we need have
no fear of their clashing.
1t is utterly useless for a man to think
of succeeding in farming with theoreti-
cal knowledge alone; we have seen that
tried and fail. / would far rather back
the practical man without science than
the scientific man without practice; but
the man who combines both would
probably excel either. Practice alone
can enable a man to become a good
judge in buying line stock. The eye
and hand need training to detect that
peculiar touch of skin, form of carcass,
and other points that denote breeding,
adaptability to fatten quickly, or, in
breeding animals to see the points in
male and female that need correction,
and hence judicious crossing. But
science will enable a man to go farther.
1t will suggest many hereditary pecu-
liarities, also the most suitable foods
for economical fattening, and the value
of the manure made from such feeding
materials. They need both to 90 hand
in hand for success.
Again, science may show us the
most suitable manures for different
crops, OF suggest a certain soil is bar
rem or whether the addition of chalk
or lime would not be of benefit. But
practice must say when to chalk, and
how to get land in suitable condition
for a sced-bed for whatever crops may
be intended to be sown; so thai here,
again, each has its part in the success
full tillage and growth of crops. 1t is
not chemistry alone that is useful.
Geology, for instance, explains much
to us that otherwise would be most
mysterious; and a knowledge of veter-
mary science is most useful to the farm
Ell. I do not mean that he can have all
the appliances OF the correct knowl-
edge of the veterinary practitioner; but
he may know the cause and symptoms
of many diseases, which will lead him
to avoid treating or feeding his stock
in a manne which he otherwise would
not think about. He would know
somewhat about infection and conta-
gion in disease; and probably, by a
Slight knowledge Of anatomy in such
cases as hoven, the life of a valuable
cow or on may be saved, in the case OF
the veterinary surgeon being a long
distance away Or, again, the
symptoms Of the disease of
the animal may be, by a
knowledge Of veterinary science, sent
to the veterinary surgeon; and he is
then prepared with remedies or his ar
rival. And I need hardly remind you
that in many cases ''delays are danger
GUS" So that the farmer armed with
scientific knowledge of his business
must have the advantage over the one
who has not this knowledge. Science
in it's relation to agriculture is really
the principles upon whitehall the oper-
ations of that pursuit are based. 1t is
an explanation of the laws of nature
which accompany all the many details
of farming operations; and q funda-
mental knowledge of these principles,
backed up afterward by experience, is
the best way of equipping a young
farmer for his business.
Science has an important relation
ship with agricultural practice in ali it's
details, from the mechanical science of
arranging whiftletrees so that each
horse pulls his share of weight on a
gang of harrows, to the more compli-
Gated study of mixtures of food for fat
tcning cattle Oh for mich cows. But it
is only by science and practice
working together that we may
combination will tend to make
farming more profitable, indirectly; or,
to put it iii another way, given a man
with business tact, energy and per-
severance without which he will not
succeed in anything,) and scientific
training grated on to practical ex-
perience, il that man does not succeed
in farming, I don't know where to urn
for a man that will. But as, in alR
farming operations, there must be an