The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-11-08
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FOR FARMERS SONS.
AsP1ea for Scientific InBtfhetion In the.
Public Schools.

GOVCA4AVN GUh fEA0MEDS, 0VNps
IA Plea for Scientific Instfhetion In the.
Public Schools.
10 the Editor Of che Ne,os and Courier
Whatever may be the wrongs Of the agri:
cultural classes in our State, either real.
OF fancied, one thing is evident. They
feel the need 'of;industrial education, and
will not be satisfied until their demands
in that direction are met in some way By
|}the Government. The great desidera-
tum, at present, seems to be an agricnl.
tural and mechanical college, and for
that end the acceptance of "the Clemson
sbequest It is presumed that this mat.
ter will receive. tho earnest considers.
ton Of our next Legislature, and upon.
wise decision eighty as some are ip.
clined to view it) hiueh depends. 1t
generously treated all may be we'll,
otherwise who can tell what two years
may bring forth?
Whether this college Nill accomplish
the end desired no one Can foretell>; but
ono thing is sure, the masses of our
people are grossly ignorant of the science
of agriculture, and their call for light
should be needed.
This is q matter which demands the
attention of all thinking men. However
we'll a college may meet the expectations
of those who. favor it, certainly its bene.
fits can never reach the vast majority of
our agriculturists, and the only way to
give them the much needed light lis
through the common schools. Let ag.,
ricultural text books be prepared and
have the first principles of this science
taught in eVert school in the State
The great advantage of this course must
be apparent to every one acquainted
with the ignorance of the average farmer
as to the science of his calling. Ask him
why he applies cotton seed or stable
manure to the land, and the only answer
he can make will be because it makes
the crop grow. He knows nothing Of
how the plant feeds or of the ammonia,
ph0sphoric acid, potash OF other. chemi.l
Gals contained In bis fertilizers which act
as plant food, consequently he has to
gain BY years Of coatly experimenting
what be ought to learn scientifically in an
hour.
Why do not most farmers exchange
their cotton seed for mealf Because
they have been swindled so often in buy.
ing worthless commercial fertilizersthat
knowing the seed to be valuable. as a
manure they fear in their Ignorance to
make the exchange: They know not
that the at1moniain the seed is the princi.
pal and almost the only plant food it
|scontains, and that by making the ex.
change two pounds of this valuable fer.
tiliser sre gained for oseFy ole which is
lost. .
Il Whyt then should not this valuable
knowledge be instilled into the minds of
the lyouthso their: fortunes gout of the
soil Z While the boy Els learning the
history of his country and the science of
his native tongue, teach him the science
of his calling, teaeh him what percentage
of the different fertilizing elements is
contained in the ordinary manures made
on. the farm teach him the use of am.
monia, phosphoric acid, potash, lime, &c,
as plant food teach him the value of.
Islegnminous plants as "a fertilizer, their
action on the soil, &c, the necessity Of
keeping vegetable matter in the land,
Eth. faction Of bacteria on the different
fertilizers; and the partlthey play in for.
warding the growth of the crop give
him jin.his schools boy days some knowl-
edge of this intensely resting science,
and when he becomes man and begins
to put into practice what he has learned
theoretically, he viii be q sorry man who
does not profit by his knowledge and seek
Eto:insreass his store with every day that
he lives.
If South Carolina ever expects to
regain her proud place in this great
Republic, it must be done through her
agriculture forshe is essentially an agri.
cultural State, and this can never be
done in the impoverished condition of
her soil, ,:nnless her SONS are educated in
scientific agriculture. ~ b.
st. Matt the,e' 5; October "a.