The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-12
NEEDOF EDUCATED FARMERS
IMPROVED IMPLEMENTS AND 1NTELLI-
GENT LABOR.

IMPROVED IMPLEMENTS AND 1NTELL1-
GENT LABOR.
The Farmer has Need Of Good Sense
and Education to Make Farming
u SuccesS.-."Book FarIninG' to
The Front.
think the CtNirdtor has often told us that
the old and erroneous idea. that 'any tool can
he A successful farmer" has become obsolete; !;
and the custom of educating a. the smart
boys for the professions, and leaving the uu!
ones for the farm should he no longer prartlc.
cd Industrial schools should be eStaollShed
for the education of farmers, as we'll as the
other professions. The farmer needs more m
dependent thought and the capacity lor uecp-
or research and inquiry, because it is his busi-
ness to study the profoundeSt laws OF nature
and the most mysterious works OF the Great
Creator. He should understand the nature
and character Of the soil, the manure OF iertl-
liZcrs to be applied to it, the effect of air, sum
shine rain and freezes upon his land, anu tiic
adaptation of crops to conSenlal SOILS. 10 40
this, he must have knowledge OF geology,
mineralogy, agricultural chemlstry, pnlloso-
phy and other natural and physical sciences.
He must understand the higher mathematics,
in order to be successful in the measuremehi
of his lands, the capacity OF ms hanas ana
tools. the Improvement of his implements,
and the value of his productions or crops
When times of depression, like the present,
come. and everybody around him is saving,
t'Cotton is too low to raise it." Corn. wheat.
oats, clover, and grass never did bring any
money in this cotton country and "It don't
pay to farm" he must know how 10 success
fully batllc, by precept and example. against
such spec0us arguments, and to drive on and
not he discouraged in his business.
Did not our fathers make money raising cot
ton at six and seven cents? IneE certaihlS
did ana grew rich often. But these grum-
blers say. "thcy had slave labor and fresh
land." Free labor since the war is cheaper,
because our fathers spent more money IN
raising young negroes, in the support ana care
of the old and intirm, in oiothlng, medlclnnS
p,c than labor now costs, and by the lntelll-
gent use of commercial fertilizers, our old
lands yield more than their fresh lands. But
plies, and bought nothing to eat, but even
sold provisions every year. Now, let the
Southern farmers raise not only Il Su1hclencE,
but a little surplus of the corn. wheat. oats,
clover and grasses that will give them meat,
milk, butter, eggs, and nearly all the nccesSa-
,ies of life at home; then our cotton Will oc q
surplus, even at six and seven cents. BY rals-
Sng our supplies, we Will reduce lle COTTON
,rOp and thereby improve the quality ana
price. Every farmer admits all OF this, but
still does not change. They will. however
and that very soon: for our farmers are now
changing fast, seeding more SINAI! gram. ralS,
inu more stock. seeding more clover ana
grasses and preparing TO plant more cGrn
On the other hand, when times OF prosperity
come and cotton commands sooa price we
become so reckless and eNtrava@ant 1hat the
North and West can hardly supply us with
corn and bacon. horses and mules. linen
there is no end. daring those flush times, TO
the purchasing of new goods; new wagons,
top-bug.ics. machinery. etc, are sent for from
the North and we entirely exhaust the stock
of fertilizers. so that all the factories IN the
county connct supply the demanG. o,
Now If our farmers were Dctlcr cducatcd,
we would be more practical and far seeing,
Iyonld proyide for these unhappy extremes,
and could strike safe, reliable and rcmuner-
ative medium. A., ,,.o,,;,,o, -.
good sense and energy to constantly watch
his lands and crops. that he may knoW when
10 prepare and plant, how and when to pre-,
pare and plant, how and when to SO" ana
reap. how to cultivate his crops, and how TO
have an Intelligent care over his stocE tools,
etc All of this requires deep study, moe
pendent thought and constant aclivlty on
our rart. I have never seen real intelligent,
reading and thinking farmer, who has dev0t-
ed all his time and talent with Il proper dc-
gree of energy to his business, ever fail In
EARNING provided he sticks TO 1t. But, gen
orally, as soon as he makes some money at
Farming. and gets a little ahead, he must get
rich then; he puts up IA store ana becomes a
merchant; or buys a Steam-englne, puts up a
,niII;and becomes a machiniSt. or the LegiS-
lature appoints or the people eject nm a
Justice Of the Peace, SO that he dcvotcs
Iii his time and talents u law. So then
1ne becomes public leader ana belongs to the
meirhborhood: then it requires better clothes,
more style in his manner of living, ana more
eytravagance, SO that the beautiful fields ana
rich harveStS that once knew MN KNOWS nun
10 more forever, and he soon spends all that
ho has accumulated on the farm. For the
above reasons, and for many others, Such as
tbe variety of soils, changes on seasons,
mnnipulations of fertilizers and the peculiar
ities of his own business, he must think and
act independently. The farmer Is not ike tne
doctor. Who goes when sent for, names the
disease from the diagonoss OF ms patent,
~, OILY
his standard medical works; nor like the
LAWYER. who sits at his office and awaits the
visits of his clients and makes his speech
from the statement or MS cnehl ana inc uS-
timony of his witnesses according TO law;
nor like the merchant or mechanic, VINO
awaits the coming Of his customers, ana sells
them such goods as they desire, or does lhe
work according TO the demand Oh ms custom
"rs The farmer has no one to come to him
and tell him when to plant ana when u gath
or or when and how to cultivate. or wnat ms
aand needs and how toapply 1t, ana now 10
rotate his crops, and other m!nutl;n, lor lhe
most profit TO his purse ana his tanu. AL
these things he must know himself by con-
:stant thought and action.
The want of this know ledge and higher ed.
ucatiOn among the farmers of this generation
might he supplied. to a great extent, by read
ing and studying our aSrruturai Journals,
and following the advice Of thelr aDIe ana cd
.,lc;t, cd correspondents. In this age OF prog
ross and cnIiChtcnmcnt, let us do away with
the old and ignorant idea that "book farming
won't do" lnschc name OF reason ana good
sense give us more b0oit-knowledge and g
higher degree O: education in our noble vo-
naton, so that the>cby We may make it more
honorable and lucrative. Then, anu not TN
then, will our young men delight III the
pleasure of rural lite and the blessings Of as
ricultural pursuits.
let the other professions have their share
of the young men, for these tlme-l,onoreu
pursuits must be constantly recruited; ltt US
have our colleges for the edlcatlon OF the
youth of our land who desire TO enter these
professions: let us have our state universe
ties. in connection with our colleges, SUSTAIN
I'd by the different States. ThiSwe VIII t,carl,
;ily endorse for God knows we would not
iave it otherwise. But let US also have more
educated young men on The farm: Lrt us
have more agricultural a3d mechanical COZ
lcges, either separate or in connection win
our universities, so that the plow. the mower;
the reaper the cultivator etc. may be Guldeu
by skillful hands and directed by cull'Fhl'u
brains Then our country will soon reach Il
degree of prosperity never before attained,
and the waste and uncultlvated stretches IN
our beloved sunny South Shall "blossoln
like the rose